Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Extension, 9529-9530 [E6-2624]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 37 (Friday, February 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9529-9530]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2624]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC06-585-000; FERC-585]


Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request; Extension

February 14, 2006.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(a) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13), the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is soliciting public comment 
on the specific aspects of the information collection described below.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due April 21, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: Copies of sample filings of the proposed collection of 
information can be obtained from the Commission's Web site (https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filings/elibrary.asp) or from the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael Miller, Office of the Executive 
Director, ED-34, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments 
may be filed either in paper format or electronically. Those parties 
filing electronically do not need to make a paper filing. For paper 
filing, the original and 14 copies of such comments should be submitted 
to the Secretary of the Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426 and refer to 
Docket No. IC06-585-000.
    Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in 
WordPerfect, MS Word, Portable Document Format, or ASCII format. To 
file the document, access the Commission's Web site at https://
www.ferc.gov and click on ``Make an E-filing'', and then follow the 
instructions for each screen. First time users will have to establish a 
user name and password. The Commission will send an automatic 
acknowledgement to the sender's e-mail address upon receipt of 
comments.

[[Page 9530]]

    All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the 
Internet through FERC's homepage using the eLibrary link. For user 
assistance, contact FERCOlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at (866) 
208-3676. or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller may be reached by 
telephone at (202) 502-8415, by fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at 
michael.miller@ferc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC-585 ``Reporting of Electric Energy Shortages and 
Contingency Plans under PURPA'' (OMB No. 1902-0138) is used by the 
Commission to implement the statutory provisions of section 206 of the 
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1979 (PURPA) Pub. L. 95-617, 
92 Stat. 3117. Section 206 of PURPA amended the Federal Power Act (FPA) 
by adding a new subsection (g) to section 202, under which the 
Commission by rule, was to require each public utility to (1) report to 
the Commission and appropriate state regulatory authorities of any 
anticipated shortages of electric energy or capacity which would affect 
the utility's capability to serve its wholesale customers; and (2) 
report to the Commission and any appropriate state regulatory authority 
contingency plan that would outline what circumstances might give rise 
to for such occurrences.
    In FERC Order No. 575 (60 FR 4859, January 25, 1995) the Commission 
modified the reporting requirements in 18 CFR 294.101(b) to provide 
that if a public utility includes in its rates schedule provisions 
that: (a) during electric energy and capacity shortages it will treat 
firm power wholesale customers without undue discrimination or 
preference; and (b) it will report any modifications to its contingency 
plan for accommodating shortages within 15 days to the appropriate 
state regulatory agency and to the affected wholesale customers, then 
the utility need not file with the Commission an additional statement 
of contingency plan for accommodating such shortages. This revision 
merely changed the reporting mechanism; the public utility's 
contingency plan would be located in its filed rate rather than in a 
separate document.
    The Commission uses the information to evaluate and formulate 
appropriate an option for action in the event an unanticipated shortage 
is reported and/or materializes. Without this information, the 
Commission and State agencies would be unable to: (1) Examine and 
approve or modify utility actions, (2) prepare a response to 
anticipated disruptions in electric energy and (3) ensure equitable 
treatment of all public utility customers under the shortage 
situations. The Commission implements these filing requirements in the 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR part 294.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date, with no changes to the existing collection of 
data.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

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                                                                     Number of
                                                                   responses per  Average burden   Total annual
               Number of respondents annually  (1)                  respondent       hours per     burden hours
                                                                        (2)        response  (3)    (1)x(2)x(3)
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7...............................................................               1              73       511 hours
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    Estimated cost burden to respondents is $27,704. (511 hours/2080 
hours per year times $112,767 per year average per employee = $ 
27,704). The cost per respondent is $3,958.
    The reporting burden includes the total time, effort, or financial 
resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide 
the information including: (1) Reviewing instructions; (2) developing, 
acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the 
purposes of collecting, validating, verifying, processing, maintaining, 
disclosing and providing information; (3) adjusting the existing ways 
to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements; 
(4) training personnel to respond to a collection of information; (5) 
searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collection of 
information; and (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the 
information.
    The estimate of cost for respondents is based upon salaries for 
professional and clerical support, as well as direct and indirect 
overhead costs. Direct costs include all costs directly attributable to 
providing this information, such as administrative costs and the cost 
for information technology. Indirect or overhead costs are costs 
incurred by an organization in support of its mission. These costs 
apply to activities which benefit the whole organization rather than 
any one particular function or activity.
    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed 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 of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology e.g. permitting electronic submission of 
responses.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E6-2624 Filed 2-23-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P