[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 250 (Friday, December 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80528-80529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-28455]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC22-27-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-915) 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, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC-915 (Public 
Utility Market-Based Rate Authorization Holders--Records Retention 
Requirements), will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review. No Comments were received on the 60-day notice 
published on October 6, 2022.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due January 30, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on FERC-915 to OMB through 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the OMB Control Number (1902-
0250) 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. IC22-27-000) 
by one of the following methods:
    Electronic filing through https://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, Secretary of the 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.

[[Page 80529]]

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: https://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-915, Public Utility Market-Based Rate Authorization 
Holders--Records Retention Requirements.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0250.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-915 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current record retention 
requirements.
    Abstract: In accordance with the Federal Power Act, the Department 
of Energy Organization Act (DOE Act), and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(EPAct 2005), the Commission regulates the transmission and wholesale 
sales of electricity in interstate commerce, monitors and investigates 
energy markets, uses civil penalties and other means against energy 
organizations and individuals who violate FERC rules in the energy 
markets, administers accounting and financial reporting regulations, 
and oversees conduct of regulated companies.
    The Commission imposes the FERC-915 record retention requirements 
in 18 CFR 35.41(d) on applicable sellers to retain, for a period of 
five years, all data and information upon which they bill the prices 
charged for ``electric energy or electric energy products sold pursuant 
to Seller's market-based rate tariff, and the prices it reported for 
use in price indices.''
    FERC-915 is necessary to protect the integrity of the market by 
preserving documentation of relevant price data in the event of an 
investigation of possible wrongdoing. The requirement ensures that 
documentation is retained for a period consistent with the parameters 
of the generally applicable statute of limitations for the Commission 
to assess civil penalties against a seller for violations of the FERC's 
rules, regulations, or orders.
    Type of Respondent: Sellers, as that term is defined in 18 CFR 
35.36.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \1\ The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden and cost \2\ (rounded) for the information 
collection as follows:
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    \1\ 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 1320.3.
    \2\ The estimated hourly cost (for wages plus benefits) provided 
in this section are based on the figures posted by the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics (BLS) for the Utilities section available (at 
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm) and benefits 
information (for June 2022, issued March 2022, at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm). The hourly estimates for 
salary plus benefits are:
    File Clerk (Occupation code: 43-4071), $34.38 an hour. We are 
rounding the hourly cost to $34.00.

                            FERC-915, Public Utility Market-Based Rate Authorization Holders--Records Retention Requirements
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                                                                                                                                           Annual  cost
                                          Number of    Annual  number   Total number    Average  burden & cost     Total annual  burden         per
           FERC requirement              respondents    of  responses   of responses         per response              hours & cost         respondent
                                                       per respondent                                                                           ($)
                                                  (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).....................  (3) * (4) = (5)........       (5) / (1)
                                                                                  (3)
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FERC-915.............................           2,510               1           2,510  1 hr.; $34.00...........  2,510 hrs.; $85,340....          $34.00
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    Total............................  ..............  ..............           2,510  ........................  2,510 hrs.; $85,340....  ..............
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    In addition, there are records storage costs. For all respondents, 
we estimate a total of 65,000 cu. ft. of records in off-site storage. 
Based on an approximate storage cost of $0.24 per cubic foot, we 
estimate total annual storage cost to be $15,600.00 (or $6.22 annually 
per respondent). The total annual cost for all respondents (burden cost 
plus off-site storage) is $100,940.00 (or $85,340 + $15,600); the 
average total annual cost per respondent is $40.22 ($6.22 + $34.00).\3\
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    \3\ Given that the Commission has found (1) that Sellers use 
standard computer-based methods to store the retained information 
automatically on electronic media and (2) that storage space needed 
costs pennies per Gigabyte, estimating burden and storage assuming 
use of traditional paper records provides an extreme boundary on the 
estimated costs.
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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: December 23, 2022.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-28455 Filed 12-29-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P