[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 25 (Monday, February 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6860-6862]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02504]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC22-2-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-519) Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission FERC-
519, (Application under Federal Power Act Section 203), which will be 
submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due March 9, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on FERC-519 to OMB through 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the OMB Control Number (1902-
0082) in the subject line of your comments. Comments should be sent 
within 30 days of publication of this

[[Page 6861]]

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. IC22-2-000) 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-519, Application under Federal Power Act Section 
203.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 16 U.S.C. 824b.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    OMB Control No.: 1902-0082.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-519 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements. The Commission issued a 60-day notice on November 15, 
2021 (86 FR 63010) requesting public comments; no comments were 
received.
    Abstract: The Commission requires that public utility officers must 
seek authorization under amended section 203(a)(1)(B) of the Federal 
Power Act (FPA) to merge or consolidate, directly or indirectly, its 
facilities subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission, or any part 
thereof, with the facilities of any other person, or any part thereof, 
that are subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission and have a value 
in excess of $10 million, by any means whatsoever. In addition, as 
required by the Act, the Commission establishes a requirement to submit 
a notification filing for mergers or consolidations by a public utility 
if the facilities to be acquired have a value in excess of $1 million 
and such public utility is not required to secure Commission 
authorization under amended section 203(a)(1)(B). The information 
collected under the FERC-519 enables the Commission to meet its 
statutory responsibilities regarding public utility disposition, 
merger, consolidation of facilities, purchase, or acquisition oversight 
and enforcement in accordance with the FPA as referenced above. The 
required information includes descriptions of corporate attributes of 
the party or parties to the proposed transaction (e.g., a sale, lease, 
or other disposition, merger, or consolidation of facilities, or 
purchase of other acquisition of the securities of a public utility and 
the facilities or other property involved in the transaction), 
statements about effect of the transaction, and the applicant's proof 
that the transaction will be consistent with the public interest. It 
will enable the Commission to meet its statutory responsibilities 
regarding its FPA section 203 oversight of public utility dispositions, 
mergers, or consolidation of facilities, and associated oversight and 
enforcement responsibilities under the FPA as referenced above. The 
required information to be collected in the notification filing 
(established by the addition of 18 CFR part 33.12) for certain 
transactions includes descriptions of corporate attributes of the party 
or parties to the transaction and the facilities involved. FPA section 
203 requires a filing on the occasion that a public utility proposes to 
dispose of jurisdictional facilities, merge such facilities, or acquire 
the securities of another public utility. Public Utilities consist of:
     Corporate;
     Information Technology Management;
     General Accounting;
     Personnel and Payroll;
     Transportation;
     Tariffs and Rates;
     Insurance;
     Operations and Maintenance;
     Plant and Depreciation;
     Purchase and Stores;
     Revenue Accounting and Collection;
     Tax;
     Treasury; and
     Miscellaneous.
    Type of Respondents: Public utility officers regulated by the FPA.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \2\ The Commission estimates the total 
annual burden and cost \3\ for this information collection as follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ ``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 Title 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.
    \3\ Commission staff estimates that the industry's skill set and 
cost (for wages and benefits) for FERC-519 are approximately the 
same as the Commission's average cost. The FERC 2021 average salary 
plus benefits for one FERC full-time equivalent (FTE) is $180,703/
year (or $87.00/hour).

[[Page 6862]]



                                                FERC-519: Application Under Federal Power Act Section 203
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       Annual
                                                     number of                                                                                 Cost per
                                        Number of    responses    Total number     Average burden & cost per    Total annual  burden hours    respondent
                                       respondents      per       of responses             response                 (total annual cost)          ($)
                                                     respondent
                                               (1)          (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).........................  (3) * (4) = (5).............    (5) / (1)
                                                                            (3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FERC-519 (FPA Section 203 Filings)             134            1             134  324.43 hr.\5\; $28,225.41...  43,473.62 hrs.;                $28,225.41
 \4\.                                                                                                           $3,782,204.94.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ Commission staff estimates that approximately 26 section 203 
filings will change from full section 203 filings to the 
notification filing described above and will take one burden hour to 
complete. The number of respondents and responses is based on 
Commission staff's estimate that 13 percent of the approximately 200 
section 203 filings received will be affected. This represents a 
significant reduction in burden hours.
    \5\ With this amendment each of the 26 affected entities and 
their related filings (i.e., the entities that now only have to file 
the section 203 notification filings) is reduced to 1 hour.

    Dated: February 1, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-02504 Filed 2-4-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P