PUBLISHED IC13-9-000 (FERC-730) 60dy

Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 250 / Monday, December 31, 2012 / Notices
Dated: December 20, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012–31264 Filed 12–28–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. IC13–9–000]

Commission Information Collection
Activities (FERC–730); Comment
Request; Extension
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Energy.
ACTION: Notice of information collection
and request for comments.
AGENCY:

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–730, Report of
Transmission Investment Activity.
DATES: Comments on the collection of
information are due March 1, 2013.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
(identified by Docket No. IC13–9–000)
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://
SUMMARY:

www.ferc.gov/help/submissionguide.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/docsfiling/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: Report of Transmission
Investment Activity.
OMB Control No.: 1902–0239.
Type of Request: Three-year extension
of the FERC–730 information collection
requirements with no changes to the
current reporting requirements.
Abstract: Pursuant to Section 219 1 of
the Federal Power Act, the Commission
issued FERC Order No. 679,2 Promoting
Transmission Investment Through
Pricing Reform. Order No. 679 FERC
amended its regulations in 18 CFR 35.35
to establish incentive-based (including
performance-based) rate treatments for
the transmission of electric energy in
interstate commerce by public utilities.
The Commission intended the order to
benefit consumers by ensuring
reliability and to reduce the cost of
delivered power by reducing
transmission congestion. Order No. 679
also adopted an annual reporting
requirement (FERC–730) for utilities
that receive incentive rate treatment for
specific transmission projects. The
FERC–730 provides annual data on
transmission capital expenditures as

77069

well as project status detail. The
Commission requires that filers specify
which projects are currently receiving
incentives in the project detail table and
that they group together those facilities
receiving the same incentive.
Specifically, in accordance with the
statute, public utilities with incentive
rates must file:
• Actual transmission investment for
the most recent calendar year, and
projected, incremental investments for
the next five calendar years (in dollar
terms); and
• A project by project listing that
specifies for each project the most up to
date, expected completion date,
percentage completion as of the date of
filing, and reasons for delays for all
current and projected investments over
the next five calendar years. Projects
with projected costs less than $20
million are excluded from this listing.
To ensure that Commission rules are
successfully meeting the objectives of
Section 219, the Commission collects
industry data, projections and related
information that detail the level of
investment. FERC–730 information
regarding projected investments as well
as information about completed projects
allows the Commission to monitor the
success of the transmission pricing
reforms and to determine the status of
critical projects and reasons for delay.
Type of Respondents: Public utilities
that have been granted incentive based
rate treatment for specific transmission
projects under the provisions of 18 CFR
35.35(h) must file the FERC–730.
Estimate of Annual Burden 3: The
Commission estimates the total Public
Reporting Burden for this information
collection as:

FERC–730: REPORT OF TRANSMISSION INVESTMENT ACTIVITY

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Public utilities granted incentive based rate treatment for
specific transmission projects under the provisions of 18
CFR 35.35 (h). .................................................................

No. of respondents

No. of responses per
respondent

Total No. of
responses

Average burden hours per
response

Estimated total
annual burden

(A)

(B)

(A)×(B)=(C)

(D)

(C)×(D)

63

1

63

30

1,890

The total estimated annual cost
burden to respondents is $130,428.17
[1,890 hours ÷ 2080 4 hours per year *
$143,540/year 5 = $130,428.17].

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

1 Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109–58,
119 Stat. 594, 315 and 1283 (2005).
2 RM06–4–000 (issued 7/20/2006), published: 71
FR 43294.

3 The Commission defines burden 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 2080 hours/year = 40 hours/week * 52 weeks/
year
5 Average annual salary per employee in 2012

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77070

Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 250 / Monday, December 31, 2012 / Notices

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: December 20, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012–31265 Filed 12–28–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 2727–086]

