Title 18—Conservation of Power and Water Resources--Volume 1
PART 41—ACCOUNTS, RECORDS, MEMORANDA AND DISPOSITION OF CONTESTED AUDIT FINDINGS AND PROPOSED REMEDIES
§ 41.1   Notice to audited person.
(a) Applicability. This part applies to all audits conducted by the Commission or its staff under authority of the Federal Power Act except for Electric Reliability Organization audits conducted pursuant to the authority of part 39 of the Commission's regulations.
(b) Notice. An audit conducted by the Commission's staff under authority of the Federal Power Act may result in a notice of deficiency or audit report or similar document containing a finding or findings that the audited person has not complied with a requirement of the Commission with respect to, but not limited to, the following: A filed tariff or tariffs, contracts, data, records, accounts, books, communications or papers relevant to the audit of the audited person; matters under the Standards of Conduct or the Code of Conduct; and the activities or operations of the audited person. The notice of deficiency, audit report or similar document may also contain one or more proposed remedies that address findings of noncompliance. Where such findings, with or without proposed remedies, appear in a notice of deficiency, audit report or similar document, such document shall be provided to the audited person, and the finding or findings, and any proposed remedies, shall be noted and explained. The audited person shall timely indicate in a written response any and all findings or proposed remedies, or both, in any combination, with which the audited person disagrees. The audited person shall have 15 days from the date it is sent the notice of deficiency, audit report or similar document to provide a written response to the audit staff indicating any and all findings or proposed remedies, or both, in any combination, with which the audited person disagrees, and such further time as the audit staff may provide in writing to the audited person at the time the document is sent to the audited person. The audited person may move the Commission for additional time to provide a written response to the audit staff and such motion shall be granted for good cause shown. Any initial order that the Commission subsequently may issue with respect to the notice of deficiency, audit report or similar document shall note, but not address on the merits, the finding or findings, or the proposed remedy or remedies, or both, in any combination, with which the audited person disagreed. The Commission shall provide the audited person 30 days to respond to the initial Commission order concerning a notice of deficiency, audit report or similar document with respect to the finding or findings or any proposed remedy or remedies, or both, in any combination, with which it disagreed.
§ 41.2   Response to notification.
Upon issuance of a Commission order that notes a finding or findings, or proposed remedy or remedies, or both, in any combination, with which the audited person has disagreed, the audited person may: Acquiesce in the findings and/or proposed remedies by not timely responding to the Commission order, in which case the Commission may issue an order approving them or taking other action; or challenge the finding or findings and/or any proposed remedies, with which it disagreed by timely notifying the Commission in writing that it requests Commission review by means of a shortened procedure or, if there are material facts in dispute which require cross-examination, a trial-type hearing.
§ 41.3   Shortened procedure.
If the audited person subject to a Commission order described in § 41.1 notifies the Commission that it seeks to challenge one or more audit findings, or proposed remedies, or both, in any combination, by the shortened procedure, the Commission shall thereupon issue a notice setting a schedule for the filing of memoranda. The person electing the use of the shortened procedure, and any other interested entities, including the Commission staff, shall file, within 45 days of the notice, an initial memorandum that addresses the relevant facts and applicable law that support the position or positions taken regarding the matters at issue. Reply memoranda shall be filed within 20 days of the date by which the initial memoranda are due to be filed. Only participants who filed initial memoranda may file reply memoranda. Subpart T of part 385 of this chapter shall apply to all filings. Within 20 days after the last date that reply memoranda under the shortened procedure may be timely filed, the audited person who elected the shortened procedure may file a motion with the Commission requesting a trial-type hearing if new issues are raised by a party. To prevail in such a motion, the audited person must show that a party to the shortened procedure raised one or more new issues of material fact relevant to resolution of a matter in the shortened procedure such that fundamental fairness requires a trial-type hearing to resolve the new issue or issues so raised. Parties to the shortened procedure and the Commission staff may file responses to the motion. In ruling upon the motion, the Commission may determine that some or all of the issues be litigated in a trial-type hearing.
