[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 119 (Thursday, June 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33269-33270]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13296]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC21-16-000]

Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-582); Comment
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

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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 a renewal of currently approved
information collection FERC 582 (Electric Fees, Annual Charges,
Waivers, and Exemptions), which will be submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for review.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due July 26, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on FERC-582 to OMB through
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the OMB Control Number (1902-
0132) in the subject line of your comments. Comments should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
    Please submit copies of your comments to the Commission. You may
submit copies of your comments (identified by Docket No. IC21-16-000)
by one of the following methods:
    Electronic filing through http://www.ferc.gov, is preferred.
     Electronic Filing: Documents must be filed in acceptable
native applications and print-to-PDF, but not in scanned or picture
format.
     For those unable to file electronically, comments may be
filed by USPS mail or by hand (including courier) delivery.
    [cir] Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only: Addressed to: Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    [cir] Hand (including courier) delivery: Deliver to: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852.
    Instructions: OMB submissions must be formatted and filed in
accordance with submission guidelines at www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Using the search function under the ``Currently Under Review''
field, select Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; click ``submit,''
and select ``comment'' to the right of the subject collection. FERC
submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance with submission
guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov. For user assistance, contact FERC
Online Support by email at<EMAIL_ADDRESS>or by phone at:
(866) 208-3676 (toll-free).
    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/ferc-online/overview.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at
<EMAIL_ADDRESS>telephone at<PHONE_NUMBER>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: FERC-582, Electric Fees, Annual Charges, Waivers, and
Exemptions.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0132.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-582 information
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting
requirements.
    Abstract: The information required by FERC-582 is contained in
Title 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 381 \1\ and 382.\2\
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    \1\ 18 CFR, Sections 381.105, 381.106, 381.108, 381.302, and
381.305.
    \2\ 18 CFR, Sections 382.102, 382.103, 382.105, 382.106, and
382.201.
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    The Commission uses the FERC-582 to implement the statutory
provisions of the Independent Offices Appropriation Act of 1952 (IOAA)
\3\ which authorizes the Commission to establish fees for its services.
In addition, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (OBRA) \4\
authorizes the Commission to assess and collect fees and annual charges
in any fiscal year in amounts equal to all the costs incurred by the
Commission in that fiscal year.
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    \3\ 31 U.S.C. 9701.
    \4\ 42 U.S.C. 7178.
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    To comply with the FERC-582, respondents submit to the Commission
the sum of the megawatt-hours (MWh) of all unbundled transmission
(including MWh delivered in wheeling transactions and MWh delivered in
exchange transactions) and the megawatt-hours of all bundled wholesale
power sales (to the extent the bundled wholesale power sales were not
separately reported as unbundled transmission). The data collected in
the FERC-582 are drawn directly from the FERC Form 1 (Annual Report of
Major Electric Utilities, Licensees and Others) \5\ transmission data.
The Commission sums the costs of its electric regulatory program and
subtracts all electric regulatory program filing fee collections to
determine the total collectible electric regulatory program costs.
Then, the Commission uses the data submitted under FERC-582 to
determine the total megawatt-hours of transmission of electric energy

in interstate commerce. Respondents (public utilities and power
marketers) subject to these annual charges must submit FERC-582 data to
the Commission by April 30 of each year.\6\ The Commission issues bills
for annual charges to respondents. Then, respondents must pay the
charges within 45 days of the Commission's issuance of the bill.
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    \5\ OMB Control No. 1902-0021, described in 18 CFR 141.1.
    \6\ 18 CFR 382.201.
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    Respondents file requests for waivers and exemptions of fees and
charges \7\ based on need. The Commission's staff uses the filer's
financial information to evaluate the request for a waiver or exemption
of the obligation to pay a fee or an annual charge. The 60-day notice
published to the Federal Register on April 16, 2021 and received no
comments.\8\
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    \7\ 18 CFR parts 381 and 382.
    \8\ 86 FR 20133.
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    Estimate of Annual Burden: \9\ The Commission estimates the burden
and cost \10\ for this information collection as follows.
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    \9\ Burden is defined as the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. For
further explanation of what is included in the information
collection burden, refer to 5 CFR part 1320.
    \10\ The Commission staff estimates that the average respondent
for this collection is similarly situated to the Commission, in
terms of salary plus benefits. Based on FERC's 2020 annual average
of $172,329 (for salary plus benefits), the average hourly cost is
$83/hour.

          FERC-582, Electric Fees, Annual Charges, Waivers, and Exemptions Docket No. IC21-16-000 \11\
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                                Annual number                    Average burden    Total annual
    Number of respondents        of responses    Total number     & cost  per     burden  hrs. &     Cost per
                                per respondent   of responses       response           cost         respondent
(1)                                        (2)     (1) x (2) =  (4)............  (3) * (4) = (5)     (5) / (1) =
                                                           (3)                                               (5)
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53...........................                1              53  2.39 hrs.;       126.67 hrs.;            $198.37
                                                                 $198.37.         $10,513.61.
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    Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the 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 and
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
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    \11\ This includes requirements of 18 CFR 381.105 (methods of
payment), 381.106 (waiver), 381.108 (exemption), 381.302
(declaratory order), 381.303 (review of DOE remedial order), 381.304
(DOE denial of adjustment), and 381.305 (OGC interpretation).

    Dated: June 17, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-13296 Filed 6-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P