Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 200 / Wednesday, October 15, 2008 / Notices 61103 

information it disseminates on its Web 

site if some users experience delays in 

accessing the weekly data? 

2. Disseminating information 

simultaneously over the web is not 

physically possible. Servers process 

information sequentially and 

communication connections to servers 

have physical limitations that mean, in 

absolute terms, the information does not 

move ‘‘simultaneously.’’ However, very 

small time differences may not be 

material. In the case of release of the 

WPSR and WNGSR, do minor delays 

involving one to fifty seconds in 

accessing information undermine EIA’s 

policy to promote fair access in 

operational terms? 

3. The value of WPSR and WNGSR 

information varies for different 

customers. With the development of 

electronic trading in oil and natural gas 

commodities—both futures and swaps— 

the ability to use software ‘‘robots’’ to 

access online data and the ability to 

automate trading based on data received 

by robots through electronic interfaces, 

a time difference in access to this 

information on the order of even a 

second or two could have implications 

for commercial users. Journalists and 

possibly certain consultants will want to 

communicate this information to 

commercial users as well, and very 

short-period access differences matter 

for these data users as well. Those with 

academic, policy or general interests 

may not need this information within 

seconds of its release. Should EIA 

consider possible technological 

solutions to provide access to this 

information on different time frames? 

Would treating different types of 

customers differently be a problem? If 

so, why and how? 

4. A registration system could permit 

registered customers to have the most 

immediate access to data in exchange 

for contact information and an 

agreement to access information using 

procedures and methods that do not put 

other customers at risk for delayed 

access. Should EIA require registration 

for customers needing immediate access 

to this data and what guidelines would 

be reasonable for users to follow? 

B. EIA’s current practice is to load the 

WPSR and WNGSR on its Web site prior 

to the scheduled release time, behind a 

software ‘‘gate’’ that prevents access to 

the reports before the release time. At 

the release time, the gate is removed, 

and interested parties have access to the 

information. Currently, the releases 

occur at times when trading of energy 

futures on the New York Mercantile 

Exchange is open. 

1. Is a web release of information the 

best way to disseminate that 

information? Are there alternatives that 

would be more effective? For example, 

are there reliable ‘‘push’’ technologies 

that could come closer to simultaneous 

access—ways for EIA to send the 

information to interested parties rather 

than simply posting it? 

2. Are there particular technologies 

that EIA should be considering to (a) 

manage the brief, extraordinarily high 

loads associated with the WPSR and 

WNGSR releases, (b) block aggressive 

behaviors reducing service quality to 

others (inadvertently or intentionally), 

and (c) protect data after it is loaded 

onto the servers and before its release? 

Technologies could include software 

solutions, hardware and hardware 

configurations, etc. 

3. Should EIA consider moving the 

release times for the WPSR and 

WNGSR? Most other economic and 

commodity data is released either before 

or after major U.S. stock and commodity 

exchanges are open. With the advent of 

electronic trading, NYMEX regularly 

trades petroleum and natural gas futures 

from 6 p.m. to the next day at 5:15 p.m. 

every day except Saturday afternoon 

into Sunday. This schedule typically 

leaves only a 45-minute window when 

trades do not take place during the work 

week. Online trading in over-thecounter swaps effectively takes place 

continuously. Are there times for release 

of the WPSR and WNGSR that better 

align with trading activity? 

C. EIA has more actively blocked 

robots from IP addresses with prior 

patterns of extremely aggressive 

behavior. EIA is developing the ability 

to block activity by robots beyond predetermined thresholds. 

1. Should EIA consider banning use of 

robots to access this data? 

2. Should EIA continue to block 

robots based on their level of activity? 

If so, what criteria should EIA use to 

block them? Historical behavior? Realtime behavior? 

3. Could EIA develop and distribute a 

standard robot designed to regulate 

traffic by managing how hard it hit the 

EIA Web site, allowing for blocking of 

non-standard designs and possibly 

identifying users to allow for more 

effective follow-up? 

D. EIA has asserted its intent to report 

robot activity in accordance with its 

Security Policy, which could result in 

criminal prosecution under the 

Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 

and the National Information 

Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996 

(Pub. L. 104–294), (18 U.S.C. 1030), or 

other applicable criminal laws. At what 

point does tying-up access to EIA’s 

servers for several seconds by 

repeatedly downloading the same 

without relinquishing connections 

data—hundreds or thousands of times— 

become effectively a cyber security 

attack? What standards should EIA 

apply to make that determination? 

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be considered by EIA in 

the development of future 

dissemination policies, processes and 

systems. The comments will also 

become a matter of public record. 

After consideration of the comments, 

EIA will issue a description of revised 

policies, processes and technologies 

used for disseminating the WPSR and 

the WNGSR. The description will be 

announced in a Federal Register notice 

issued by EIA. 

Statutory Authority: 15 U.S.C. 764(b) and 

790(a). 

Issued in Washington, DC, October 8, 2008. 

