[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]


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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.

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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\
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    \1\ This Notice in Docket No. IC21-38 is separate from, and does 
not address, the activities in Docket No. AD21-8-000.
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    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.''
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    \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).
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    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\
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    \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).
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    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.
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    \6\ Order No. 768, 77 FR 61896 (Oct. 11, 2012), FERC Stats. & 
Regs. ] 31,336 (2012).
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    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:
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    \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)
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                                                       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)
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Electric Quarterly Report............           2,929               4          11,716  18.1 hrs.; $1,575.......  212,060 hrs.;                    $6,300
                                                                                                                  $18,452,700.
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    Total............................  ..............  ..............          11,716  ........................  212,060 hrs.;                    $6,300
                                                                                                                  $18,452,700.
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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: 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