[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 25, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75317-75318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26079]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No, IC21-7-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-598); Comment 
Request; Revision

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved 
information collection FERC-598 (Self-Certification for Entities 
Seeking Exempt Wholesale Generator or Foreign Utility Company Status).

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due January 25, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC21-7-
000) by any of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's website: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
     U.S. Postal Service Mail: Persons unable to file 
electronically may mail similar pleadings to the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
     Effective July 1, 2020, delivery of filings other than by 
eFiling or the U.S. Postal Service should be delivered to Health and 
Human Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
    Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in 
accordance with submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov. For user 
assistance, contact FERC Online Support by email at: 
[email protected], or by phone at: (866) 208-3676 (toll-free).
    Docket: Users interested in receiving automatic notification of 
activity in this docket or in viewing/downloading comments and 
issuances in this docket may do so at: http://www.ferc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at 
[email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202) 
273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: FERC-598, Self-Certification for Entities Seeking Exempt 
Wholesale Generator or Foreign Utility Company Status.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0166.
    Type of Request: Three-year renewal of FERC-598.
    Abstract: Under 42 U.S.C. 16452(a), public utility holding 
companies and their associates must maintain, and make available to the 
Commission, certain books, accounts, memoranda, and other records. The 
pertinent records are those that the Commission has determined: (1) Are 
relevant to costs incurred by a public utility or natural gas company 
that is an associate company of such holding company; and (2) are 
necessary or appropriate for the protection of utility customers with 
respect to jurisdictional rates.
    Public utility holding companies and their associates may seek 
exemption from this requirement. The pertinent statutory and regulatory 
provisions, 42 U.S.C. 16454 and 18 CFR 366.7, authorize such entities 
to file with the Commission a notice of self-certification 
demonstrating that they are exempt wholesale generators (EWGs) or 
foreign utility companies (FUCOs). If the Commission takes no action on 
a good-faith self-certification filing within 60 days after the date of 
filing, the applicant is exempt from the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 
16452(a).
    An EWG is defined as any person engaged directly, or indirectly 
through one or more affiliates . . . and exclusively in the business of 
owning or operating, or both owning and operating, all or part of one 
or more eligible facilities and selling electric energy at 
wholesale.\1\ A FUCO is

[[Page 75318]]

defined as ``any company that owns or operates facilities that are not 
located in any state and that are used for the generation, 
transmission, or distribution of electric energy for sale or the 
distribution at retail of natural or manufactured gas for heat, light, 
or power, if such company: (1) Derives no part of its income, directly 
or indirectly, from the generation, transmission, or distribution of 
electric energy for sale or the distribution at retail of natural or 
manufactured gas for heat, light, or power, within the United States; 
and (2) [n]either the company nor any of its subsidiary companies is a 
public-utility company operating in the United States.'' \2\
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    \1\ 18 CFR 366.1.
    \2\ Id.
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    In the case of EWGs, the person filing a notice of self-
certification must also file a copy of the notice of self-certification 
with the state regulatory authority of the state in which the facility 
is located. In addition, that person must represent to the Commission 
in its submission that it has filed a copy of the notice with the 
appropriate state regulatory authority.\3\
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    \3\ 18 CFR 366.7(a).
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    Type of Respondents: EWGs and FUCOs.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \4\ The Commission estimates the total 
annual burden and cost \5\ for this information collection as follows.
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    \4\ Burden is the total time, effort, or financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or 
provide information to or for a Federal agency. For further 
explanation of what is included in the information collection 
burden, refer to 5 CFR 1320.3.
    \5\ The Commission staff thinks that the average respondent for 
this collection is similarly situated to the Commission, in terms of 
salary plus benefits. Based upon FERC's FY 2020 annual full-time 
equivalent average of $172,329 (for salary plus benefits), the 
average hourly cost is $83 per hour.

                 FERC-598 (Self-Certification for Entities Seeking Exempt Wholesale Generator Status or Foreign Utility Company Status)
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                                  Annual number
Number of respondents (EWGs and    of responses       Total number of       Average burden hrs. &   Total annual burden hours &      Average cost per
             FUCOs)               per respondent         responses         cost ($)  per response        total annual cost            respondent ($)
A.                                            B.                       C.  D.....................  E...........................                       F.
                                                    (Column A x Column B)                          (Column C x Column D).......    (Column E / Column 1)
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250............................                1                      250  6 hrs.; $498..........  1,500 hrs.; $124,500........                     $498
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    Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Commission, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden and 
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.

    Dated: November 19, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-26079 Filed 11-24-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P