Agency Information Collection Extension, 36536-36537 [2015-15628]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Energy Information Administration

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 122 (Thursday, June 25, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36536-36537]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15628]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Extension

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy 
(DOE).

ACTION: Agency information collection activities: Information 
collection extension; notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982 required that DOE 
enter into Standard Contracts with all generators or owners of spent 
nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste of domestic origin. EIA, 
pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, intends to extend for 
three years, Form NWPA-830G, ``Appendix G-Standard Remittance Advice 
for Payment of Fees (including Annex A to Appendix G),'' with the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Form NWPA-830G is part of the 
Standard Contract for Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and/or High-Level 
Radioactive Waste. Generators and owners of spent nuclear fuel and 
high-level radioactive waste of domestic origin paid fees into the 
nuclear waste fund based on net electricity generated and sold as 
defined in the Standard Contract.
    In November 2013, a federal appeals court ruled that DOE must cease 
collection of the Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal Fee. DOE determined that, 
effective May 16, 2014, the fee is reduced from 1.0 Mil per kilowatt-
hour ($1 per megawatt-hour) to 0.0 Mil per kilowatt-hour ($0 per 
megawatt-hour), ultimately reducing to zero the quarterly collection of 
fees from domestic generators of nuclear electricity. However, through 
its Office of the General Counsel, DOE has directed EIA to continue 
activities associated with the collection and verification of net 
electricity generation data and estimation of the spent nuclear fuel 
disposal fees that would otherwise accrue from this generation. 
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) 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; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

DATES: Comments regarding this proposed information collection must be 
received on or before August 25, 2015. If you anticipate difficulty in 
submitting comments within that period, contact the person listed in 
ADDRESSES as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent to Marta Gospodarczyk. To 
ensure receipt of the comments by the due date, submission by email 
(marta.gospodarczyk@eia.gov) is recommended. The mailing address is 
Office of Electricity, Coal, Nuclear, and Renewables Analysis, EI-34, 
Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585. 
Alternatively, Ms. Gospodarczyk may be contacted by telephone at 202-
586-0527.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of any forms and instructions should be directed to Ms. 
Gospodarczyk at the address listed above. The Form NWPA-830G, 
``Appendix G-Standard Remittance Advice for Payment of Fees,'' 
including Annex A to Appendix G, may also be viewed here: https://www.eia.gov/survey/#nwpa-830g.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains:
    (1) OMB No. 1901-0260;
    (2) Information Collection Request Title: Standard Contract for 
Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and/or High-Level Radioactive Waste;
    (3) Type of Request: Three-year extension;
    (4) Purpose: The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (15 
U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et 
seq.) require EIA to carry out a centralized, comprehensive, and 
unified energy information program. This program collects, evaluates, 
assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information on energy resource 
reserves, production, demand, technology, and related economic and 
statistical information. This information is used to assess the 
adequacy of energy resources to meet near and longer term domestic 
demands.
    EIA, as part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of

[[Page 36537]]

1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), provides the general public and other 
federal agencies with opportunities to comment on collections of energy 
information conducted by or in conjunction with EIA. Also, EIA will 
later seek approval for this collection by OMB under Section 3507(a) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
    The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) 
required that DOE enter into Standard Contracts with all generators or 
owners of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste of 
domestic origin. Form NWPA-830G, ``Appendix G-Standard Remittance 
Advice for Payment of Fees,'' including Annex A to Appendix G, is an 
Appendix to this Standard Contract. Appendix G and Annex A to Appendix 
G are commonly referred to as Remittance Advice (RA) forms. RA forms 
must be submitted quarterly by generators and owners of spent nuclear 
fuel and high-level radioactive waste of domestic origin who signed the 
Standard Contract. Appendix G is designed to serve as the source 
document for entries into DOE accounting records to transmit data to 
DOE concerning payment of fees into the Nuclear Waste Fund for spent 
nuclear fuel and high-level waste disposal. Annex A to Appendix G is 
used to provide data on the amount of net electricity generated and 
sold, upon which these fees are based.
    Please refer to the proposed forms and instructions for more 
information about the purpose, who must report, when to report, where 
to submit, the elements to be reported, detailed instructions, 
provisions for confidentiality, and uses (including possible non-
statistical uses) of the information. For instructions on obtaining 
materials, see the ``For Further Information Contact'' section.
    (4a) Proposed Changes to Information Collection: No changes are 
proposed;
    (5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 100;
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 400;
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 2,000;
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: EIA 
estimates that there are no additional costs to respondents associated 
with the surveys other than the costs associated with the burden hours. 
The information is maintained in the normal course of business. The 
cost of burden hours to the respondents is estimated to be $143,940 
($71.97 per hour x 2,000 hours). Therefore, other than the cost of 
burden hours, EIA estimates that there are no additional costs for 
generating, maintaining and providing the information.

    Statutory Authority:  Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 
(15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.); DOE Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et 
seq.); and Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101 et 
seq.).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 19, 2015.
Nanda Srinivasan,
Director, Office of Survey Development and Statistical Integration, 
U.S. Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015-15628 Filed 6-24-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P