Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC Form No. 60, FERC-61, and FERC-555A); Consolidated Comment Request; Extension, 10308-10310 [2019-05208]
Download as PDF
10308
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 54 / Wednesday, March 20, 2019 / Notices
Online service, please email
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. or call
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
(202) 502–8659.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Dated: March 14, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[Docket No. ER19–1280–000]
jbell on DSK30RV082PROD with NOTICES
Broadlands Wind Farm LLC;
Supplemental Notice That Initial
Market-Based Rate Filing Includes
Request for Blanket Section 204
Authorization
[FR Doc. 2019–05205 Filed 3–19–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
This is a supplemental notice in the
above-referenced Broadlands Wind
Farm LLC’s application for marketbased rate authority, with an
accompanying rate tariff, noting that
such application includes a request for
blanket authorization, under 18 CFR
part 34, of future issuances of securities
and assumptions of liability.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest should file with the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426,
in accordance with Rules 211 and 214
of the Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214). Anyone filing a motion to
intervene or protest must serve a copy
of that document on the Applicant.
Notice is hereby given that the
deadline for filing protests with regard
to the applicant’s request for blanket
authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of
future issuances of securities and
assumptions of liability, is April 3,
2019.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper, using the
FERC Online links at https://
www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic
service, persons with internet access
who will eFile a document and/or be
listed as a contact for an intervenor
must create and validate an
eRegistration account using the
eRegistration link. Select the eFiling
link to log on and submit the
intervention or protests.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 5 copies
of the intervention or protest to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street NE, Washington, DC
20426.
The filings in the above-referenced
proceeding are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the appropriate link in the
above list. They are also available for
electronic review in the Commission’s
Public Reference Room in Washington,
DC. There is an eSubscription link on
the website that enables subscribers to
receive email notification when a
document is added to a subscribed
docket(s). For assistance with any FERC
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. IC19–17–000]
Commission Information Collection
Activities (FERC Form No. 60, FERC–
61, and FERC–555A); Consolidated
Comment Request; Extension
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of information
collections and request for comments.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission
(Commission or FERC) is soliciting
public comment on the requirements
and burden of the information
collections described below.
DATES: Comments on the collections of
information are due May 20, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
(identified by Docket No. IC19–17–000)
by either of the following methods:
• eFiling at Commission’s Website:
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.
Please reference the specific
collection number and/or title in your
comments.
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
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
at (202) 502–8663, and fax at (202) 273–
0873.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Type of Request: Three-year extension
of the information collection
requirements for all collections
described below with no changes to the
current reporting requirements. Please
note the three collections are 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 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.
FERC Form No. 60 1 (Annual Report of
Centralized Service Companies), FERC–
61 (Narrative Description of Service
Company Functions), and FERC–555A
(Preservation of Records Companies
and Service Companies Subject to
PUHCA)
OMB Control No.: 1902–0215.
Abstract: In accordance with the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005),
the Commission implemented the repeal
of the Public Utility Holding Company
Act of 1935 (PUHCA 1935) and
implemented the provisions of a newly
enacted Public Utility Holding
Company Act 2005 (PUHCA 2005).
Pursuant to PUHCA 2005, the
Commission requires centralized service
companies to file the Form No. 60,
unless the company is exempted or
granted a waiver pursuant to the
Commission’s regulations. The
information collected in Form No. 60
1 The Form No. 60 is also part of a Commission
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) issued on
January 17, 2019 in Docket No. RM19–12 that
includes 10 information collections. See Revisions
to the Filing Process for Commission Forms, 166
FERC ¶ 61,027 (2019). The NOPR proposes to
change the format of the information that is being
collected from a Commission-distributed software
application called Visual FoxPro (VFP) to a
standard built on eXtensible Business Reporting
Language (XBRL). Under the NOPR, the
Commission is not proposing to change the
information currently collected in the Form No. 60
(or in any of the VFP Forms), but rather to change
the format of the information that is being collected
from VFP to XBRL. Because there can be only one
pending item per OMB Control No. pending OMB
review at one time, the Form No. 60 is represented
in the RM19–12 NOPR process as the ‘‘Form No.