§ 41.4   Form and style.
Each copy of such memorandum must be complete in itself. All pertinent data should be set forth fully, and each memorandum should set out the facts and argument as prescribed for briefs in § 385.706 of this chapter.
§ 41.5   Verification.
The facts stated in the memorandum must be sworn to by persons having knowledge thereof, which latter fact must affirmatively appear in the affidavit. Except under unusual circumstances, such persons should be those who would appear as witnesses if hearing were had to testify as to the facts stated in the memorandum.
§ 41.6   Determination.
If no formal hearing is had the matter in issue will be determined by the Commission on the basis of the facts and arguments submitted.
§ 41.7   Assignment for oral hearing.
Except when there are no material facts in dispute, when a person does not consent to the shortened procedure, the Commission will assign the proceeding for hearing as provided by subpart E of part 385 of this chapter. Notwithstanding a person's not giving consent to the shortened procedure, and instead seeking assignment for hearing as provided for by subpart E of part 385 of this chapter, the Commission will not assign the proceeding for a hearing when no material facts are in dispute. The Commission may also, in its discretion, at any stage in the proceeding, set the proceeding for hearing.
§ 41.8   Burden of proof.
The burden of proof to justify every accounting entry shall be on the person making, authorizing, or requiring such entry.
§ 41.10   Examination of accounts.
(a) All Major and Nonmajor public utilities and licensees not classified as Class C or Class D prior to January 1, 1984 shall secure, for the year 1968 and each year thereafter until December 31, 1975, the services of an independent certified public accountant, or independent licensed public accountant, certified or licensed by a regulatory authority of a State or other political subdivision of the United States, to test compliance in all material respects of those schedules as are indicated in the General Instructions set out in the Annual Report, Form No. 1, with the Commission's applicable Uniform System of Accounts and published accounting releases. The Commission expects that identification of questionable matters by the independent accountant will facilitate their early resolution and that the independent accountant will seek advisory rulings by the Commission on such items. This examination shall be deemed supplementary to periodic Commission examinations of compliance.
(b) Beginning January 1, 1976, and each year thereafter, only independent certified public accountants, or independent licensed public accountants who were licensed on or before December 31, 1970, will be authorized to conduct annual audits and to certify to compliance in all material respects, of those schedules as are indicated in the General Instructions set out in the Annual Report, Form No. 1, with the Commission's applicable Uniform System of Accounts, published accounting releases and all other regulatory matters.
§ 41.11   Report of certification.
Each Major and Nonmajor (including those companies classified as nonoperating under Part 101, General Instruction 1(A)(3) of this chapter) public utility or licensee operating on a calendar year and not classified as Class C or Class D prior to January 1, 1984 must file with the Commission a letter or report of the independent accountant certifying approval, together with or within 30 days after the filing of the Annual Report, Form No. 1, covering the subjects and in the form prescribed in the General Instructions of the Annual Report. For such utility or licensee operating on a non-calendar fiscal year, the letter or report of the independent accountant certifying approval must be filed within 150 days of the close of the company's fiscal year; the letter or report must also identify which, if any, of the examined schedules do not conform to the Commission's requirements and shall describe the discrepancies that exist. The Commission will not be bound by a certification of compliance made by an independent accountant pursuant to this paragraph.
§ 41.12   Qualifications of accountants.
The Commission will not recognize any certified public accountant or public accountant through December 31, 1975, who is not in fact independent. Beginning January 1, 1976, and each year thereafter, the Commission will recognize only independent certified public accountants, or independent licensed public accountants who were licensed on or before December 31, 1970, who are in fact independent. For example, an accountant will not be considered independent with respect to any person or any of its parents or subsidiaries in whom he has, or had during the period of report, any direct financial interest. The Commission will determine the fact of independence by considering all the relevant circumstances including evidence bearing on the relationships between the accountant and that person or any affiliate thereof.