83 FR 7469 - Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-598); Comment Request; Extension

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 35 (February 21, 2018)

Page Range		7469-7470
FR Document		2018-03458

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 the currently approved information collection, FERC-598 (Self-Certification for Entities Seeking Exempt Wholesale Generator Status or Foreign Utility Company Status) and submitting the information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission published a Notice in the Federal Register in Docket No. IC18-1-000 on December 11, 2017 requesting public comments. FERC received no comments in response to the Notice and is indicating that in its submittal to the OMB.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 35 (Wednesday, February 21, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7469-7470]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03458]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC18-1-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-598); 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 the currently approved 
information collection, FERC-598 (Self-Certification for Entities 
Seeking Exempt Wholesale Generator Status or Foreign Utility Company 
Status) and submitting the information collection to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Any interested person may file 
comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments 
to the Commission as explained below. The Commission published a Notice 
in the Federal Register in Docket No. IC18-1-000 on December 11, 2017 
requesting public comments. FERC received no comments in response to 
the Notice and is indicating that in its submittal to the OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due March 23, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by OMB Control No. 1902-
0166, should be sent via email to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs: [email protected]. Attention: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. The Desk Officer may also be 
reached via telephone at 202-395-0710.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in 
Docket No. IC18-1, 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.
    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-598, Self-Certification for Entities Seeking Exempt 
Wholesale Generator Status or Foreign Utility Company Status.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0166.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-598 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The Commission uses the data in the FERC-598 information 
collection to implement the statutory provisions of Title XII, subtitle 
F of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005).\1\
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    \1\ Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109-58, 119 Stat. 594, 
972 et seq. (2005) (codified at 42 U.S.C. 16451 et seq.).
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    EPAct 2005 repealed the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 
(PUHCA 1935),\2\ and adopted in its place the Public Utility Holding 
Company Act of 2005 (PUHCA 2005).\3\ While providing for the 
Commission's regulation of holding companies, PUHCA 2005 also provided 
an exemption from such regulation for those holding companies that are 
subject to Commission regulation as holding companies solely due to 
their holding exempt wholesale generators (EWG) and foreign utility 
companies (FUCO).\4\ To carry out this statutory directive, the 
Commission amended its

[[Page 7470]]

regulations (in Order No. 667) \5\ to, among other things, add 
procedures for not only defining what entities would qualify as EWGs 
and FUCOs, but also the self-certification by entities seeking EWG and 
FUCO status, coupled with the self-certification of the exemption of 
their holding companies, in turn, from Commission regulation.\6\ This 
self-certification for EWGs and FUCOs is similar to the process 
available to entities that seek qualifying facility status.\7\
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    \2\ Id. Sec.  1263, 119 Stat. 594, 974.
    \3\ Id. Sec.  1261, 119 Stat. 594, 972.
    \4\ Id. Sec.  1266(a), 119 Stat. 594, 975 (codified at 42 U.S.C. 
16454(a)).
    \5\ Repeal of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 and 
Enactment of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005, 70 FR 
75592, FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,197 (2005), order on rehearing, 
Order 667-A, 71 FR 28446, FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,213 (2006), order 
on rehearing, Order 667-B, 71 FR 42750, FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,244 
(2006), order on rehearing, Order 667-C, 118 FERC ] 61,133 (2007).
    \6\ 18 CFR 366.1, 366.3(a), 366.4, 366.7.
    \7\ 18 CFR 292.207.
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    An EWG is defined as ``any person engaged directly, or indirectly 
through one or more affiliates . . . and exclusively in the business of 
owning or operating, or both owning and operating, all or part of one 
or more eligible facilities and selling electric energy at wholesale.'' 
\8\ A FUCO is defined as ``any company that owns or operates facilities 
that are not located in any state and that are used for the generation, 
transmission, or distribution of electric energy for sale or the 
distribution at retail of natural or manufactured gas for heat, light, 
or power, if such company: (1) Derives no part of its income, directly 
or indirectly, from the generation, transmission, or distribution of 
electric energy for sale or the distribution at retail of natural or 
manufactured gas for heat, light, or power, within the United States; 
and (2) [n]either the company nor any of its subsidiary companies is a 
public-utility company operating in the United States.'' \9\
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    \8\ 18 CFR 366.1.
    \9\ Id.
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    An EWG, FUCO, or its representative seeking to self-certify its 
status as an EWG or FUCO must file with the Commission a notice of 
self-certification (FERC-598) demonstrating that it satisfies the 
definition of EWG or FUCO. In the case of EWGs, the person filing a 
notice of self-certification must also file a copy of the notice of 
self-certification with the state regulatory authority of the state in 
which the facility is located and that person must also represent to 
the Commission in its submission that it has filed a copy of the notice 
with the appropriate state regulatory authority.\10\
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    \10\ 18 CFR 366.7.
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    Submission of the information collected by FERC-598 is necessary 
for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities under section 
1266(a) of EPAct 2005.\11\ The Commission implements its 
responsibilities through the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 
18, Part 366. These filing requirements are mandatory for entities 
seeking to self-certify their EWG or FUCO status, in order to, in turn, 
exempt their holding companies from Commission regulation.
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    \11\ 42 U.S.C. 16454(a).
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    Type of Respondents: EWGs and FUCOs.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \12\ The Commission estimates the total 
annual burden and cost \13\ for this information collection as follows.
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    \12\ ``Burden'' is 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 Title 5 Code of Federal Regulations 
1320.3.
    \13\ Subject matter experts found that industry employment costs 
(for salary plus benefits) for the FERC-598 information collection 
closely resemble the Commission's. FERC's 2017 average annual salary 
plus benefits per FTE (full-time equivalent) is $158,754 (or $76.50 
per hour).