60–A.’’
E:\FR\FM\20MRN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 54 / Wednesday, March 20, 2019 / Notices
enables better monitoring for crosssubsidization, and aids the Commission
in carrying out its statutory
responsibilities. In addition, centralized
service companies are required to follow
the Commission’s preservation of
records requirements for centralized
service companies.
FERC Form No. 60
Form No. 60 is an annual reporting
requirement for centralized service
companies set forth in 18 CFR 366.23.
The report’s function is to collect
financial information (including balance
sheet, assets, liabilities, billing and
charges for associated and nonassociated companies) from centralized
service companies subject to the
Commission’s jurisdiction. Unless the
Commission exempts or grants a waiver
pursuant to 18 CFR 366.3 and 366.4 to
the holding company system, every
centralized service company in a
holding company system must prepare
and file electronically with the FERC
the Form No. 60, pursuant to the
General Instructions in the form.
FERC–61
FERC–61 is a filing requirement for
service companies in holding company
systems (including special purpose
companies) that are currently exempt or
granted a waiver of FERC’s regulations
and would not have to file the FERC
Form No. 60. Instead, those service
companies are required to file, on an
annual basis, a narrative description of
the service company’s functions during
the prior calendar year (FERC–61). In
complying, a holding company may
make a single filing on behalf of all of
its service company subsidiaries.
FERC–555A
The Commission’s regulations
prescribe a mandated preservation of
records requirements for holding
companies and service companies
(unless otherwise exempted by FERC).
This requires them to maintain and
make available to FERC, their books and
records. The preservation of records
requirement provides for uniform
records retention by holding companies
and centralized service companies
subject to PUHCA 2005.
Data from the FERC Form No. 60,
FERC–61, and FERC–555A provide a
level of transparency that: (1) Helps
protect ratepayers from pass-through of
improper service company costs, (2)
enables the Commission to review and
determine cost allocations (among
holding company members) for certain
non-power goods and services, (3) aids
the Commission in meeting its oversight
and market monitoring obligations, and
(4) benefits the public, both as
ratepayers and investors. In addition,
the Commission’s audit staff uses these
records during compliance reviews and
special analyses.
If data from the FERC Form No. 60,
FERC–61, and FERC–555A were not
available, it would be difficult for the
Commission to meet its statutory
responsibilities under EPAct 1992,
EPAct of 2005, and PUHCA 2005, and
the Commission would have fewer of
the regulatory mechanisms necessary to
ensure transparency and protect
ratepayers.
Type of Respondent: Centralized
service companies
Estimate of Annual Burden: The
Commission estimates the annual public
reporting burden for the information
collection as:
FERC FORM NO. 60 (ANNUAL REPORT OF CENTRALIZED SERVICE COMPANIES), FERC–61 (NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION OF
SERVICE COMPANY FUNCTIONS), AND FERC–555A (PRESERVATION OF RECORDS HOLDING COMPANIES AND SERVICE COMPANIES SUBJECT TO PUHCA)
Number of
respondents
Annual
number of
responses per
respondent
Total number
of responses
Average Burden & cost
per response 2
Total annual burden hours
& total annual cost
Cost per
respondent
($)
(1)
(2)
(1) * (2) = (3)
(4)
(3) * (4) = (5)
(5) ÷ (1) 3
Form No. 60 4 ...............................
Form No. 61 5 ...............................
Form No. 555A 6 ...........................
39
78
117
1
1
1
39
78
117
75 hrs.; $4,749 ....................
0.5 hrs.; $19.84 ...................
1,080 hrs.; $36,061 .............
2,925 hrs.; $185,211 ...........
39 hrs.; $1,548 ....................
