[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 94 (Thursday, May 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28940-28941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-10328]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC19-42-000]
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 (PRA), 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 July 13, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Docket No. IC19-42-000
by either of the following methods:
eFiling at Commission's website: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
Mail/Express Services: Persons unable to file
electronically may mail similar pleadings to the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. Hand
delivered submissions in docketed proceedings should be delivered to
Health and Human Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland
20852.
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).
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.
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
[[Page 28941]]
requirements with no changes to the reporting requirements.
Abstract: The information collected under the requirements of FERC-
521 is 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 \1\ and cost \2\ The Commission estimates
the total Public Reporting Burden for this information collection as:
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\1\ 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.
\2\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the
2019 FERC average salary plus benefits of $167,091/year (or $80.00/
hour). Commission staff finds that the work done for this
information collection is typically done by wage categories similar
to those at FERC.
FERC-521: Payments for Benefits From Headwater Improvements
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Annual number
Number of of responses Total number Average burden and cost Total annual burden Cost per
respondents per of responses per response hours and total annual respondent ($)
respondent cost
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (4)..................... (3) * (4) = (5)........ (5) / (1)
(3)
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Federal and Non-Federal hydropower 3 1 3 40 hrs.; $3,200......... 120 hrs.; $9,600....... $3,200
project owners.
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Total Cost....................... .............. .............. .............. ........................ 120 hrs.; $9,600....... $3,200
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The total estimated annual cost burden to each respondent is $3,200
[40 hours * $80.00/hour = $3,].
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: May 8, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-10328 Filed 5-13-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P