Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-500 and FERC-542); Consolidated Comment Request, 15300-15302 [2016-06368]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 55 / Tuesday, March 22, 2016 / Notices
Accession Number: 20160314–5293.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 4/14/16.
The filings are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the links or querying the
docket number.
Any person desiring to intervene or
protest in any of the above proceedings
must file in accordance with Rules 211
and 214 of the Commission’s
Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern
time on the specified comment date.
Protests may be considered, but
intervention is necessary to become a
party to the proceeding.
eFiling is encouraged. More detailed
information relating to filing
requirements, interventions, protests,
service, and qualifying facilities filings
can be found at: https://www.ferc.gov/
docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For
other information, call (866) 208–3676
(toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659.
Dated: March 16, 2016.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016–06367 Filed 3–21–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. IC16–4–000]
Commission Information Collection
Activities (FERC–500 and FERC–542);
Consolidated Comment Request
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Energy.
ACTION: Comment request.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A), the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission or
FERC) is submitting two information
collections (FERC–500, Application for
License/Relicense and Exemption for
Water Projects with More than 5
Megawatt Capacity, and FERC–542, Gas
Pipeline Rates: Rate Tracking) to the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review of the information
collection requirements. Any interested
person may file comments directly with
OMB and should address a copy of
those comments to the Commission as
explained below. The Commission
previously issued a Notice in the
Federal Register (80 FR 79322, 12/21/
2015) and Errata Notice (81 FR 6844, 2/
9/2016) requesting public comments.
The Commission received no public
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SUMMARY:
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comments and is making this notation
in its submittals to OMB.
DATES: Comments on the collections of
information are due April 21, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB,
identified by the OMB Control Nos.
1902–0058 (FERC–500) and 1902–0070
(FERC–542), should be sent via email to
the Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs: oira_submission@omb.gov,
Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission Desk Officer. The Desk
Officer may also be reached via
telephone at 202–395–0710.
A copy of the comments should also
be sent to the Commission, in Docket
No. IC16–4–000, by either of the
following methods:
• eFiling at Commission’s Web site:
https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling.asp.
• Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
Secretary of the Commission, 888 First
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Instructions: All submissions must be
formatted and filed in accordance with
submission guidelines at: https://
www.ferc.gov/help/submissionguide.asp. For user assistance contact
FERC Online Support by email at
ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or by phone
at: (866) 208–3676 (toll-free), or (202)
502–8659 for TTY.
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/docsfiling/docs-filing.asp.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ellen Brown may be reached by email
at DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone
at (202) 502–8663, and fax at (202) 273–
0873.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Type of Request: Three-year extension
of the information collection
requirements for the collections
described below with no changes to the
current reporting or recordkeeping
requirements. Please note that each
collection is distinct.
Comments: Comments are invited on:
(1) Whether the collections of
information are 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
estimates of the burden 1 and cost of the
1 The Commission defines ‘‘burden’’ 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.
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Frm 00081
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
collections of information, including the
validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility and clarity of the
information collections; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collections
of information on those who are to
respond, including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
FERC–500, Application for License/
Relicense and Exemption for Water
Projects With More Than 5 Megawatt 2
Capacity
OMB Control No.: 1902–0058
Abstract: Pursuant to the Federal
Power Act, the Commission is
authorized to issue licenses and
exemptions to citizens of the United
States, or to any corporation organized
under the laws of United States or any
State thereof, or to any State or
municipality for the purpose of
constructing, operating, and
maintaining dams, water conduits,
reservoirs, power houses, transmission
lines, or other project works necessary
or convenient for the development and
improvement of navigation and for the
development, transmission, and
utilization of power across, along, from,
or in any of the streams or other bodies
of water over which Congress has
jurisdiction under its authority to
regulate commerce with foreign nations
and among the several States, or upon
any part of the public lands and
reservations of the United States.
FERC–500 includes an application
(for water projects with more than 5
megawatt capacity) for a hydropower
license/re-license or exemption, annual
conveyance report,3 and comprehensive
plans. FERC–500 includes certain
reporting requirements in 18 CFR 4,4 5,
8, 16, 141, 154.15, and 292. Depending
on the type of application or filing, it
may include project description,
schedule, resource allocation, project
operation, construction schedule, cost,
and financing; and an environmental
report.
