48266 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 178 / Monday, September 15, 1997 / Notices

information technology e.g. permitting

electronic submission of responses.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–24355 Filed 9–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[FERC Form 556]

Proposed Information Collection and

Request for Comments

September 9, 1997.

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information

collection and request for comments.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(2)(a)

of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(Pub. L. No. 104–13), the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission (Commission) is

soliciting public comment on the

specific aspects of the information

collection described below.

DATES: Consideration will be given to

comments submitted within 60 days of

the publication of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed

collection of information can be

obtained from and written comments

may be submitted to the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael

Miller, Information Services Division,

ED–12.4, 888 First Street N.E.,

Washington, D.C. 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael Miller may be reached by

telephone at (202) 208–1415, by fax at

(202) 273–0873, and by e-mail at

mmiller@ferc.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

information collected under the

requirements of FERC Form 556

‘‘Cogeneration and Small Power

Production’’ (OMB No. 1902–0075) is

used by the Commission to implement

the statutory provisions of Section 3 of

the Federal Act (EPA), 16 U.S.C. 792–

828C, and Sections 201 and 210 of the

Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of

1978 (PURPA). The reporting

requirements associated with FERC

Form 556 require owners or operators of

small power production or cogeneration

facilities who seek qualifying status for

these facilities to file an application to

the Commission for certification as a

qualifying facility (QF).

A primary objective of PURPA is the

conservation of energy through efficient

use of energy resources and facilities by

energy facilities. One means of

achieving this goal is to encourage

production of production of electric

power by cogeneration facilities which

make use of reject heat associated with

commercial or industrial processes, and

by small power production facilities

which use other wastes and renewable

resources. PURPA, through

establishment of various regulatory

benefits, encourages the development of

small power production facilities and

cogeneration facilities which meet

certain technical and corporate criteria.

Facilities that meet these criteria are

called QFs.

The purposes of FERC Form 556 are

to: specify the certification procedures

which must be followed by owners or

operator of small power production and

cogeneration facilities; specify the

criteria which must be met; specify the

information which must be submitted to

FERC in order to obtain qualifying

status; specify the PURPA benefits

which are available to QFs to encourage

small power production and

cogeneration; and specify the

requirements pertaining to PURPA

implementation plans regarding the

transaction obligations that electric

utilities have with respect to QFs.

Respondents comply with these

requirements in order to obtain or retain

a benefit. The Commission implements

these filing requirements in the Code of

Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR

part 292.

Action: The Commission is requesting

a three-year extension of the current

expiration date.

Burden Statement: Public Reporting

burden for this collection is estimated

as:

Number of respondents annually

(1)

Number of responses per respondents

(2)

Average burden hours per response

(3)

Total annual burden hours

(1)×(2)×(3)

332 1 6 1 2,049

1 approximate, includes application for Commission certification, PURPA implementation waiver filings, and notices for self-certification.

Estimated cost burden to respondents:

2,049 hours divided by 2087 hours per

year times $110,000 per year equals

$107,997. The cost per respondent is

equal to $325.

The reporting burden includes the

total time, effort, or financial resources

expended to generate, maintain, retain,

disclose, or provide the information

including: (1) Reviewing instructions;

(2) developing, acquiring, installing, and

utilizing technology and systems for the

purposes of collecting, validating

verifying, processing, maintaining,

disclosing and providing information;

(3) adjusting the existing ways to

comply with any previously applicable

instructions and requirements; (4)

training personnel to respond to a

collection of information; (5) searching

data resources; (6) completing and

reviewing the collection of information;

and (7) transmitting, or otherwise

disclosing the information.

The estimate of cost for respondents

is based upon salaries for professional

and clerical support, as well as direct

and indirect overhead costs. Direct costs

include all costs directly attributable to

providing this information, such as

administrative costs and the cost for

information technology. Indirect or

overhead costs are costs incurred by an

organization in support of its mission.

These costs apply to activities which

benefit the whole organization rather

than any one particular function or

activity.

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether

the proposed 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 Commission’s estimate of the

burden of the proposed collection of

information, including the validity of

the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility

and clarity of the information to be

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on those who are to respond, including

the use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology

e.g. permitting electronic submission of

responses.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–24373 Filed 9–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M