[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 33 (Tuesday, February 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9108-9109]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2991]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC08-521-000; FERC-521]
Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed
Collection; Comment Request; Extension
February 11, 2008.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.
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: Comments in consideration of the collection of information are
due April 15, 2008.
ADDRESSES: An example of this collection of information may be obtained
from the Commission's Documents & Filing Web site (http://www.ferc.gov/
docs-filing/elibrary.asp) or by contacting the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael Miller, Office of the Executive
Director, ED-34 Rm. 42-39, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Comments may be filed either in paper format or electronically. Those
parties filing electronically do not need to make a paper filing. For
paper filing, the original and 14 copies of 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. IC08-521-000. 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 Web site 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.
All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the
Internet through FERC's homepage using the ``eLibrary'' link. For user
assistance, contact fercolinesupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at (866)
208-3676. Or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller may be reached by
telephone at (202) 502-8415, by fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at
michael.miller@ferc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the
requirements of FERC-521 ``Payments for Benefits from Headwater
Benefits'' (OMB No. 1902-0087) is used by the Commission to implement
the statutory provisions of section 10(f) of the Federal Power Act
(FPA) (16 U.S.C. 803). The FPA authorizes the Commission to determine
headwater benefits received by downstream hydropower project owners.
Headwater benefits are the additional energy production possible at a
downstream hydropower project resulting from the regulation of river
flows by an upstream storage reservoir.
When the Commission completes a study of a river basin, it
determines headwater benefits charges that will be apportioned among
the various downstream beneficiaries. A headwater benefits charge, and
the cost incurred by the Commission to complete an evaluation are paid
by downstream hydropower project owners. In essence, the owners of non-
federal hydropower projects that directly benefit from a headwater(s)
improvement must pay an equitable portion of the annual charges for
interest, maintenance, and depreciation of the headwater project to the
U.S. Treasury. The regulations provide for apportionment of these costs
between the headwater project and downstream projects based on
downstream energy gains and propose equitable apportionment methodology
that can be applied to all rivers basins in which headwater
improvements are built. The data the Commission requires owners of non-
federal hydropower projects to file for determining annual charges is
specified in 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 11.
Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the
current expiration date, with no changes to the existing collection of
data.
Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is
estimated as:
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Number of Number of Average burden
respondents responses per hours per Total annual
annually respondent response burden hours
(1) (2) (3) (1)x(2)x(3)
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3 1 40 120
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Estimated cost burden to respondents is $7,291.00. (120 hours/2080
hours per year times $126,384 per year average per employee =
$7,291.00). The cost per respondent is $2,430.00
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
[[Page 9109]]
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.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-2991 Filed 2-15-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P