After an application is filed, the
Federal agencies with responsibilities
under the Federal Power Act (FPA) and
other statutes,5 the States, Indian tribes,
2 Megawatt
= MW.
conveyance reports are filed for both
major and minor licenses. 80% of the reports are
related to major licenses.
4 FERC staff has not received any application
filings pertaining to the regulations described under
18 CFR 4.303 in over 20 years. It remains in 18 CFR
and is included in FERC–500.
5 Statutes include the Electric Consumers
Protection Act (ECPA), the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act, the
Federal Water Pollution Control Amendments of
3 Annual
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and other participants have
opportunities to request additional
studies and provide comments and
recommendations.
Submittal of the FERC–500
application is necessary to fulfill the
requirements of the FPA in order for the
Commission to make the required
finding that the proposal is
economically, technically, and
environmentally sound, and is best
adapted to a comprehensive plan for
improving/developing a waterway or
waterways.
In the 60-day Notice, we inadvertently
included under FERC–500 only the
responses and burden associated with
major license/re-license applications or
modifications for projects over 5 MW. In
this Notice, we are including the annual
conveyance reports (filed by industry)
and comprehensive plans (filed by
federal and state agencies which have
comprehensive plan status pursuant to
18 CFR 2.19).
Type of Respondent: Applicants for
major hydropower licenses or
exemptions greater than 5 MW, and
Federal and State agencies which have
comprehensive plan status.
Estimate of Annual Burden:
Applicants for licenses are required to
include an estimate of their cost to
prepare the license application, which
would include nearly all of the
reporting requirements in FERC–500.6
Because the requirements for an
exemption application are largely the
same as that of a license application, the
license application costs are a good
estimate of the exemption application
costs and of the overall burden of
preparing license and exemption
applications for projects greater than 5
MW. To estimate the total annual
burden, we averaged the reported
license application costs for proposed
projects greater than 5 MW filed in
fiscal years (FY) 2012 through 2015. The
results are presented in the table below:
FERC–500 (APPLICATION FOR LICENSE/RELICENSE AND EXEMPTION FOR WATER PROJECTS WITH MORE THAN 5 MW
CAPACITY)
Fiscal year
2012
2013
2014
2015
Number of Applications (Responses) ..............................................................
Average Cost per Response ...........................................................................
9
$2,059,828
7
$1,234,987
15
$3,776,864
2
$500,000
Total Burden Cost ....................................................................................
18,538,451
8,644,909
56,652,960
1,000,000
The average burden cost per
application over the period FY 2012
through FY 2015 was approximately
$2,570,797.7 We estimate a cost (salary
plus benefits) of $72/hour.8 Using this
hourly cost estimate, the average burden
for each application filed from FY 2012
to FY 2015 is 35,706 hours.
The average annual burden and cost
(including estimates for annual
conveyance reports and comprehensive
plans) follow.9
Annual
number of
responses per
respondent
Total
number of
responses
Average burden
hours & cost ($)
per response
Total
annual burden
hours & total
annual
cost ($)
Cost per
respondent
($)
(1)
Type of filing
Number of
respondents
(2)
(1) * (2) = (3)
(4)
(3) * (4) = (5)
(5) ÷ (1)
License/Re-license (application or modification).
Annual Conveyance
Reports (under 18
CFR 141.15).
Comprehensive Plans
(under 18 CFR
2.19) 11.
9
9
10 41
1
33
83
Total ......................
1
35,705.52 hrs.;
$2,570,797.42.
321,349.68 hrs.;
$23,137,176.82.
$2,570,797.42
41
3 hrs.; $216 .................
123 hrs.; $8,856 ..........
216
1
33
1 hr.; $72 .....................
33 hrs.; $2,376 ............
72
........................
83
.....................................
321,505.68 hrs.;
$23,148,408.82.
........................
Abstract: The Natural Gas Act (NGA)
requires FERC to regulate the
transmission and sale of natural gas for
resale in interstate commerce and to
ensure the rates jurisdictional natural
gas pipelines charge are just and
reasonable. It provides FERC with
authority to implement NGA mandates
through its rules and regulations. FERC
allows jurisdictional pipelines to flow
through to their customers such costs as
fuel or electric power costs necessary to
operate compressor stations as well as
the costs of storage services; research,
1972 (the Clean Water Act), and the Coastal Zone
Management Act.