126,360 hrs.; $4,219,160 ....
4,749
19.84
36,061
Total Paperwork Burden .......
........................
........................
234
..............................................
129,324 hrs.; $4,405,919 ....
........................
FERC–555A RECORD RENTENTION REQUIREMENTS
Total number
of respondents
Cost per
respondent
Total annual
burden hours
& total annual
costs
(1) * (2) = (3)
(4)
(3) * (4) = (5)
jbell on DSK30RV082PROD with NOTICES
Paper Storage ..............................................................................................................................
Electronic Storage .......................................................................................................................
2 The estimates for cost per response are derived
using the following formula: Average Burden Hours
per Response * $79.00/hour = Average cost/
response. The figure is the 2018 FERC average
hourly cost (for wages and benefits) of $79.00 (and
an average annual salary of $164,820/year).
Commission staff is using the FERC average salary
because we consider any reporting requirements
completed in response to the FERC–537 to be
compensated at rates similar to the work of FERC
employees.
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17:27 Mar 19, 2019
Jkt 247001
3 Each of the figures in this column are rounded
to the nearest dollar.
4 For the FERC Form No. 60, the $63.32 hourly
cost figure comes from the average cost (wages plus
benefits) of a utility management analyst
(Occupation Code 13–1111) and an accountant
(Occupation Code 13–2011) as posted on the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) website (https://
www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm).
5 For the FERC–61, the $39.68 hourly cost figure
comes from the cost of a records clerk (Occupation
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
117
117
$387.60
15.25
$45,349.20
1,784.25
Code 43–4199) as posted on the BLS website
(https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm).
6 For the FERC–555A, the $33.39 hourly cost
figure comes from the average cost (wages plus
benefits) of a file clerk (Occupation Code 43–4071)
as posted on the BLS website (https://www.bls.gov/
oes/current/naics2_22.htm).
E:\FR\FM\20MRN1.SGM
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10310
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 54 / Wednesday, March 20, 2019 / Notices
FERC–555A RECORD RENTENTION REQUIREMENTS—Continued
Total number
of respondents
Cost per
respondent
Total annual
burden hours
& total annual
costs
(1) * (2) = (3)
(4)
(3) * (4) = (5)
jbell on DSK30RV082PROD with NOTICES
Total Storage Burden ...........................................................................................................
Total Annual Cost: $4,409,919
(Paperwork Burden) + $47,133.45
(Record Retention) = $4,453,052.45.
A more accurate breakdown of the
FERC–60/61/555A cost categories
follows:
Labor Cost: The total estimated
annual cost for labor burden to
respondents is $4,405,919 [$185,211
(FERC Form No. 60) + $1,548 (FERC–61)
+ $4,219,160 (FERC–555A)].
FERC Form No. 60: 2925 hours (75
hours × 39 respondents) * $63.32/hour
= $185,211.
FERC–61: 39 hours (.5 hours × 78
respondents) * $39.68/hour = $1,548.
FERC–555A: 126,360 hours (1080
hours × 117 respondents) * $33.39/hour
= $4,219,160.
Storage Cost: 8 In addition to the labor
(burden cost provided above) the table
reflects an additional cost for record
retention and storage:
• Paper storage costs (using an
estimate of 60 cubic feet × $6.46 per
cubic foot): $387.60 per respondent
annually. Total annual paper storage
cost to industry ($387.60 × 117
respondents): $45,349.20. This estimate
assumes that a respondent stores the
same volume of paper as it did in the
past and that the cost of such storage
has not changed. We expect that this
estimate should trend downward over
time as more companies move away
from paper storage and rely more
heavily on electronic storage.
• Electronic storage costs: $15.25 per
respondent annually. Total annual
electronic storage cost to industry
($15.25 × 117 respondents): $1,784.25.
