Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-920-Electric Quarterly Reports); Comment Request; Extension

Citation84 FR 32447
Record Number2019-14451
Published date08 July 2019
SectionNotices
CourtEnergy Department,Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 130 (Monday, July 8, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 130 (Monday, July 8, 2019)]
                [Notices]
                [Pages 32447-32449]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2019-14451]
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                DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
                Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
                [Docket No. IC19-30-000]
                Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-920--Electric
                Quarterly Reports); Comment Request; Extension
                AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.
                [[Page 32448]]
                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-920 [Electric Quarterly Reports (EQR)].
                DATES: Comments on the collections of information are due SEPTEMBER 6,
                2019.
                ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC19-30-
                000) by either of the following methods:
                 eFiling at Commission's website: 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.
                 Please reference the specific collection number and/or title in
                your comments.
                 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-920 [Electric Quarterly Reports (EQR)].
                 OMB Control No.: 1902-0255.
                 Type of Respondent: Public utilities and non-public utilities with
                more than a de minimis market presence.
                 Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-920 information
                collection with no changes to the current reporting requirements.\1\
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                 \1\ This does not include any changes to the estimates from the
                Notice Seeking Comments on proposed revisions and clarifications to
                the EQR reporting requirements, currently pending in Docket No.
                RM01-8-000, et al.
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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.
                 Abstract: The Commission originally set forth the EQR filing
                requirements in Order No. 2001 (Docket No. RM01-8-000, issued April 25,
                2002, at http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/search/intermediate.asp?link_file=yes&doclist=2270047). Order No. 2001
                required public utilities to electronically file EQRs summarizing
                transaction information for short-term and long-term cost-based sales
                and market-based rate sales and the contractual terms and conditions in
                their agreements for all jurisdictional services.\2\ The Commission
                established the EQR reporting requirements to help ensure the
                collection of information needed to perform its regulatory functions
                over transmission and sales, while making data more useful to the
                public and allowing public utilities to better fulfill their
                responsibility under FPA section 205(c) to have rates on file in a
                convenient form and place. As noted in Order No. 2001, the EQR data is
                designed to ``provide greater price transparency, promote competition,
                enhance confidence in the fairness of the markets, and provide a better
                means to detect and discourage discriminatory practices.''
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                 \2\ Revised Public Utility Filing Requirements, Order No. 2001,
                67 FR 31043 (May 8, 2002), FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,127, reh'g
                denied, Order No. 2001-A, 100 FERC ] 61,074, reh'g denied, Order No.
                2001-B, 100 FERC ] 61,342, order directing filing, Order No. 2001-C,
                101 FERC ] 61,314 (2002), order directing filing, Order No. 2001-D,
                102 FERC ] 61,334, order refining filing requirements, Order No.
                2001-E, 105 FERC ] 61,352 (2003), order on clarification, Order No.
                2001-F, 106 FERC ] 61,060 (2004), order revising filing
                requirements, Order No. 2001-G, 72 FR 56735 (Oct. 4, 2007), 120 FERC
                ] 61,270, order on reh'g and clarification, Order No. 2001-H, 73 FR
                1876 (Jan. 10, 2008), 121 FERC ] 61,289 (2007), order revising
                filing requirements, Order No. 2001-I, 73 FR 65526 (Nov. 4, 2008),
                125 FERC ] 61,103 (2008).
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                 Since issuing Order No. 2001, the Commission has provided guidance
                and refined the reporting requirements, as necessary, to reflect
                changes in the Commission's rules and regulations.\3\ The Commission
                also adopted an Electric Quarterly Report Data Dictionary, which
                provides in one document the definitions of certain terms and values
                used in filing EQR data.\4\
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                 \3\ See, e.g., Revised Public Utility Filing Requirements for
                Electric Quarterly Reports, 124 FERC ] 61,244 (2008) (providing
                guidance on the filing of information on transmission capacity
                reassignments in EQRs); Notice of Electric Quarterly Reports
                Technical Conference, 73 FR 2477 (Jan. 15, 2008) (announcing a
                technical conference to discuss changes associated with the EQR Data
                Dictionary).
                 \4\ Order No. 2001-G, 120 FERC ] 61,270 (2007).
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                 To increase transparency broadly across all wholesale markets
                subject to the Commission's jurisdiction, the Commission issued Order
                No. 768 in 2012.\5\ Order No. 768 required market participants that are
                excluded from the Commission's jurisdiction under the Federal Power Act
                section 205 (non-public utilities) and have more than a de minimis
                market presence to file EQRs with the Commission. In addition, Order
                No. 768 revised the EQR filing requirements to build upon the
                Commission's prior improvements to the reporting requirements and
                further enhance the goals of providing greater price transparency,
                promoting competition, instilling confidence in the fairness of the
                markets, and providing a better means to detect and discourage anti-
                competitive, discriminatory, and manipulative practices.
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                 \5\ Order No. 768, 77 FR 61896 (Oct. 11, 2012), FERC Stats. &
                Regs. ] 31,336 (2012).
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                 EQR information allows the public to assess supply and demand
                fundamentals and to price interstate wholesale market transactions.
                This, in turn, results in greater market confidence, lower transaction
                costs, and ultimately supports competitive markets. In addition, the
                data filed in the EQR strengthens the Commission's ability to exercise
                its wholesale electric rate and electric power transmission oversight
                and enforcement responsibilities in accordance with the Federal Power
                Act. Without this information, the Commission would lack some of the
                data it needs to examine and approve or modify electric rates.
                 Type of Respondent: Public utilities, and non-public utilities with
                more than a de minimis market presence.
                 Estimate of Annual Burden and Cost: \6\ The Commission estimates
                the annual public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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                 \6\ The cost is based on FERC's 2019 Commission-wide average
                salary cost (salary plus benefits) of $80.00/hour. The Commission
                staff believes the FERC FTE (full-time equivalent) average cost for
                wages plus benefits is representative of the corresponding cost for
                the industry respondents.
                [[Page 32449]]
                 FERC-920--Electric Quarterly Report (EQR)
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                 Annual number
                 of responses Total number Average burden hrs. & cost per Total annual burden hours & total annual
                 Number of respondents per of responses response cost
                 respondent
                (1) (2) (1) * (2) = (4)................................. (3) * (4) = (5)
                 (3)
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                2,595................................. 4 10,380 18.1 hrs.; $1,448................... 187,878 hrs.; $15,030,240.
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                 Dated: June 27, 2019.
                Kimberly D. Bose,
                Secretary.
                [FR Doc. 2019-14451 Filed 7-5-19; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
                

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