                                                                        FERC-598
                      [Self-certification for entities seeking exempt wholesale generator status or foreign utility company status]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            Annual number                                                                                  Average cost
  Number of respondents (EWGs and FUCOs)     of responses   Total number of   Average burden hrs. & cost    Total annual burden hours &   per respondent
                                            per respondent     responses           ($) per response              total annual cost             ($)
(1)                                                   (2)   (1) * (2) = (3)  (4).........................  (3) * (4) = (5).............       (5) / (1)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
147......................................               1              147   6 hrs.; $459................  882 hrs.; $67,473...........            $459
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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 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: February 13, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-03458 Filed 2-20-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 35 / Wednesday, February 21, 2018 / Notices 7469

DATES: Monday, March 12, 2018 8:30 The minutes of the meeting will be • eFiling at Commission’s website:
a.m.–4:30 p.m. available for review on the U.S. http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
ADDRESSES: Crystal City Marriott at Department of Energy’s Office of efiling.asp.
Reagan National Airport, 1999 Jefferson Nuclear Physics website at: http:// • Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier:
Davis Highway, Potomac Ballroom, science.gov/np/nsac/meetings/. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
Arlington, Virginia 22202, 703–413– Issued in Washington, DC, on February 14, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First
5500. 2018. Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LaTanya R. Butler, Instructions: All submissions must be
Brenda L. May, U.S. Department of Deputy Committee Management Officer. formatted and filed in accordance with
Energy; SC–26/Germantown Building, [FR Doc. 2018–03484 Filed 2–20–18; 8:45 am] submission guidelines at: http://
1000 Independence Avenue SW, BILLING CODE 6450–01–P www.ferc.gov/help/submission-
Washington, DC 20585; Telephone: guide.asp. For user assistance, contact
(301) 903–0536 or email: brenda.may@ FERC Online Support by email at
science.doe.gov DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or by phone
The most current information at: (866) 208–3676 (toll-free), or (202)
concerning this meeting can be found Federal Energy Regulatory 502–8659 for TTY.
on the website: http://science.gov/np/ Commission Docket: Users interested in receiving
nsac/meetings/. automatic notification of activity in this
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: [Docket No. IC18–1–000] docket or in viewing/downloading
Purpose of the Board: The purpose of comments and issuances in this docket
the Board is to provide advice and Commission Information Collection may do so at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-
guidance on a continuing basis to the Activities (FERC–598); Comment filing/docs-filing.asp.
Department of Energy and the National Request; Extension
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Science Foundation on scientific AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Ellen Brown may be reached by email
priorities within the field of basic Commission, Department of Energy. at DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone
nuclear science research. at (202) 502–8663, and fax at (202) 273–
Tentative Agenda: Agenda will ACTION: Notice of information collection
and request for comments. 0873.
include discussions of the following:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Monday, March 12, 2018 SUMMARY: In compliance with the
• Perspectives from Department of requirements of the Paperwork Title: FERC–598, Self-Certification for
Energy and National Science Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Entities Seeking Exempt Wholesale
Foundation Energy Regulatory Commission Generator Status or Foreign Utility
• Update from the Department of (Commission or FERC) is soliciting Company Status.
Energy and National Science public comment on the currently OMB Control No.: 1902–0166.
Foundation’s Nuclear Physics approved information collection, FERC– Type of Request: Three-year extension
Offices 598 (Self-Certification for Entities of the FERC–598 information collection
• Presentation of the Mo–99 Seeking Exempt Wholesale Generator requirements with no changes to the
Subcommittee Report Status or Foreign Utility Company current reporting requirements.
• Discussion of the Mo–99
Status) and submitting the information Abstract: The Commission uses the
Subcommittee Report
collection to the Office of Management data in the FERC–598 information
Note: The NSAC Meeting will be broadcast and Budget (OMB) for review. Any collection to implement the statutory
live on the internet. You may find out how interested person may file comments provisions of Title XII, subtitle F of the
to access this broadcast by going to the directly with OMB and should address Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct
following site prior to the start of the
a copy of those comments to the 2005).1
meeting. A video record of the meeting,
including the presentations that are made, Commission as explained below. The EPAct 2005 repealed the Public
will be archived at this site after the meeting Commission published a Notice in the Utility Holding Company Act of 1935
ends: http://www.tvworldwide.com/events/ Federal Register in Docket No. IC18–1– (PUHCA 1935),2 and adopted in its
DOE/180312/. 000 on December 11, 2017 requesting place the Public Utility Holding
Public Participation: The meeting is public comments. FERC received no Company Act of 2005 (PUHCA 2005).3
open to the public. If you would like to comments in response to the Notice and While providing for the Commission’s
file a written statement with the is indicating that in its submittal to the regulation of holding companies,
Committee, you may do so either before OMB. PUHCA 2005 also provided an
or after the meeting. If you would like DATES: Comments on the collection of exemption from such regulation for
to make oral statements regarding any of information are due March 23, 2018. those holding companies that are
these items on the agenda, you should ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, subject to Commission regulation as
contact Brenda L. May, (301) 903–0536 identified by OMB Control No. 1902– holding companies solely due to their
or Brenda.May@science.doe.gov (email). 0166, should be sent via email to the holding exempt wholesale generators
You must make your request for an oral Office of Information and Regulatory (EWG) and foreign utility companies
statement at least five business days Affairs: oira_submission@omb.gov. (FUCO).4 To carry out this statutory
before the meeting. Reasonable Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory directive, the Commission amended its
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES

provisions will be made to include the Commission Desk Officer. The Desk
scheduled oral statements on the Officer may also be reached via 1 Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109–58,

agenda. The Chairperson of the telephone at 202–395–0710. 119 Stat. 594, 972 et seq. (2005) (codified at 42
U.S.C. 16451 et seq.).
Committee will conduct the meeting to A copy of the comments should also 2 Id. § 1263, 119 Stat. 594, 974.
facilitate the orderly conduct of be sent to the Commission, in Docket 3 Id. § 1261, 119 Stat. 594, 972.
business. Public comment will follow No. IC18–1, by either of the following 4 Id. § 1266(a), 119 Stat. 594, 975 (codified at 42

the 10-minute rule. methods: U.S.C. 16454(a)).

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7470 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 35 / Wednesday, February 21, 2018 / Notices

regulations (in Order No. 667) 5 to, of electric energy for sale or the facility is located and that person must
among other things, add procedures for distribution at retail of natural or also represent to the Commission in its
not only defining what entities would manufactured gas for heat, light, or submission that it has filed a copy of the
qualify as EWGs and FUCOs, but also power, if such company: (1) Derives no notice with the appropriate state
the self-certification by entities seeking part of its income, directly or indirectly, regulatory authority.10
EWG and FUCO status, coupled with from the generation, transmission, or Submission of the information
the self-certification of the exemption of distribution of electric energy for sale or collected by FERC–598 is necessary for
their holding companies, in turn, from the distribution at retail of natural or the Commission to carry out its
Commission regulation.6 This self- manufactured gas for heat, light, or responsibilities under section 1266(a) of
certification for EWGs and FUCOs is power, within the United States; and (2) EPAct 2005.11 The Commission
similar to the process available to [n]either the company nor any of its implements its responsibilities through
entities that seek qualifying facility subsidiary companies is a public-utility the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),
status.7 company operating in the United Title 18, Part 366. These filing
An EWG is defined as ‘‘any person States.’’ 9 requirements are mandatory for entities
engaged directly, or indirectly through An EWG, FUCO, or its representative seeking to self-certify their EWG or
one or more affiliates . . . and seeking to self-certify its status as an
FUCO status, in order to, in turn,
exclusively in the business of owning or EWG or FUCO must file with the
exempt their holding companies from
operating, or both owning and Commission a notice of self-certification
Commission regulation.
operating, all or part of one or more (FERC–598) demonstrating that it
eligible facilities and selling electric satisfies the definition of EWG or FUCO. Type of Respondents: EWGs and
energy at wholesale.’’ 8 A FUCO is In the case of EWGs, the person filing FUCOs.
defined as ‘‘any company that owns or a notice of self-certification must also Estimate of Annual Burden: 12 The
operates facilities that are not located in file a copy of the notice of self- Commission estimates the total annual
any state and that are used for the certification with the state regulatory burden and cost 13 for this information
generation, transmission, or distribution authority of the state in which the collection as follows.

