[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 119 (Thursday, June 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33269-33270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13296]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC21-16-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-582); Comment 
Request; Extension

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 a renewal of currently approved 
information collection FERC 582 (Electric Fees, Annual Charges, 
Waivers, and Exemptions), which will be submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due July 26, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on FERC-582 to OMB through 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the OMB Control Number (1902-
0132) in the subject line of your comments. Comments should be sent 
within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
    Please submit copies of your comments to the Commission. You may 
submit copies of your comments (identified by Docket No. IC21-16-000) 
by one of the following methods:
    Electronic filing through http://www.ferc.gov, is preferred.
     Electronic Filing: Documents must be filed in acceptable 
native applications and print-to-PDF, but not in scanned or picture 
format.
     For those unable to file electronically, comments may be 
filed by USPS mail or by hand (including courier) delivery.
    [cir] Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only: Addressed to: Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First 
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    [cir] Hand (including courier) delivery: Deliver to: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852.
    Instructions: OMB submissions must be formatted and filed in 
accordance with submission guidelines at www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Using the search function under the ``Currently Under Review'' 
field, select Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; click ``submit,'' 
and select ``comment'' to the right of the subject collection. FERC 
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 https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: FERC-582, Electric Fees, Annual Charges, Waivers, and 
Exemptions.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0132.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-582 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The information required by FERC-582 is contained in 
Title 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 381 \1\ and 382.\2\
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    \1\ 18 CFR, Sections 381.105, 381.106, 381.108, 381.302, and 
381.305.
    \2\ 18 CFR, Sections 382.102, 382.103, 382.105, 382.106, and 
382.201.
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    The Commission uses the FERC-582 to implement the statutory 
provisions of the Independent Offices Appropriation Act of 1952 (IOAA) 
\3\ which authorizes the Commission to establish fees for its services. 
In addition, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (OBRA) \4\ 
authorizes the Commission to assess and collect fees and annual charges 
in any fiscal year in amounts equal to all the costs incurred by the 
Commission in that fiscal year.
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    \3\ 31 U.S.C. 9701.
    \4\ 42 U.S.C. 7178.
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    To comply with the FERC-582, respondents submit to the Commission 
the sum of the megawatt-hours (MWh) of all unbundled transmission 
(including MWh delivered in wheeling transactions and MWh delivered in 
exchange transactions) and the megawatt-hours of all bundled wholesale 
power sales (to the extent the bundled wholesale power sales were not 
separately reported as unbundled transmission). The data collected in 
the FERC-582 are drawn directly from the FERC Form 1 (Annual Report of 
Major Electric Utilities, Licensees and Others) \5\ transmission data. 
The Commission sums the costs of its electric regulatory program and 
subtracts all electric regulatory program filing fee collections to 
determine the total collectible electric regulatory program costs. 
Then, the Commission uses the data submitted under FERC-582 to 
determine the total megawatt-hours of transmission of electric energy

[[Page 33270]]

in interstate commerce. Respondents (public utilities and power 
marketers) subject to these annual charges must submit FERC-582 data to 
the Commission by April 30 of each year.\6\ The Commission issues bills 
for annual charges to respondents. Then, respondents must pay the 
charges within 45 days of the Commission's issuance of the bill.
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    \5\ OMB Control No. 1902-0021, described in 18 CFR 141.1.
    \6\ 18 CFR 382.201.
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    Respondents file requests for waivers and exemptions of fees and 
charges \7\ based on need. The Commission's staff uses the filer's 
financial information to evaluate the request for a waiver or exemption 
of the obligation to pay a fee or an annual charge. The 60-day notice 
published to the Federal Register on April 16, 2021 and received no 
comments.\8\
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    \7\ 18 CFR parts 381 and 382.
    \8\ 86 FR 20133.
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    Estimate of Annual Burden: \9\ The Commission estimates the burden 
and cost \10\ for this information collection as follows.
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    \9\ Burden is defined as 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 part 1320.
    \10\ The Commission staff estimates that the average respondent 
for this collection is similarly situated to the Commission, in 
terms of salary plus benefits. Based on FERC's 2020 annual average 
of $172,329 (for salary plus benefits), the average hourly cost is 
$83/hour.

          FERC-582, Electric Fees, Annual Charges, Waivers, and Exemptions Docket No. IC21-16-000 \11\
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                                Annual number                    Average burden    Total annual
    Number of respondents        of responses    Total number     & cost  per     burden  hrs. &     Cost per
                                per respondent   of responses       response           cost         respondent
(1)                                        (2)     (1) x (2) =  (4)............  (3) * (4) = (5)     (5) / (1) =
                                                           (3)                                               (5)
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53...........................                1              53  2.39 hrs.;       126.67 hrs.;            $198.37
                                                                 $198.37.         $10,513.61.
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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.
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    \11\ This includes requirements of 18 CFR 381.105 (methods of 
payment), 381.106 (waiver), 381.108 (exemption), 381.302 
(declaratory order), 381.303 (review of DOE remedial order), 381.304 
(DOE denial of adjustment), and 381.305 (OGC interpretation).

    Dated: June 17, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-13296 Filed 6-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P