6 FERC–500 also includes requirements in 18 CFR
2.19, 4.201, 4.202, 4.303, 4.35, 8.1, 8.2, 16.19,
141.15, and 292.208, which do not directly relate
to preparation of a license/re-license or exemption
application for a project greater than 5 MW.
7 $84,836,320 (Total burden cost from FY2012–
2015) ÷ 33 (total number of applications received
from FY2012–2015) = $2,570,797.
8 FERC staff estimates that industry is similarly
situated in terms of the hourly cost for salary plus
benefits. Therefore, we are using the FERC FY 2015
hourly cost (salary plus benefits) of $72/hour.
9 The hourly cost (wages plus benefits) for annual
conveyance reports and comprehensive reports is
similarly estimated to be $72/hour.
10 Order 540 changed the reporting requirement to
state that licensees are only to report if they convey
lands/waters under the standard land use article.
Over the last 4 years, the number of filings averaged
26. Based on filings in 2016, the number of filings
is expected to increase and is estimated at 41 per
year. 80% of the conveyance reports are for major
projects.
11 The comprehensive plans apply to all projects,
minor and major. These plans are not capacityspecific, so the complete estimated number of
filings is included here under FERC–500, however
some plans would also apply to FERC–505.
FERC–542, Gas Pipeline Rates: Rate
Tracking
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 55 / Tuesday, March 22, 2016 / Notices
development, and demonstration
(RD&D) expenditures and FERC annual
charge adjustment assessments. To
ensure these charges result in just and
reasonable rates, FERC requires
jurisdictional pipelines to file detailed
and summary information on these
flowed costs in the FERC–542. Analyses
of FERC–542 data helps the Commission
evaluate the charges to ensure
compliance with NGA rate
requirements.
The FERC–542 contains the following
information collection requirements: (1)
Research, development, and
deployment (RD&D) expenditures [18
CFR 154.401]; (2) annual charge
adjustments (ACA) [18 CFR 154.402];
and (3) periodic rate adjustments [18
CFR 154.403]. The general requirements
for tariff filings that are specified in the
following regulations apply to all FERC–
542 filings: 18 CFR 154.4, 18 CFR 154.7,
18 CFR 154.107, and 18 CFR 154.201.
Type of Respondent: Natural Gas
Pipelines
Estimate of Annual Burden: The
Commission estimates the annual public
reporting burden and cost 12 for the
information collection as:
FERC–542 (GAS PIPELINE RATES: RATE TRACKING)
Number of
respondents
Annual
number of
responses per
respondent
Total number
of responses
Average
burden & cost ($)
per response
Total annual
burden hours
& total
annual cost
Cost per
respondent
($)
(1)
(2)
(1) * (2) = (3)
(4)
(3) * (4) = (5)
(5) ÷ (1)
87 ...........................................
2.13
185
2 hrs.; $144 ..........................
370 hrs.; $26,640 .................
$306
Dated: March 16, 2016.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
The companies listed in this notice
have applied to the Board for approval,
pursuant to the Bank Holding Company
Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1841 et seq.)
(BHC Act), Regulation Y (12 CFR part
225), and all other applicable statutes
and regulations to become a bank
holding company and/or to acquire the
assets or the ownership of, control of, or
the power to vote shares of a bank or
bank holding company and all of the
banks and nonbanking companies
owned by the bank holding company,
including the companies listed below.
The applications listed below, as well
as other related filings required by the
Board, are available for immediate
inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank
indicated. The applications will also be
available for inspection at the offices of
the Board of Governors. Interested
persons may express their views in
writing on the standards enumerated in
the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1842(c)). If the
proposal also involves the acquisition of
a nonbanking company, the review also
includes whether the acquisition of the
nonbanking company complies with the
standards in section 4 of the BHC Act
(12 U.S.C. 1843). Unless otherwise
noted, nonbanking activities will be
conducted throughout the United States.
Unless otherwise noted, comments
regarding each of these applications
must be received at the Reserve Bank
indicated or the offices of the Board of
Governors not later than April 15, 2016.
A. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
(Colette A. Fried, Assistant Vice
President) 230 South LaSalle Street,
Chicago, Illinois 60690–1414:
1. Boscobel Bancorp, Inc., Boscobel,
Wisconsin; to merge with Rural
Bancshares of Wisconsin, Inc., and
thereby indirectly acquire Livingston
State Bank, both in Livingston,
Wisconsin.
2. Minier Financial, Inc. Employee
Stock Ownership Plan with 401(k)
Provisions, Minier, Illinois; to acquire
additional voting shares, for a total of 51
percent of voting shares of Minier
Financial, Inc., and thereby indirectly
acquire additional voting shares of First
Farmers State Bank, both in Minier,
Illinois.
B. Federal Reserve Bank of
Minneapolis (Jacquelyn K. Brunmeier,
Assistant Vice President) 90 Hennepin
Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota
55480–0291:
1. Ameri Financial Group, Inc.,
Stillwater, Minnesota; to become a bank
holding company by acquiring 100
percent of the voting shares of Eagle
Valley Bank, National Association, Saint
Croix Falls, Wisconsin.
C. Federal Reserve Bank of San
Francisco (Gerald C. Tsai, Director,
Applications and Enforcement) 101
Market Street, San Francisco, California
94105–1579:
1. BBCN Bancorp, Inc., Los Angeles,
California; to merge with Wilshire
Bancorp, Inc., and thereby indirectly
12 FERC staff estimates that industry is similarly
situated in terms of the hourly cost for salary plus
benefits. Therefore, we are using the FERC FY 2015
hourly cost (salary plus benefits) of $72/hour.
[FR Doc. 2016–06368 Filed 3–21–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
Formations of, Acquisitions by, and
Mergers of Bank Holding Companies
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acquire Wilshire Bank, both in Los
Angeles, California.
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Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, March 17, 2016.
Michael J. Lewandowski,
Associate Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2016–06398 Filed 3–21–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210–01–P
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
Change in Bank Control Notices;
Acquisitions of Shares of a Bank or
Bank Holding Company
The notificants listed below have
applied under the Change in Bank
Control Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j)) and
§ 225.41 of the Board’s Regulation Y (12
CFR 225.41) to acquire shares of a bank
or bank holding company. The factors
that are considered in acting on the
notices are set forth in paragraph 7 of
the Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(7)).
The notices are available for
immediate inspection at the Federal
Reserve Bank indicated. The notices
also will be available for inspection at
the offices of the Board of Governors.
Interested persons may express their
views in writing to the Reserve Bank
indicated for that notice or to the offices
of the Board of Governors. Comments
must be received not later than April 6,
2016.
A. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
(Colette A. Fried, Assistant Vice
President) 230 South LaSalle Street,
Chicago, Illinois 60690–1414:
1. Thomas G. Kenney, Fennimore,
Wisconsin; to acquire voting shares of
Boscobel Bancorp, Inc., and thereby
indirectly acquire voting shares of
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15300-15302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-06368]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC16-4-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-500 and FERC-
542); Consolidated Comment Request
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Energy.
ACTION: Comment request.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting two information
collections (FERC-500, Application for License/Relicense and Exemption
for Water Projects with More than 5 Megawatt Capacity, and FERC-542,
Gas Pipeline Rates: Rate Tracking) to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any
interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should
address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below.
The Commission previously issued a Notice in the Federal Register (80
FR 79322, 12/21/2015) and Errata Notice (81 FR 6844, 2/9/2016)
requesting public comments. The Commission received no public comments
and is making this notation in its submittals to OMB.
DATES: Comments on the collections of information are due April 21,
2016.
ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control Nos.
1902-0058 (FERC-500) and 1902-0070 (FERC-542), should be sent via email
to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs:
oira_submission@omb.gov, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission Desk Officer. The Desk Officer may also be reached via
telephone at 202-395-0710.
A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in
Docket No. IC16-4-000, by either of the following methods:
eFiling at Commission's Web site: https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20426.
Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in
accordance with submission guidelines at: https://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. For user assistance contact FERC Online Support
by email at ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or by phone at: (866) 208-3676
(toll-free), or (202) 502-8659 for TTY.
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/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at
DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202)
273-0873.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the information collection
requirements for the collections described below with no changes to the
current reporting or recordkeeping requirements. Please note that each
collection is distinct.
Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collections of
information are 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 estimates of the
burden \1\ and cost of the collections of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility and clarity of the information collections; and
(4) ways to minimize the burden of the collections of information on
those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Commission defines ``burden'' 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-500, Application for License/Relicense and Exemption for Water
Projects With More Than 5 Megawatt \2\ Capacity
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Megawatt = MW.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
OMB Control No.: 1902-0058
Abstract: Pursuant to the Federal Power Act, the Commission is
authorized to issue licenses and exemptions to citizens of the United
States, or to any corporation organized under the laws of United States
or any State thereof, or to any State or municipality for the purpose
of constructing, operating, and maintaining dams, water conduits,
reservoirs, power houses, transmission lines, or other project works
necessary or convenient for the development and improvement of
navigation and for the development, transmission, and utilization of
power across, along, from, or in any of the streams or other bodies of
water over which Congress has jurisdiction under its authority to
regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several States, or
upon any part of the public lands and reservations of the United
States.
FERC-500 includes an application (for water projects with more than
5 megawatt capacity) for a hydropower license/re-license or exemption,
annual conveyance report,\3\ and comprehensive plans. FERC-500 includes
certain reporting requirements in 18 CFR 4,\4\ 5, 8, 16, 141, 154.15,
and 292. Depending on the type of application or filing, it may include
project description, schedule, resource allocation, project operation,
construction schedule, cost, and financing; and an environmental
report.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Annual conveyance reports are filed for both major and minor
licenses. 80% of the reports are related to major licenses.
\4\ FERC staff has not received any application filings
pertaining to the regulations described under 18 CFR 4.303 in over
20 years. It remains in 18 CFR and is included in FERC-500.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
After an application is filed, the Federal agencies with
responsibilities under the Federal Power Act (FPA) and other
statutes,\5\ the States, Indian tribes,
[[Page 15301]]
and other participants have opportunities to request additional studies
and provide comments and recommendations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Statutes include the Electric Consumers Protection Act
(ECPA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered
Species Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Amendments of 1972
(the Clean Water Act), and the Coastal Zone Management Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submittal of the FERC-500 application is necessary to fulfill the
requirements of the FPA in order for the Commission to make the
required finding that the proposal is economically, technically, and
environmentally sound, and is best adapted to a comprehensive plan for
improving/developing a waterway or waterways.
In the 60-day Notice, we inadvertently included under FERC-500 only
the responses and burden associated with major license/re-license
applications or modifications for projects over 5 MW. In this Notice,
we are including the annual conveyance reports (filed by industry) and
comprehensive plans (filed by federal and state agencies which have
comprehensive plan status pursuant to 18 CFR 2.19).
Type of Respondent: Applicants for major hydropower licenses or
exemptions greater than 5 MW, and Federal and State agencies which have
comprehensive plan status.
Estimate of Annual Burden: Applicants for licenses are required to
include an estimate of their cost to prepare the license application,
which would include nearly all of the reporting requirements in FERC-
500.\6\ Because the requirements for an exemption application are
largely the same as that of a license application, the license
application costs are a good estimate of the exemption application
costs and of the overall burden of preparing license and exemption
applications for projects greater than 5 MW. To estimate the total
annual burden, we averaged the reported license application costs for
proposed projects greater than 5 MW filed in fiscal years (FY) 2012
through 2015. The results are presented in the table below:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ FERC-500 also includes requirements in 18 CFR 2.19, 4.201,
4.202, 4.303, 4.35, 8.1, 8.2, 16.19, 141.15, and 292.208, which do
not directly relate to preparation of a license/re-license or
exemption application for a project greater than 5 MW.
FERC-500 (Application for License/Relicense and Exemption for Water Projects With More Than 5 MW Capacity)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2012 2013 2014 2015
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Applications (Responses).............. 9 7 15 2
Average Cost per Response....................... $2,059,828 $1,234,987 $3,776,864 $500,000
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total Burden Cost........................... 18,538,451 8,644,909 56,652,960 1,000,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The average burden cost per application over the period FY 2012
through FY 2015 was approximately $2,570,797.\7\ We estimate a cost
(salary plus benefits) of $72/hour.\8\ Using this hourly cost estimate,
the average burden for each application filed from FY 2012 to FY 2015
is 35,706 hours.