FERC–598
[Self-certification for entities seeking exempt wholesale generator status or foreign utility company status]

Annual Average Total annual Average
Total
Number of respondents number of burden hrs. burden hours cost per
number of
(EWGs and FUCOs) responses per & cost ($) & total respondent
responses
respondent per response annual cost ($)

(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (3) (4) (3) * (4) = (5) (5) ÷ (1)

147 ....................................... 1 147 6 hrs.; $459 ........................ 882 hrs.; $67,473 .................... $459

Comments: Comments are invited on: Dated: February 13, 2018. b. Project No.: 3011–016.
(1) Whether the collection of Kimberly D. Bose, c. Date Filed: December 29, 2017.
information is necessary for the proper Secretary. d. Submitted By: Natco Products
performance of the functions of the [FR Doc. 2018–03458 Filed 2–20–18; 8:45 am] Corporation (Natco).
Commission, including whether the BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
e. Name of Project: Arctic Project.
information will have practical utility; f. Location: On the South Branch
Pawtuxet River in West Warwick, Kent
(2) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY County, Rhode Island. No federal lands
of the burden and cost of the collection
are occupied by the project works or
of information, including the validity of located within the project boundary.
Federal Energy Regulatory
the methodology and assumptions used; g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR 5.3 and
Commission
(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility 5.5 of the Commission’s regulations.
and clarity of the information collection; [Project No. 3011–016] h. Potential Applicant Contact: Steve
and (4) ways to minimize the burden of Burke, Natco Products Corporation, 155
Notice of Intent To File License
the collection of information on those Brookside Avenue, West Warwick, RI
Application, Filing of Pre-Application
who are to respond, including the use 02893; (401) 828–0300; email at sburke@
Document, and Approving Use of the
of automated collection techniques or Traditional Licensing Process; Natco natcohome.com.
other forms of information technology. Products Corporation i. FERC Contact: John Ramer at (202)
502–8969; or email at john.ramer@
a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to ferc.gov.
File License Application and Request to j. Natco filed its request to use the
Use the Traditional Licensing Process. Traditional Licensing Process on
5 Repeal of the Public Utility Holding Company 7 18 CFR 292.207. of what is included in the information collection
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES

Act of 1935 and Enactment of the Public Utility 8 18 CFR 366.1. burden, refer to Title 5 Code of Federal Regulations
Holding Company Act of 2005, 70 FR 75592, FERC 9 Id. 1320.3.
Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,197 (2005), order on rehearing, 10 18 13 Subject matter experts found that industry
Order 667–A, 71 FR 28446, FERC Stats. & Regs. CFR 366.7.
¶ 31,213 (2006), order on rehearing, Order 667–B, 11 42 U.S.C. 16454(a). employment costs (for salary plus benefits) for the
71 FR 42750, FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,244 (2006), 12 ‘‘Burden’’ is the total time, effort, or financial FERC–598 information collection closely resemble
order on rehearing, Order 667–C, 118 FERC resources expended by persons to generate, the Commission’s. FERC’s 2017 average annual
¶ 61,133 (2007). maintain, retain, or disclose or provide information salary plus benefits per FTE (full-time equivalent)
6 18 CFR 366.1, 366.3(a), 366.4, 366.7. to or for a Federal agency. For further explanation is $158,754 (or $76.50 per hour).

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Document Created: 2018-02-21 01:48:53
Document Modified: 2018-02-21 01:48:53

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice of information collection and request for comments.
Dates		Comments on the collection of information are due March 23, 2018.
Contact		Ellen Brown may be reached by email at [email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202) 273-0873.
FR Citation		83 FR 7469

83 FR 7469 - Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-598); Comment Request; Extension

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 35 (February 21, 2018)

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission