
[Federal Register: August 20, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 160)]
[Notices]
[Page 42061-42062]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20au09-21]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC09-714-001]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-714); Comment
Request; Submitted for OMB Review

August 13, 2009.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

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 or FERC) has submitted the
information collection described below 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 received no comments in response to the Federal Register
notice (74FR 22913, 5/15/2009) and has made this notation in its
submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by September
21, 2009.

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.
Comments to OMB should be filed electronically, c/o oira_
submission@omb.eop.gov and include OMB Control Number 1902-0140 as a
point of reference. The Desk Officer may be reached by telephone at
202-395-4638.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission and should refer to Docket No. IC09-714-001.
Comments may be filed either electronically or in paper format. Those
persons filing electronically do not need to make a paper filing.
Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in an
acceptable filing format and in compliance with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission submission guidelines. Complete filing
instructions and acceptable filing formats are available at http://
www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide/electronic-media.asp. To file the
document electronically, access the Commission's website and click on
Documents & Filing, E-Filing (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling.asp), 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 acknowledgement to the sender's e-
mail address upon receipt of comments.
    For paper filings, an original and 2 copies of the comments should
be submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of
the Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, and should
refer to Docket No. IC09-714-001.
    All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the
Internet through FERC's homepage using the ``eLibrary'' link. For user
assistance,

[[Page 42062]]

contact ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at (866) 208-3676 or
for TTY, contact (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-714 (Annual Electric Balancing
Authority Area and Planning Area Report (formerly called ``Annual
Electric Control and Planning Area Report''), OMB No. 1902-0140) is
used by the Commission to implement Sections 4, 202, 207, 210, 211-213,
304, 309 and 311 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) as amended (49 Stat.
838: 16 U.S.C. 791 a-825r), Section 3(4) of Public Utility Regulatory
Policies Act of 1978, 26 U.S.C. 2602 and sections 1211, 1221, 1231,
1241 and 1242 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58) (119
Stat. 594). The filing requirements are found at 18 CFR 141.51. The
information allows the Commission to analyze power system operations,
to estimate the effect of changes in power system operations that
result from the installation of a new generating unit or plant,
transmission facilities, energy transfers between systems and/or new
points of interconnections. The analyses also serve to correlate rates
and charges, assess reliability and other operating attributes in
regulatory proceedings, monitor market trends and behaviors, and
determine the competitive impacts of proposed mergers, acquisitions and
dispositions.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the
current expiration date for the FERC-714, with no changes to the
reporting requirements.
    Burden Statement: There has been an administrative change in the
burden estimate due to: (1) An informal, limited survey of respondents
in order to obtain improved estimates of both the burden and cost, (2)
a change in the number of filers resulting from the formation of
regional transmission organizations (and other similar entities)
encompassing numerous former Control Areas (Balancing Authority Areas),
and (3) the switch to an all-electronic filing in 2007 (from a paper
and diskette filing). Public reporting burden for this collection is
estimated as follows.

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                                                                                                        Total
                                                     Number of        Number of      Average burden     annual
              FERC data collection                  respondents     responses per      hours per        burden
                                                    annually (1)    respondent (2)    response (3)      hours
                                                                                                     (1)x(2)x(3)
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FERC-714........................................             215                1           87 \1\   18,705 \1\
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[Note: These figures may not be exact, due to rounding.]

    The total estimated annual cost burden \1\ to respondents is
$885,155 (215 respondents x $4,117 per respondent).
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    \1\ These figures are based on a limited survey of 8
respondents. The average estimated annual burden per respondent (and
filing) is 87 hours.
    Using the number of hours spent by each specific job title or
level, the estimated annual staff cost was calculated based on the
nationwide average annual salary for various levels of engineers,
found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook (2008-09 Edition) [posted
on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website at http://www.bls.gov/oco/
ocos027.htm]. The estimated average annual staff cost for preparing
the FERC-714 was $3,603. The respondents surveyed had additional
costs of $514, on average per year. Therefore the total estimated
average annual cost per respondent is $4,117.
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    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 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 of the proposed collections 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. E9-19926 Filed 8-19-09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