Howard Gruenspecht, 

Acting Administrator, Energy Information 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. E8–24487 Filed 10–14–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. IC09–65A–000; FERC–65A] 

Commission Information Collection 

Activities, Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request; Extension 

October 8, 2008. 

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

requirements of section 3506(c)(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: Comments on the collection of 

information are due November 14, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of sample filings of 

the proposed information collection can 

be obtained from the Commission’s Web 

site (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filings/ 

elibrary.asp) or from the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael 

Miller, Office of the Executive Director, 

ED–34, 888 First Street, NE., 

Washington, DC 20426. Comments may 

be filed either in paper format or 

electronically. Those parties filing 

electronically do not need to make a 

paper filing. For paper filing, the 

original and 14 copies of such 

comments should be submitted to the 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
61104 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 200 / Wednesday, October 15, 2008 / Notices 

1Number of hours an employee works each year. 

2Average annual salary per employee. 

Secretary of the Commission, Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 

First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426 

and refer to Docket No. IC09–65A–000. 

Documents filed electronically via the 

Internet must be prepared in an 

acceptable filing format and in 

compliance with the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission’s submission 

guidelines. Complete filing instructions 

and acceptable filing formats are 

available at (http://www.ferc.gov/help. 

To file the document, access the 

Commission’s Web site at http:// 

www.ferc.gov, choose the Documents & 

Filings tab, click on eFiling, then follow 

the instructions given. First time users 

will have to establish a user name and 

password. The Commission will send an 

automatic acknowledgement to the 

sender’s e-mail address upon receipt of 

comments. 

All comments may be viewed, printed 

or downloaded remotely via the Internet 

through the Commission’s homepage 

using the eLibrary link. For user 

assistance, contact 

FERConlinesupport@ferc.gov or toll-free 

at (866) 208–3676 or for TTY, contact 

(202) 502–8659. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michael Miller, 888 First St., NE., 

Washington, DC 20426. He may be 

reached by telephone at (202) 502–8415, 

by fax at (202) 273–0873, and by e-mail 

at michael.miller@ferc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

information collected under the 

requirements of FERC–65A ‘‘Exemption 

Notification of Holding Company 

Status’’ (OMB No. 1902–0216) is used 

by the Commission to implement the 

statutory provisions of the Public Utility 

Holding Company Act of 2005 (PUHCA 

2005). Among other things, PUHCA 

2005 was intended to give the 

Commission access to books and records 

relevant to costs incurred by a public 

utility or natural gas company which are 

necessary or appropriate for the 

protection of utility customers with 

respect to jurisdictional rates. The 

Commission has allowed for an 

exemption from this requirement if the 

books, accounts, memoranda, and other 

records of any person are not relevant to 

the jurisdictional rates of a public utility 

or natural gas company; or if any class 

of transactions is not relevant to the 

jurisdictional rates of a public utility or 

natural gas company. Commission 

regulations in 18 CFR 366.3 describe the 

criteria in more specificity. 

Commission regulations in 18 CFR 

366.4 designate the use of FERC–65A for 

exemption requests. Filings may be 

made submitted in hardcopy or 

electronically through the Commission’s 

Web site. 

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 

respondent 

(2) 

Average burden hours per 

response 

(3) 

Total annual 

burden 

hours 

(1)×(2)×(3) 

10 ................................................................................................................................................. 1 1 10 

The estimated total cost to 

respondents is $607.62. [10 hours 

divided by 2080 hours 1 per year, times 

$126,384 2 equals $607.62]. The average 

cost per respondent is $60.76. 

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, 

using 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 

filing instructions and requirements; (4) 

training personnel to respond to a 

collection of information; (5) searching 

data sources; (6) completing and 

reviewing the collection of information; 

and (7) transmitting, or otherwise 

disclosing the information. 

The cost estimate 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 information collection is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the Commission; (2) the 

accuracy of the Commission’s burden 

estimate of the proposed information 

collection, including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used to 

calculate the reporting burden; (3) ways 

to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected. 

Kimberly Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E8–24492 Filed 10–14–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Project No. 1895–060] 

City of Columbia, SC; Notice of 

Application for Amendment of License 

and Solociting Comments, Motions To 

Intervene, and Protests 

October 8, 2008. 

Take notice that the following 

hydroelectric application has been filed 

with the Commission and is available 

for public inspection: 

a. Type of Application: Request to 

construct facilities to increase water 

withdrawal for municipal use. 

b. Project No.: 1895–060. 

c. Date Filed: August 27, 2008. 

d. Applicant: City of Columbia, South 

Carolina. 

e. Name of Project: Columbia 

Hydroelectric. 

f. Location: Broad River and Congaree 

Rivers, City of Columbia, Richland 

County, South Carolina. 

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power 

Act, 16 U.S.C. 791a-825r. 

h. Applicant Contact: William R. 

Argentieri, South Carolina Electric and 

Gas Company acting on behalf of the 

City of Columbia, SCE & G, 111 

Research Drive, Columbia, South 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES