[Federal Register: November 4, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 213)]
[Notices]
[Page 67154-67155]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04no02-44]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC02-717-001, FERC-717]
Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed
Collection; Comment Request; Submitted for OMB Review
October 25, 2002.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3507 of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507, the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission) has submitted the information
collection described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for review and extension of the current expiration date. Any interested
person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of
those
[[Page 67155]]
comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission received
comments from one entity in response to an earlier Federal Register
notice of June 21, 2002 (67 FR 42243-42244), and has responded to these
comments in its submission to OMB.
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by November
29, 2002.
ADDRESSES: Address comments on the collection of information to the
Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer,
725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503. The Desk Officer may be
reached by telephone at 202-395-7856. A copy of the comments should
also be sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of the
Chief Information Officer, CI-1, Attention: Michael Miller, 888 First
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments may be filed either in paper
format or electronically. Those persons filing electronically do not
need to make a paper filing. For paper filings, such comments should be
submitted to the Office of the Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426 and refer to
Docket No. IC02-717-001.
Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in
WordPerfect, MS Word, Portable Document Format, or ASCII format. To
file the document, access the Commission's website at www.ferc.gov and
click on ``Make an E-filing,'' and then follow the instructions for
each screen. First time users will have to establish a user name and
password. The Commission will send an automatic acknowledgment to the
sender's E-mail address upon receipt of comments. User assistance for
electronic filings is available at 202-208-0258 or by e-mail to
efiling@ferc.fed.us. Comments should not be submitted to the e-mail
address.
All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the
Internet through FERC's homepage using the FERRIS link. User assistance
for FERRIS is available at 202-502-8222, or by e-mail to
contentmaster@ferc.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller may be reached by
telephone at (202)502-8415, by fax at (202)208-2425, and by e-mail at
michael.miller@ferc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description
The information collected and submitted for OMB review contains:
1. Collection of Information: FERC-717 ``Open Access Same Time
Information Systems''.
2. Sponsor: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
3. Control No. 1902-0173.
The Commission is now requesting that OMB approve a three-year
extension of the current expiration date, with no changes to the
existing collection. This is a mandatory information collection
requirement and the Commission does not consider the information to be
confidential.
4. Necessity of the Collection of Information: Submission of the
information is necessary to enable the Commission to carry out its
responsibilities in implementing the statutory provisions of part I of
the Federal Power Act (FPA.), sections 309 and 311, 16 U.S.C. 825(h),
and 825(j). Section 309 gives the Commission the authority to
prescribe, issue, make and amend orders, rules and regulations to
implement the provisions of the Federal Power Act. Section 311 gives
the Commission authority to secure information necessary or appropriate
for recommending legislation or to conduct investigations concerning
generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electric energy
regardless of whether they are jurisdictional or nonjurisdictional
entities within the United States and its possessions. The Commission
is also authorized to keep current information on the ownership,
operation, management and control of all facilities for generation,
transmission, distribution, sale, the capacity and output of these
facilities and the relationship between the two. The information is
also used for determining the cost(s) for generation, distribution,
rates, charges, and contracts with respect to the sale of electric
energy and the service to residential, rural, commercial and industrial
consumers and other purchasers by private and public agencies.
The information collected under FERC-717 is specifically used to
monitor the networks to ensure that potential purchasers of
transmission services obtain the services on a non-discriminatory
basis. Failure to issue these requirements would mean the Commission is
not meeting its statutory obligations and permitting discrimination in
interstate transmission services provided by public utilities.
The Commission is obligated by statute to regulate key economic
aspects of the energy industry. The law requires the Commission's
economic regulatory activity because the transmission and generation of
electricity have been and continue to be a natural monopoly. The
challenge facing the Commission is to develop a regulatory approach
that promotes competitive markets while protecting customers and
serving and safeguarding the public. To safeguard workable competition
in wholesale power markets, the Commission must ensure open,
nondiscriminatory access to transmission facilities and must monitor
the market to detect instances of market abuse or failure.
The Commission implements these requirements in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR part 37.
5. Respondent Description: The respondent universe currently
comprises (on average) 140 entities subject to the Commission's
jurisdiction.
6. Estimated Burden: 198,520 total hours, 140 respondents(average),
1 response per respondent annually, 1,418 hours per response (average).
7. Estimated Cost Burden to respondents: $22,283,975 (140
respondents x $159,171(cost per respondent)).
Statutory Authority: Sections 309 and 311 of the Federal Power
Act, 16 U.S.C. 825(h), 825(j).
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-27935 Filed 11-1-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P