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\7\ $84,836,320 (Total burden cost from FY2012-2015) / 33 (total
number of applications received from FY2012-2015) = $2,570,797.
\8\ FERC staff estimates that industry is similarly situated in
terms of the hourly cost for salary plus benefits. Therefore, we are
using the FERC FY 2015 hourly cost (salary plus benefits) of $72/
hour.
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The average annual burden and cost (including estimates for annual
conveyance reports and comprehensive plans) follow.\9\
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\9\ The hourly cost (wages plus benefits) for annual conveyance
reports and comprehensive reports is similarly estimated to be $72/
hour.
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Annual number Total annual burden
Type of filing Number of of responses Total number Average burden hours & hours & total annual Cost per
respondents per respondent of responses cost ($) per response cost ($) respondent ($)
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (4)..................... (3) * (4) = (5)........ (5) / (1)
(3)
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License/Re-license (application or 9 1 9 35,705.52 hrs.; 321,349.68 hrs.; $2,570,797.42
modification). $2,570,797.42. $23,137,176.82.
Annual Conveyance Reports (under 18 \10\ 41 1 41 3 hrs.; $216............ 123 hrs.; $8,856....... 216
CFR 141.15).
Comprehensive Plans (under 18 CFR 33 1 33 1 hr.; $72.............. 33 hrs.; $2,376........ 72
2.19) \11\.
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Total............................ 83 .............. 83 ........................ 321,505.68 hrs.; ..............
$23,148,408.82.
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FERC-542, Gas Pipeline Rates: Rate Tracking
OMB Control No.: 1902-0070
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\10\ Order 540 changed the reporting requirement to state that
licensees are only to report if they convey lands/waters under the
standard land use article. Over the last 4 years, the number of
filings averaged 26. Based on filings in 2016, the number of filings
is expected to increase and is estimated at 41 per year. 80% of the
conveyance reports are for major projects.
\11\ The comprehensive plans apply to all projects, minor and
major. These plans are not capacity-specific, so the complete
estimated number of filings is included here under FERC-500, however
some plans would also apply to FERC-505.
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Abstract: The Natural Gas Act (NGA) requires FERC to regulate the
transmission and sale of natural gas for resale in interstate commerce
and to ensure the rates jurisdictional natural gas pipelines charge are
just and reasonable. It provides FERC with authority to implement NGA
mandates through its rules and regulations. FERC allows jurisdictional
pipelines to flow through to their customers such costs as fuel or
electric power costs necessary to operate compressor stations as well
as the costs of storage services; research,
[[Page 15302]]
development, and demonstration (RD&D) expenditures and FERC annual
charge adjustment assessments. To ensure these charges result in just
and reasonable rates, FERC requires jurisdictional pipelines to file
detailed and summary information on these flowed costs in the FERC-542.
Analyses of FERC-542 data helps the Commission evaluate the charges to
ensure compliance with NGA rate requirements.
The FERC-542 contains the following information collection
requirements: (1) Research, development, and deployment (RD&D)
expenditures [18 CFR 154.401]; (2) annual charge adjustments (ACA) [18
CFR 154.402]; and (3) periodic rate adjustments [18 CFR 154.403]. The
general requirements for tariff filings that are specified in the
following regulations apply to all FERC-542 filings: 18 CFR 154.4, 18
CFR 154.7, 18 CFR 154.107, and 18 CFR 154.201.
Type of Respondent: Natural Gas Pipelines
Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual
public reporting burden and cost \12\ for the information collection
as:
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\12\ FERC staff estimates that industry is similarly situated in
terms of the hourly cost for salary plus benefits. Therefore, we are
using the FERC FY 2015 hourly cost (salary plus benefits) of $72/
hour.
FERC-542 (Gas Pipeline Rates: Rate Tracking)
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Annual number
Number of respondents of responses Total number Average burden & cost ($) Total annual burden hours Cost per
per respondent of responses per response & total annual cost respondent ($)
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (3) (4)......................... (3) * (4) = (5)............. (5) / (1)
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87....................................... 2.13 185 2 hrs.; $144................ 370 hrs.; $26,640........... $306
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Dated: March 16, 2016.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-06368 Filed 3-21-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