This calculation retains the previous
estimate that storage of 1GB per year
cost of $15.25. We expect that this
estimate should trend downward over
time as the cost of electronic storage
technology, including cloud storage,
continues to decrease. For example,
external hard drives of approximately
500GB are available for approximately
$50. In addition, cloud storage plans
from multiple providers for 1TB of
storage (with a reasonable amount of
7 Each of the 117 entities is assumed to have both
paper and electronic record retention.
8 Internal analysis assumes 50% paper storage
and 50% electronic storage.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:27 Mar 19, 2019
Jkt 247001
requests and data transfers) are available
for less than $35 per month.
Dated: March 14, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019–05208 Filed 3–19–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Combined Notice of Filings
Take notice that the Commission has
received the following Natural Gas
Pipeline Rate and Refund Report filings:
Filings Instituting Proceedings
Docket Number: PR19–22–001.
Applicants: Boston Gas Company.
Description: Tariff filing per
284.123(b),(e)/: Amendment to Revised
Statement of Operating Conditions to be
effective 1/1/2019.
Filed Date: 3/12/19.
Accession Number: 201903125109.
Comments/Protests Due: 5 p.m. ET 4/
2/19.
Docket Numbers: RP19–829–000.
Applicants: Natural Gas Pipeline
Company of America.
Description: § 4(d) Rate Filing:
Negotiated Rate Agreement—Occidental
Energy to be effective 4/1/2019.
Filed Date: 3/13/19.
Accession Number: 20190313–5000.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/25/19.
Docket Numbers: RP19–830–000.
Applicants: Horizon Pipeline
Company, L.L.C.
Description: § 4(d) Rate Filing:
Negotiated Rate Agreement FilingNatural Gas Pipeline Company of
America to be effective 4/1/2019.
Filed Date: 3/13/19.
Accession Number: 20190313–5001.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/25/19.
Docket Numbers: RP19–831–000.
Applicants: Iroquois Gas
Transmission System, L.P.
Description: § 4(d) Rate Filing: 031319
Negotiated Rates—Macquarie Energy
LLC R–4090–18 to be effective 4/1/2019.
Filed Date: 3/13/19.
PO 00000
Frm 00021
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
117
........................
47,133.45
Accession Number: 20190313–5005.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 3/25/19.
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 14, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019–05202 Filed 3–19–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP19–26–000]
Dominion Energy Transmission, Inc.;
Notice of Schedule for Environmental
Review of the West Loop Project
On December 18, 2018, Dominion
Energy Transmission, Inc. (DETI) filed
an application in Docket No. CP19–26–
000 requesting a Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity pursuant to
Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act to
construct and operate certain natural gas
pipeline facilities. The proposed project
is known as the West Loop Project
(Project), and would provide 150,000
dekatherms per day of natural gas to a
new power plant that is being built in
Columbiana County, Ohio to replace
retiring coal-fired power and help meet
the increasing demand for electricity in
the Midwest.
E:\FR\FM\20MRN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 20, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10308-10310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05208]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC19-17-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC Form No. 60,
FERC-61, and FERC-555A); Consolidated Comment Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of information collections and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or
FERC) is soliciting public comment on the requirements and burden of
the information collections described below.
DATES: Comments on the collections of information are due May 20, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC19-17-
000) by either of the following methods:
eFiling at Commission's Website: 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.
Please reference the specific collection number and/or title in
your comments.
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 all collections described below with no changes to the
current reporting requirements. Please note the three collections are
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 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.
FERC Form No. 60 1 (Annual Report of Centralized Service
Companies), FERC-61 (Narrative Description of Service Company
Functions), and FERC-555A (Preservation of Records Companies and
Service Companies Subject to PUHCA)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Form No. 60 is also part of a Commission Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) issued on January 17, 2019 in Docket No.
RM19-12 that includes 10 information collections. See Revisions to
the Filing Process for Commission Forms, 166 FERC ] 61,027 (2019).
The NOPR proposes to change the format of the information that is
being collected from a Commission-distributed software application
called Visual FoxPro (VFP) to a standard built on eXtensible
Business Reporting Language (XBRL). Under the NOPR, the Commission
is not proposing to change the information currently collected in
the Form No. 60 (or in any of the VFP Forms), but rather to change
the format of the information that is being collected from VFP to
XBRL. Because there can be only one pending item per OMB Control No.
pending OMB review at one time, the Form No. 60 is represented in
the RM19-12 NOPR process as the ``Form No. 60-A.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
OMB Control No.: 1902-0215.
Abstract: In accordance with the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct
2005), the Commission implemented the repeal of the Public Utility
Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA 1935) and implemented the provisions
of a newly enacted Public Utility Holding Company Act 2005 (PUHCA
2005). Pursuant to PUHCA 2005, the Commission requires centralized
service companies to file the Form No. 60, unless the company is
exempted or granted a waiver pursuant to the Commission's regulations.
The information collected in Form No. 60
[[Page 10309]]
enables better monitoring for cross-subsidization, and aids the
Commission in carrying out its statutory responsibilities. In addition,
centralized service companies are required to follow the Commission's
preservation of records requirements for centralized service companies.
FERC Form No. 60
Form No. 60 is an annual reporting requirement for centralized
service companies set forth in 18 CFR 366.23. The report's function is
to collect financial information (including balance sheet, assets,
liabilities, billing and charges for associated and non-associated
companies) from centralized service companies subject to the
Commission's jurisdiction. Unless the Commission exempts or grants a
waiver pursuant to 18 CFR 366.3 and 366.4 to the holding company
system, every centralized service company in a holding company system
must prepare and file electronically with the FERC the Form No. 60,
pursuant to the General Instructions in the form.
FERC-61
FERC-61 is a filing requirement for service companies in holding
company systems (including special purpose companies) that are
currently exempt or granted a waiver of FERC's regulations and would
not have to file the FERC Form No. 60. Instead, those service companies
are required to file, on an annual basis, a narrative description of
the service company's functions during the prior calendar year (FERC-
61). In complying, a holding company may make a single filing on behalf
of all of its service company subsidiaries.
FERC-555A
The Commission's regulations prescribe a mandated preservation of
records requirements for holding companies and service companies
(unless otherwise exempted by FERC). This requires them to maintain and
make available to FERC, their books and records. The preservation of
records requirement provides for uniform records retention by holding
companies and centralized service companies subject to PUHCA 2005.
Data from the FERC Form No. 60, FERC-61, and FERC-555A provide a
level of transparency that: (1) Helps protect ratepayers from pass-
through of improper service company costs, (2) enables the Commission
to review and determine cost allocations (among holding company
members) for certain non-power goods and services, (3) aids the
Commission in meeting its oversight and market monitoring obligations,
and (4) benefits the public, both as ratepayers and investors. In
addition, the Commission's audit staff uses these records during
compliance reviews and special analyses.
If data from the FERC Form No. 60, FERC-61, and FERC-555A were not
available, it would be difficult for the Commission to meet its
statutory responsibilities under EPAct 1992, EPAct of 2005, and PUHCA
2005, and the Commission would have fewer of the regulatory mechanisms
necessary to ensure transparency and protect ratepayers.
Type of Respondent: Centralized service companies
Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
FERC Form No. 60 (Annual Report of Centralized Service Companies), FERC-61 (Narrative Description of Service Company Functions), and FERC-555A (Preservation of Records Holding Companies and
Service Companies Subject to PUHCA)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual number
Number of of responses Total number Average Burden & cost per response \2\ Total annual burden hours & total annual Cost per
respondents per respondent of responses cost respondent ($)
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (4)....................................... (3) * (4) = (5)........................... (5) / (1) \3\
(3)
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Form No. 60 \4\......................... 39 1 39 75 hrs.; $4,749........................... 2,925 hrs.; $185,211...................... 4,749
Form No. 61 \5\......................... 78 1 78 0.5 hrs.; $19.84.......................... 39 hrs.; $1,548........................... 19.84
Form No. 555A \6\....................... 117 1 117 1,080 hrs.; $36,061....................... 126,360 hrs.; $4,219,160.................. 36,061
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Paperwork Burden.............. .............. .............. 234 .......................................... 129,324 hrs.; $4,405,919.................. ..............