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with

Black Bear Hydro Partners, LLC;
Notice of Intent To File License
Application, Filing of Pre-Application
Document (PAD), Commencement of
Pre-Filing Process and Scoping; Request
For Comments on the Pad and Scoping
Document, and Identification of Issues
and Associated Study Requests
a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to
File License Application for a New
License and Commencing Pre-filing
Process.
b. Project No.: 2727–086.
c. Dated Filed: October 24, 2012.
d. Submitted By: Black Bear Hydro
Partners, LLC (Black Bear Hydro).
e. Name of Project: Ellsworth
Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On the Union River in the
City of Ellsworth and the towns of
Waltham and Mariaville in Hancock
County, Maine. The project would not
occupy federal lands.
g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of
the Commission’s Regulations.
h. Applicant Contact: Scott Hall,
Davenport Street, P.O. Box 276, Milford,
ME 04461. 207–827–5364.
i. FERC Contact: Nicholas Palso, Ph.D.
at (202) 502–8854 or email at
[email protected].
j. Cooperating agencies: Federal, state,
local, and tribal agencies with
jurisdiction and/or special expertise
with respect to environmental issues
that wish to cooperate in the
preparation of the environmental
document should follow the
instructions for filing such requests
described in item o. below. Cooperating
agencies should note the Commission’s
policy that agencies that cooperate in
the preparation of the environmental
document cannot also intervene. See 94
FERC ¶ 61,076 (2001).

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k. With this notice, we are initiating
informal consultation with: (a) The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA
Fisheries under section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act and the joint
agency regulations thereunder at 50
CFR, Part 402 and (b) the State Historic
Preservation Officer, as required by
section 106, National Historical
Preservation Act, and the implementing
regulations of the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
l. With this notice, we are designating
Black Bear Hydro as the Commission’s
non-federal representative for carrying
out informal consultation pursuant to
section 7 of the Endangered Species Act,
section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act, and section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act.
m. Black Bear Hydro filed with the
Commission a Pre-Application
Document (PAD; including a proposed
process plan and schedule), pursuant to
18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission’s
regulations.
n. A copy of the PAD is available for
review at the Commission in the Public
Reference Room or may be viewed on
the Commission’s Web site (http://
www.ferc.gov), using the ‘‘eLibrary’’
link. Enter the docket number,
excluding the last three digits in the
docket number field to access the
document. For assistance, contact FERC
Online Support at
[email protected] or toll
free at 1–866–208–3676, or for TTY,
(202) 502–8659. A copy is also available
for inspection and reproduction at the
address in paragraph h.
Register online at http://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp to be notified via
email of new filing and issuances
related to this or other pending projects.
For assistance, contact FERC Online
Support.
o. With this notice, we are soliciting
comments on the PAD and Commission
staff’s Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as
well as study requests. All comments on
the PAD and SD1, and study requests
should be sent to the address above in
paragraph h. In addition, all comments
on the PAD and SD1, study requests,
requests for cooperating agency status,
and all communications to and from
Commission staff related to the merits of
the potential application must be filed
with the Commission. Documents may
be filed electronically via the Internet.
See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the
instructions on the Commission’s Web
site http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling.asp. Commenters can submit
brief comments up to 6,000 characters,
without prior registration, using the

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eComment system at http://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
ecomment.asp. You must include your
name and contact information at the end
of your comments. For assistance,
please contact FERC Online Support.
Although the Commission strongly
encourages electronic filing, documents
may also be paper-filed. To paper-file,
mail an original and seven copies to:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.
All filings with the Commission must
include on the first page, the project
name (Ellsworth Hydroelectric Project)
and number (P–2727–086), and bear the
appropriate heading: ‘‘Comments on
Pre-Application Document,’’ ‘‘Study
Requests,’’ ‘‘Comments on Scoping
Document 1,’’ ‘‘Request for Cooperating
Agency Status,’’ or ‘‘Communications to
and from Commission Staff.’’ Any
individual or entity interested in
submitting study requests, commenting
on the PAD or SD1, and any agency
requesting cooperating status must do so
by February 21, 2013.
p. We intend to prepare an
environmental assessment (EA) for this
project. The scoping meetings identified
below satisfy the NEPA scoping
requirements.
Scoping Meetings
Commission staff will hold two
scoping meetings in the vicinity of the
project at the time and place noted
below. The daytime meeting will focus
on resource agency, Indian tribes, and
non-governmental organization
concerns, while the evening meeting is
primarily for receiving input from the
public. We invite all interested
individuals, organizations, and agencies
to attend one or both of the meetings,
and to assist staff in identifying
particular study needs, as well as the
scope of environmental issues to be
addressed in the environmental
document. The times and locations of
these meetings are as follows:
Daytime Scoping Meeting
Date: Wednesday, January 16, 2013.
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Black Bear Hydro Partners,
LLC, Davenport Street, Milford, ME
04461.
Phone: (207) 827–5364.
Evening Scoping Meeting
Date: Tuesday, January 15, 2013.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Ellsworth City Hall, One
City Hall Plaza, Ellsworth, Maine 04605.
Phone: (207) 667–2563.
Scoping Document 1 (SD1), which
outlines the subject areas to be

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