Notice2021-20457
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC Form 580); Comment Request; Extension
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 22, 2021
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Abstract
In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved information collection, FERC Form 580 (Interrogatory on Fuel and Energy Purchase Practices Pursuant to Section 205 of the Federal Power Act).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 181 (Wednesday, September 22, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52661-52662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20457]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC21-39-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC Form 580);
Comment Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.
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 (PRA), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission
or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved
information collection, FERC Form 580 (Interrogatory on Fuel and Energy
Purchase Practices Pursuant to Section 205 of the Federal Power Act).
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due November 22,
2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC21-39-
000) by by one of the following methods.
Electronic filing through <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a> is preferred.
<bullet> Electronic Filing: Documents must be filed in acceptable
native applications and print-to-PDF, but not in scanned or picture
format.
<bullet> 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 to: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852.
Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in
accordance with submission guidelines at: <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>. For user
assistance, contact FERC Online Support by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#51373423323e3f3d383f34222421213e232511373423327f363e27"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dabcbfa8b9b5b4b6b3b4bfa9afaaaab5a8ae9abcbfa8b9f4bdb5ac">[email protected]</span></a>, 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 <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4703263326042b22263526292422070102150469202831"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cb8faabfaa88a7aeaab9aaa5a8ae8b8d8e9988e5aca4bd">[email protected]</span></a>, and telephone at (202) 502-8663.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: FERC Form 580, (Interrogatory on Fuel and Energy Purchase
Practices Pursuant to Section 205 of the Federal Power Act).
OMB Control No.: 1902-0137.
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC Form 580 with no
substantive changes to the current reporting requirements.
Administrative changes to update the form are being made, as described
below.
Abstract: The Commission collects FERC Form 580 information every
other year as required under Section 205(f)(2) of the FPA,\1\ which
provides that the Commission must review,``not less frequently than
every 2 years,'' practices under automatic adjustment clauses
(AACs).\2\ As required by FPA section
[[Page 52662]]
205(f)(2), the Commission uses the information collected through the
FERC Form 580 interrogatory to review utility purchase and cost
recovery practices under AACs in order to ensure efficient use of
resources.\3\ The Commission uses the information to evaluate costs in
individual rate filings and to supplement periodic utility audits. The
public also uses the information in this manner. Without the FERC Form
580 interrogatory, the Commission would not have the requisite
information available to conduct the necessary review the FPA mandates.
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\1\ 16 U.S.C. 824d.
\2\ An automatic adjustment clause is a provision of a rate
schedule which provides for increases or decreases (or both),
without prior hearing, in rates reflecting increases or decreases
(or both) in costs incurred by an electric utility.
For additional information on AACs, see the Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs) and Desk Reference for FERC Form 580 on the
Commission's website.
\3\ By using the data in FERC Form 580, the Commission is able
to review utility purchase and cost recovery practices and ensure
the resources are in compliance with Commission regulations in 18
CFR 35.14.
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Type of Respondents: The filing must be submitted by all FERC-
jurisdictional utilities owning and/or operating at least one steam-
electric generating station of 50 MW or greater capacity or having a
majority ownership interest in a jointly-owned steam-electric
generating station of at least 50 MW. A jurisdictional utility without
a cost-based tariff on file with the Commission is not required to file
the form.
Administrative Updates to the FERC Form 580: Continuing on from the
data collection request from October 2020, the Commission will be
issuing a request for a second request for similar data that was
authorized in the last renewal for FERC Form 580.\4\ The request will
solicit the same information as the previous request, except that the
years will be changed from 2018-2019 to 2020-2021. In this case, the
updated year designations will appear in questions 2 through 8 of FERC
Form 580, as well as in question 5 of the Privileged Addendum to the
FERC Form 580.
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\4\ The current OMB approval (ICR 201908-1902-015) was issued on
April 23, 2020 and expires January 31, 2023. While that approval
includes the timeframe for the Commission's next required use of
FERC-580 in 2022, we are submitting this request in order to update
(administrative updates) FERC Form 580 for the data collection in
2022, and to request renewal of FERC-580 for another 3 years.
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Estimate of Annual Burden.\5\ The Commission estimates the annual
\6\ public reporting burden and cost \7\ for the information collection
as:
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\5\ 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. See 5
CFR 1320 for additional information on the definition of information
collection burden.
\6\ The FERC Form 580 interrogatory is conducted every two
years.
\7\ Commission staff estimates that the industry's average
hourly cost for this information collection is approximated by the
FERC's average hourly cost (for wages and benefits) for 2021, or
$87.00/hour.
FERC Form 580
[Interrogatory on fuel and energy purchase practices pursuant to section 205 of the Federal Power Act]
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Annual number Annual cost
Number of of responses Total number Average burden & cost per response Total annual burden hours & total annual cost per respondent
respondents per respondent of responses ($)
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (4).................................... (3) * (4) = (5)............................... (5) / (1)
(3)
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Respondents with FACs \8\.............. 24 0.5 12 103 hrs.; $8,961.00.................... 1,236.0 hrs.; $107,532.00..................... $4,480.50
Respondents with AACs, but no FACs..... 12 0.5 6 20 hrs.; $1,740.00..................... 120.0 hrs.; $10,440.00........................ 870.00
Respondents with no AACs and no FACs... 23 0.5 11.5 2 hrs.; $174.00........................ 23.0 hrs.; $2,001.00.......................... 87.00
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Total.............................. .............. .............. 29.5 ....................................... 1,379.0 hrs.; $119,173.00..................... ..............
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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 estimates 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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\8\ Fuel Adjustment Clause (FAC).
Dated: September 15, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-20457 Filed 9-21-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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