AGENCY:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION:
Notice of proposed information collection and request for comments.
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 or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described below.
DATES:
Comments in consideration of the collection of information are due June 1, 2009.
ADDRESSES:
Comments may be filed either electronically or in paper format, and should refer to Docket No. IC09-915-000. Documents must be prepared in an acceptable filing format and in compliance with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission submission guidelines at http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp .
Comments may be eFiled. The eFiling option, under the Documents & Filings tab on the Commission's home Web page ( http://www.ferc.gov ), directs users to the eFiling Web page. First-time users follow the eRegister instructions on the eFiling Web page to establish a user name and password before eFiling. Filers will receive an e-mailed confirmation of their filed comments. Commenters filing electronically should not make a paper filing. If electronic filing is not possible, deliver original and 14 paper copies of the filing to: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Parties interested in receiving automatic notification of activity in this docket may do so through eSubscription. The eSubscription option under the Documents & Filings tab on the Commission's home Web page directs users to the eSubscription Web page. Users submit the docket numbers of the filings they wish to track and will subsequently receive an e-mail notification each time a filing is made under the submitted docket numbers. First-time users will need to establish a user name and password before eSubscribing.
Filed comments and FERC issuances may be viewed, printed and downloaded remotely from the Commission's Web site. The eLibrary link found at the top of most of the Commission's Web pages directs users to FERC's eLibrary. From the eLibrary Web page, choose General Search, and in the Docket Number space provided, enter IC09-915, then click the Submit button at the bottom of the page. For help with any of the Commission's electronic submission or retrieval systems, e-mail FERC Online Support: ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or telephone toll-free: (866) 208-3676 (TTY (202) 502-8659).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ellen Brown may be reached by telephone at (202)502-8663, by fax at (202)273-0873, and by e-mail at ellen.brown@ferc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
FERC is requesting comments on the record retention requirement FERC-915, “Public Utility Market-Based Rate Authorization Holders—Records Retention Requirement,” OMB Control No. 1902-0223.
The FERC-915 requirements (formerly labeled “FERC-915(516)”) are contained in 18 CFR 35.41(d)).
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, and administers accounting and financial reporting regulations and oversees conduct of regulated companies.
The Commission imposes the FERC-915 record retention requirement, 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 it sold pursuant to Seller's market-based rate tariff, and the prices it reported for use in price indices.”
The record retention period of five years is necessary due to the importance of records related to any investigation of possible wrongdoing and related to assuring compliance with the codes of conduct and the integrity of the market. The requirement is necessary to ensure consistency with the rule prohibiting market manipulation (adopted in Order No. 670) and the generally applicable five-year statute of limitations where the Commission seeks civil penalties for violations of the anti-manipulation rules or other rules, regulations, or orders to which the price data may be relevant.
Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the current expiration date for the FERC-915,1 with no changes to the requirements.
Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated at:
| FERC requirements | Number of respondents annually | Number of responses per respondent | Average burden hours per response | Total annual burden hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (1) × (2) × (3) | |
| FERC-915 | 1,150 | 1 | 1 | 1,150 |
The estimated total annual cost to respondents includes hours for labor (1,150 hrs. at $17 per hour, for a labor cost of $19,550) and storage costs (using an estimated 65,000 cu. ft of records in off-site storage, for a total storage cost of $419,858). The total annual cost (labor plus off-site storage) is $439,408; the total annual cost per respondent is $382.
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.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-7575 Filed 4-3-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P