[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 183 (Friday, September 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53048-53049]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20774]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC21-38-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities; (FERC-920, Electric
Quarterly Report); Comment Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission
or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved
information collection, FERC-920 (Electric Quarterly Report (EQR)),
which will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for a review of the information collection requirements.
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due November 23,
2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit copies of your comments (identified by Docket
No. IC21-38-000 and the specific FERC collection number (FERC-920) 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 to: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 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] and telephone at (202) 502-8663.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: FERC-920, (Electric Quarterly Reports
(EQR)).
OMB Control No.: 1902-0255.
Type of Respondent: Public utilities, and non-public utilities with
more than a de minimis market presence.
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-920 information
collection with no changes to the current reporting requirements.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ This Notice in Docket No. IC21-38 is separate from, and does
not address, the activities in Docket No. AD21-8-000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abstract: The Commission originally set forth the EQR filing
requirements in Order No. 2001 (Docket No. RM01-8-000) which required
public utilities to electronically file EQRs summarizing transaction
information for short-term and long-term cost-based sales and market-
based rate sales and the contractual terms and conditions in their
agreements for all jurisdictional services.\2\ The Commission
established the EQR reporting requirements to help ensure the
collection of information needed to perform its regulatory functions
over transmission and sales, while making data more useful to the
public and allowing public utilities to better fulfill their
responsibility under Federal Power Act (FPA) section 205(c) \3\ to have
rates on file in a convenient form and place. As noted in Order No.
2001, the EQR data is designed to ``provide greater price transparency,
promote competition, enhance confidence in the fairness of the markets,
and provide a better means to detect and discourage discriminatory
practices.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Revised Public Utility Filing Requirements, Order No. 2001,
67 FR 31043 (May 8, 2002), FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,127, reh'g
denied, Order No. 2001-A, 100 FERC ] 61,074, reh'g denied, Order No.
2001-B, 100 FERC ] 61,342, order directing filing, Order No. 2001-C,
101 FERC ] 61,314 (2002), order directing filing, Order No. 2001-D,
102 FERC ] 61,334, order refining filing requirements, Order No.
2001-E, 105 FERC ] 61,352 (2003), order on clarification, Order No.
2001-F, 106 FERC ] 61,060 (2004), order revising filing
requirements, Order No. 2001-G, 72 FR 56735 (Oct. 4, 2007), 120 FERC
] 61,270, order on reh'g and clarification, Order No. 2001-H, 73 FR
1876 (Jan. 10, 2008), 121 FERC ] 61,289 (2007), order revising
filing requirements, Order No. 2001-I, 73 FR 65526 (Nov. 4, 2008),
125 FERC ] 61,103 (2008).
\3\ 16 U.S.C. 824d(c).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since issuing Order No. 2001, the Commission has provided guidance
and refined the reporting requirements, as necessary, to reflect
changes in the Commission's rules and regulations.\4\ The Commission
also adopted an Electric Quarterly Report Data Dictionary, which
provides in one document the definitions of certain terms and values
used in filing EQR data.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ See, e.g., Revised Public Utility Filing Requirements for
Electric Quarterly Reports, 124 FERC ] 61,244 (2008) (providing
guidance on the filing of information on transmission capacity
reassignments in EQRs).
\5\ Order No. 2001-G, 120 FERC ] 61,270 (2007).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To increase transparency broadly across all wholesale markets
subject to the Commission's jurisdiction, the Commission issued Order
No. 768 in 2012.\6\ Order No. 768 required market participants that are
excluded from the Commission's jurisdiction under the FPA section 205
(non-public utilities) and have more than a de minimis market presence
to file EQRs with the Commission. In addition, Order No. 768 revised
the EQR filing requirements to build upon the Commission's prior
improvements to the reporting requirements and further enhance the
goals of providing greater price transparency, promoting competition,
instilling confidence in the fairness of the markets, and providing a
better means to detect and discourage anti-competitive, discriminatory,
and manipulative practices.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Order No. 768, 77 FR 61896 (Oct. 11, 2012), FERC Stats. &
Regs. ] 31,336 (2012).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EQR information allows the public to assess supply and demand
fundamentals and to price interstate wholesale market transactions.
This, in turn, results in greater market confidence, lower transaction
costs, and
[[Page 53049]]
ultimately supports competitive markets. In addition, the data filed in
the EQR strengthens the Commission's ability to exercise its wholesale
electric rate and electric power transmission oversight and enforcement
responsibilities in accordance with the Federal Power Act. Without this
information, the Commission would lack some of the data it needs to
support its regulatory function over transmission and sales.
Type of Respondent: Public utilities, and non-public utilities with
more than a de minimis market presence.
Estimate of Annual Burden and Cost: \7\ The Commission estimates
the annual public reporting burden \8\ for the information collection
as:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ The cost is based on FERC's 2021 Commission-wide average
salary cost (salary plus benefits) of $87.00/hour. The Commission
staff believes the FERC FTE (full-time equivalent) average cost for
wages plus benefits is representative of the corresponding cost for
the industry respondents.
\8\ Burden is defined as the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. For
further explanation of what is included in the information
collection burden, refer to 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.
FERC-920: Electric Quarterly Report (EQR)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average annual Total average annual
Number of number of Total number Average annual burden burden hours & total Cost per
Requirements respondents responses per of responses hrs. & cost ($) per annual cost ($) respondent ($)
respondent response (rounded) (rounded) (rounded)
1 2 (1) * (2) = 4....................... (3) * (4) = (5)........ (5) / (1)
(3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Electric Quarterly Report............ 2,929 4 11,716 18.1 hrs.; $1,575....... 212,060 hrs.; $6,300
$18,452,700.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total............................ .............. .............. 11,716 ........................ 212,060 hrs.; $6,300
$18,452,700.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: September 20, 2021.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-20774 Filed 9-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P