FERC-505, [Final Rule in RM14-22] Small Hydropower Projects and Conduit Facilities including License/Relicense, Exemption, and Qualifying Conduit Facility Determination

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
RM14-22-ecfr2-19_8-1-2_141-15.docx Supplementary Document	2014-12-19
RM14-22 FERC-512-500 supporting statement2-19-15.doc Supporting Statement A	2015-02-19
RM14-22-Part4-ecfr12-19-14.docx Supplementary Document	2014-12-19
HydroEfficAct bills-113hr267enr.pdf Supplementary Document	2014-12-15
30day notice_20141205-3013.docx Supplementary Document	2014-12-15
RM14-22 30-day notice.pdf Supplementary Document	2014-12-15
16 USC 797a.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-12-14
18 CFR Part 5.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-12-14
18 CFR Part 16.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-12-14
18 CFR 292.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-12-04

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
44000	Small Hydropower Projects and Conduit Facilities including License/Relicense, Exemption, and Qualifying Conduit Facility Determination	Modified

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 1902-0115	ICR Reference No: 201412-1902-001
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201407-1902-006
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-505
Title: FERC-505, [Final Rule in RM14-22] Small Hydropower Projects and Conduit Facilities including License/Relicense, Exemption, and Qualifying Conduit Facility Determination
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 02/19/2015
	Date Received in OIRA: 12/19/2014
Terms of Clearance: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320,the revised information collection is approved for a period of three years.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	02/28/2018	36 Months From Approved	05/31/2016
Responses	28	0	16
Time Burden (Hours)	59,339	0	58,782
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: FERC regulates nonfederal hydropower projects on navigable waters & federal lands pursuant to the Federal Power Act (FPA). RM14-22, Final Rule. On 8/9/13, Congress enacted the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013 (Hydropower Efficiency Act) to encourage the hydropower industry to utilize non-power dams for electric generation, noting that roughly 97 percent of the 80,000 dams in the U.S. do not generate electricity. Congress recognized that it could encourage hydropower development by reducing costs and regulatory burden during the project study and licensing stages. To that end, Congress amended statutory provisions pertaining to preliminary permits and projects that are exempt from licensing. In response, FERC issued the Final Rule in Docket No. RM14-22-000, amending 18CFR Parts 4 & 380 to conform to the Hydropower Efficiency Act. Although FERC has been complying with the Hydropower Efficiency Act since its enactment,&made its compliance procedures available on its website, the Final Rule now formalizes FERC's compliance procedures in its revised regulations on preliminary permits and exemptions, & in a new subpart on qualifying conduit hydro. facilities. FERC-505 is an application for a small hydropower project license or relicense, exemption, or determination of a qualifying conduit hydropower facility. For more details, see the supporting statement.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 791 et. al. Name of Law: Federal Power Act
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	79 FR 59105	10/01/2014
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	79 FR 73286	12/10/2014
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 1

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Small Hydropower Projects and Conduit Facilities including License/Relicense, Exemption, and Qualifying Conduit Facility Determination

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	28	16	0	12	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	59,339	58,782	0	557	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Changing Regulations

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: On August 9, 2013, Congress enacted the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013 (Hydropower Efficiency Act) to encourage the hydropower industry to utilize non-power dams for electric generation, noting that roughly 97 percent of the 80,000 dams in the United States do not generate electricity. Congress recognized that it could encourage hydropower development by reducing costs and regulatory burden during the project study and licensing stages. To that end, Congress amended statutory provisions pertaining to preliminary permits and projects that are exempt from licensing. In response, the Commission issued the Final Rule in Docket No. RM14-22-000, amending Parts 4 and 380 of its regulations to conform to the Hydropower Efficiency Act. Although the Commission has been complying with the Hydropower Efficiency Act since its enactment, and made its compliance procedures available on its website, the Final Rule now formalizes the Commission's compliance procedures in its revised regulations on preliminary permits and exemptions, and in a new subpart on qualifying conduit hydropower facilities. The changes in burden, no. of responses and respondents are due to the new legislation.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $1,283,180

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

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Common Form ICR:  No

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(i) Why the information is being collected;

(ii) Use of information;

(iii) Burden estimate;

(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.

Certification Date: 12/19/2014

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