[Federal Register: June 21, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 120)]
[Notices]
[Page 38529]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21jn00-55]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[IC00-580-000, FERC Form-580]
Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments
June 15, 2000.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection and request for
comments.
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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: Consideration will be given to comments submitted on or before
August 21, 2000.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be
obtained from and written comments may be submitted to the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael P. Miller, Office of the
Chief Information Officer, CI-1, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC
20426.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller may be reached by
telephone at (202) 208-1415, by fax at (202) 208-2425, and by e-mail at
mike.miller@ferc.fed.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the
requirements for FERC Form 580, ``Interrogatory on Fuel and Energy
Purchase Practices,'' Docket No. IN79-6, (OMB No. 1902-0137) is used by
the Commission to implement the statutory provisions of section 205(f)
of the Federal Power Act (FPA), as added by the Public Utility
Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) (Pub. L. 95-617). These provisions
require that ``not less frequently than every 2 years * * * the
Commission shall review, with respect to each public utility, practices
under automatic adjustment clauses of such utility to ensure efficient
use of resources (including economical purchase and use of fuel and
electric energy) under such clauses.''
FERC Form 580 is collected on diskette and in hard copy. The Form
580 information is used by Commission staff to: (1) Evaluate fuel costs
in individual rate proceedings; (2) review fuel costs passed through
automatic fuel adjustment clauses, as determined during periodic
compliance audits of utility books and records; (3) initiate Commission
action under section 205(f)(3) of the FPA to order a public utility to
modify the terms and provisions of any automatic adjustment clause or
to cease any practice in connection with the clause; and (4) determine
whether wholesale rates are just and reasonable, as required under FPA
Section 205(a).
Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the
current expiration date. The current Form 580 can be found on the
Commission's web site at: http://www.ferc.fed.us/electric/f580/
form580.htm.
Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is
estimated as:
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Total annual
Annual number of Average burden burden (in
Number of responses per hours per hours) (1) x
respondents (1) respondent (2) response (3) (2) x (3)
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129 \1\ .5 64 4.128
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\1\ The FERC Form 580 is collected once every two years.
The reduction in average burden hours per response has been reduced
from 93.5 to 64 hours. This is a direct result of a lower percentage of
jurisdictional utilities having fuel adjustment clauses and thus having
to file the complete Form 580 interrogatory. Only those utilities with
fuel adjustment clauses are required to file the full interrogatory.
Utilities without fuel adjustment clauses are required to file an
abbreviated form. The estimated total cost to respondents is $221,374
(4,128 hours divided by 2,080 hours per year per full time employee
multiplied by $111,545 per year per average employee equals $221,374).
The average cost per respondent is estimated to be $1,716.
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).
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-15565 Filed 6-20-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M