11518 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 38 / Monday, February 27, 2012 / Notices 

1Since the Catch-22 is avoided when a loadserving entity is developing the generation and 

transmission for its own customers, for purposes of 

answering the questions, please assume that nonLSE’s are developing the generation and its 

attendant transmission. 

2While Incongruent Development Times are 

caused by a number of forces including state, local 

and Tribal decisions, the parties to the MOU are 

only Federal agencies and, therefore, this RFI 

focuses on how the federal agencies can improve 

their own processes. 

1 16 U.S.C. Section 797d (2010). 

2Public Law 99–495, 100 Stat. 1243 (1996). 

‘‘Incongruent Development Times.’’ 

Please answer the following 1: 

a. Describe the challenges created 

both by the timeline for obtaining 

Regulatory Permits for transmission and 

by the Incongruent Development Times. 

b. To what extent do the Incongruent 

Development Times hamper 

transmission and/or generation 

infrastructure development? 

c. What are the primary risks 

associated with developing transmission 

vis-a`-vis the timeline for obtaining 

Regulatory Permits as well as the 

Incongruent Development Times? 

d. How is the financing for developing 

the attendant transmission influenced 

by its lengthy development time and by 

the Dissonant Development Times? 

e. How if at all, do development 

timelines and the Incongruent 

Development Times affect the decisions 

made in utilities’ integrated resource 

planning, if applicable? 

f. How do development timelines and 

the Incongruent Development Times 

affect the ability of parties to enter into 

open seasons or power-purchase 

agreements? 

(2) Besides improving the efficiency 

of permitting and approving 

transmission, are there any other steps 

the federal government 2 could take to 

eliminate the barriers created by the 

Dissonant Development Times? 

(3) What strategies can the Federal 

government take to decrease the time 

that Federal agencies require for 

evaluating Regulatory Permits for 

transmission? What other steps can the 

Federal government take to address the 

challenges created by Incongruent 

Development Times? 

(4) One way to make the Regulatory 

Permit process and development times 

between remote generation and 

attendant transmission more 

commensurate, is to decrease the time 

for permitting transmission by some 

amount. In determining how much time 

can be saved, developing a benchmark 

may be helpful. What benchmark 

should be used? 

a. Example—power purchase 

agreements as the benchmark: how far 

in the future do load serving entities 

(LSE’s) seek to purchase energy or 

capacity from remote resources? Do 

LSE’s seek PPAs that begin delivering 

energy/capacity 3 years from the signing 

of the PPA? 7 years? 10 years? Please 

explain why PPA’s are signed at this 

time. 

b. Example—development times as 

the benchmark: How long does it take to 

design, permit and build different types 

of remote generation? 

(5) In your experience, how long does 

it take to design, permit and build 

transmission? 

(6) Assume that Federal, state, Tribal 

and local governments sought to set a 

goal for the length of time used for 

completing the Regulatory Permitting 

process for transmission projects so that 

the development times between 

generation and transmission were more 

commensurate, what goal should that 

be? As the length of the project and the 

number of governments with 

jurisdictions increase so will the time 

necessary for permitting and approvals; 

accordingly, consider providing a goal 

that could be scalable according to the 

length of the line. 

Interested parties to this RFI might 

include, but are not limited to: federal 

and state agencies, Native American 

Tribes, transmission developers, 

renewable energy developers, investors, 

manufacturers, electric utilities, 

independent power producers, nongovernmental organizations, academics, 

and other public, private, or non-profit 

entities. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 21, 

2012. 

Brian Mills, 

Director, Permitting and Siting, Office of 

Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. 

[FR Doc. 2012–4464 Filed 2–24–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. IC12–7–000] 

Commission Information Collection 

Activities; Comment Request; 

Extension 

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, DOE. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection 

and request for comments. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

requirements of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A), the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission (Commission or 

FERC) is soliciting public comment on 

the currently approved information 

collection, FERC–587, Land Description 

(Public Land States/Non-Public Land 

States [Rectangular or Non-Rectangular 

Survey System Lands in Public Land 

States]). 

DATES: Comments on the collection of 

information are due April 27, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

(identified by Docket No. IC12–7–000) 

by either of the following methods: 

• eFiling at Commission’s Web Site: 

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/submissionguide.asp. For user assistance contact 

FERC Online Support by email at 

ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, 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/docsfiling/docs-filing.asp. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ellen Brown may be reached by email 

at DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone 

at (202) 502–8663, and fax at (202) 273– 

0873. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: FERC–587, Land Description 

(Public Land States/Non-Public Land 

States [Rectangular or Non-Rectangular 

Survey System Lands in Public Land 

States]). 

OMB Control No.: 1902–0145. 

Type of Request: Three-year extension 

of the FERC–587 information collection 

requirements with no changes to the 

current reporting requirements. 

Abstract: The Commission requires 

the FERC–587 information collection to 

satisfy the requirements of section 24 of 

the Federal Power Act (FPA). The 

Federal Power Act grants the 

Commission authority to issue licenses 

for the development and improvement 

of navigation and for the development, 

transmission, and utilization of power 

across, along, from or in any of the 

streams or other bodies of water over 

which Congress has jurisdiction.1 The 

Electric Consumers Protection Act 

(ECPA) amends the FPA to allow the 

Commission the responsibility of 

issuing licenses for nonfederal 

hydroelectric plants.2

Section 24 of the FPA requires that 

applicants proposing hydropower 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 38 / Monday, February 27, 2012 / Notices 11519 

3Burden 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, reference 5 Code of Federal 

Regulations 1320.3. 

4 2,080 hours = 40 hours/week * 52 weeks (1 

year). 

5Average annual salary per employee in 2012. 

projects on (or changes to existing 

projects located within) lands owned by 

the United States to provide a 

description of the applicable U.S. land. 

Additionally, the FPA requires the 

notification of the Commission and 

Secretary of the Interior of the 

hydropower proposal. FERC–587 

consolidates the information required 

and identifies hydropower project 

boundary maps associated with the 

applicable U.S. land. 

The information consolidated by the 

Form No. 587 verifies the accuracy of 

the information provided for the FERC– 

587 to the Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM) and the Department of the 

Interior (DOI). Moreover, this 

information ensures that U.S. lands can 

be reserved as hydropower sites and 

withdrawn from other uses. 

Type of Respondents: Applicants 

proposing hydropower projects on (or 

changes to existing projects located 

within) lands owned by the United 

States. 

Estimate of Annual Burden: 3 The 

Commission estimates the total Public 

Reporting Burden for this information 

collection as: 

FERC–587 (IC12–7–000): LAND DESCRIPTION (PUBLIC LAND STATES/NON-PUBLIC LAND STATES [RECTANGULAR OR

NON-RECTANGULAR SURVEY SYSTEM LANDS IN PUBLIC LAND STATES]) 

Number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Total number 

of responses 

Average 

burden hours 

per response 

Estimated 

total annual 

burden 

(A) (B) (A) × (B) = (C) (D) (C) × (D) 

Hydropower Project Applicants ........................ 250 1 250 1 250 

The total estimated annual cost 

burden to respondents is $17,252 [250 

hours ÷ 2,080 4 hours/year = 0.12019 * 

$143,540/year 5 = $17,252]. 

The estimated annual cost of filing the 

FERC–587 per response is $69 [$17,252 

÷ 250 responses = $69/response]. 

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 17, 2012. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2012–4418 Filed 2–24–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. IC12–6–000] 

Commission Information Collection 

Activities; Comment Request; 

Extension 

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, DOE. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection 

and request for comments. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

requirements of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A), the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission (Commission or 

FERC) is soliciting public comment on 

the currently approved information 

collection, FERC–585, Reporting of 

Electric Energy shortages and 

Contingency Plans under PURPA. 

DATES: Comments on the collection of 

information are due April 27, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

(identified by Docket No. IC12–6–000) 

by either of the following methods: 

• eFiling at Commission’s Web Site: 

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/submissionguide.asp. For user assistance contact 

FERC Online Support by email at 

ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, 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/docsfiling/docs-filing.asp. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ellen Brown may be reached by email 

at DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone 

at (202) 502–8663, and fax at (202) 273– 

0873. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: FERC–585, Reporting of Electric 

Energy shortages and Contingency Plans 

under PURPA. 

OMB Control No.: 1902–0138. 

Type of Request: Three-year extension 

of the FERC–585 information collection 

requirements with no changes to the 

current reporting requirements. 

Abstract: The information collected 

under the requirements of FERC–585, 

‘‘Reporting of Electric Energy Shortages 

and Contingency Plans under PURPA’’, 

is used by the Commission to 

implement the statutory provisions of 

section 206 of the Public Utility 

Regulatory Policies Act of 1979 

(PURPA) Public Law 95–617, 92 Stat. 

3117. Section 206 of PURPA amended 

the Federal Power Act (FPA) by adding 

a new subsection (g) to section 202, 

under which the Commission by rule, 

was to require each public utility to (1) 

report to the Commission and 

appropriate state regulatory authorities 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES