[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14710-14711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05672]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC17-4-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-521); 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 FERC-521 (Payments for Benefits
from Headwater Improvements) and will be submitting FERC-521 to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review of the information
collection requirements.
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due May 22, 2017.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Docket No. IC17-4-000
by either of the following methods:
eFiling at Commission's Web site: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20426.
Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in
accordance with submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. For user assistance contact FERC Online Support
by email at [email protected], or by phone at: (866) 208-3676
(toll-free), or (202) 502-8659 for TTY.
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 http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at
[email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202)
273-0873.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: FERC-521, Payments for Benefits from Headwater Improvements
OMB Control No.: 1902-0087.
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-521 information
collection requirements with no changes to the reporting requirements.
Abstract: The information collected under the requirements of FERC-
521 is
[[Page 14711]]
used by the Commission to implement the statutory provisions of Section
10(f) of the Federal Power Act (FPA).\1\ 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.
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\1\ 16 U.S.C. 803.
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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
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 river basins in which headwater improvements
are built. The Commission requires owners of non-federal hydropower
projects to file data for determining annual charges as outlined in 18
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 11.
Type of Respondents: There are two types of entities that respond,
Federal and Non-Federal hydropower project owners. The Federal entities
that typically respond are the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the
U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation. The Non-Federal
entities may consist of any Municipal or Non-Municipal hydropower
project owner.
Estimate of Annual Burden: \2\ The Commission estimates the total
Public Reporting Burden for this information collection as:
The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 2017 FERC
average salary plus benefits of $158,754/year (or $76.50/hour).
Commission staff finds that the work done for this information
collection is typically done by wage categories similar to those at
FERC.
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\2\ Burden is defined as the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. For
further explanation of what is included in the information
collection burden, refer to 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.
FERC-521--Payments for Benefits From Headwater Improvements
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Annual number
Number of of responses Total number Average burden & Total annual burden hours &
respondents per of responses cost per total annual cost Cost per respondent ($)
respondent response
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (4)............. (3) * (4) = (5)............ (5) / (1)
(3)
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Federal and Non-Federal 3 1 3 40 hrs.; $3,060. 120 hrs.; $9,180........... $3,060
hydropower project owners.
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Total cost............... .............. .............. .............. ................ 120 hrs.; $9,180........... $3,060
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The total estimated annual cost burden to each respondent is $3,060
[40 hours * $76.50/hour = $3,060].
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.
Dated: March 13, 2017.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-05672 Filed 3-21-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P