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $79.00/hour =
Average cost/response. The figure is the 2018 FERC average hourly
cost (for wages and benefits) of $79.00 (and an average annual
salary of $164,820/year). Commission staff is using the FERC average
salary because we consider any reporting requirements completed in
response to the FERC-537 to be compensated at rates similar to the
work of FERC employees.
\3\ Each of the figures in this column are rounded to the
nearest dollar.
\4\ For the FERC Form No. 60, the $63.32 hourly cost figure
comes from the average cost (wages plus benefits) of a utility
management analyst (Occupation Code 13-1111) and an accountant
(Occupation Code 13-2011) as posted on the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) website (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm).
\5\ For the FERC-61, the $39.68 hourly cost figure comes from
the cost of a records clerk (Occupation Code 43-4199) as posted on
the BLS website (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm).
\6\ For the FERC-555A, the $33.39 hourly cost figure comes from
the average cost (wages plus benefits) of a file clerk (Occupation
Code 43-4071) as posted on the BLS website (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm).
FERC-555A Record Rentention Requirements
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total annual
Total number Cost per burden hours &
of respondents respondent total annual
costs
(1) * (2) = (4) (3) * (4) =
(3) (5)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paper Storage................................................... 117 $387.60 $45,349.20
Electronic Storage.............................................. 117 15.25 1,784.25
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[[Page 10310]]
Total Storage Burden........................................ 117 .............. 47,133.45
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Total Annual Cost: $4,409,919 (Paperwork Burden) + $47,133.45
(Record Retention) = $4,453,052.45.
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\7\ Each of the 117 entities is assumed to have both paper and
electronic record retention.
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A more accurate breakdown of the FERC-60/61/555A cost categories
follows:
Labor Cost: The total estimated annual cost for labor burden to
respondents is $4,405,919 [$185,211 (FERC Form No. 60) + $1,548 (FERC-
61) + $4,219,160 (FERC-555A)].
FERC Form No. 60: 2925 hours (75 hours x 39 respondents) * $63.32/
hour = $185,211.
FERC-61: 39 hours (.5 hours x 78 respondents) * $39.68/hour =
$1,548.
FERC-555A: 126,360 hours (1080 hours x 117 respondents) * $33.39/
hour = $4,219,160.
Storage Cost: \8\ In addition to the labor (burden cost provided
above) the table reflects an additional cost for record retention and
storage:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ Internal analysis assumes 50% paper storage and 50%
electronic storage.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paper storage costs (using an estimate of 60 cubic feet x
$6.46 per cubic foot): $387.60 per respondent annually. Total annual
paper storage cost to industry ($387.60 x 117 respondents): $45,349.20.
This estimate assumes that a respondent stores the same volume of paper
as it did in the past and that the cost of such storage has not
changed. We expect that this estimate should trend downward over time
as more companies move away from paper storage and rely more heavily on
electronic storage.
Electronic storage costs: $15.25 per respondent annually.
Total annual electronic storage cost to industry ($15.25 x 117
respondents): $1,784.25. This calculation retains the previous estimate
that storage of 1GB per year cost of $15.25. We expect that this
estimate should trend downward over time as the cost of electronic
storage technology, including cloud storage, continues to decrease. For
example, external hard drives of approximately 500GB are available for
approximately $50. In addition, cloud storage plans from multiple
providers for 1TB of storage (with a reasonable amount of requests and
data transfers) are available for less than $35 per month.
Dated: March 14, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-05208 Filed 3-19-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P