In accordance
with 5 CFR 1320, OMB is filing comment and withholding approval at
this time. The agency shall examine public comment in response to
the proposed rulemaking and will include in the supporting
statement of the next ICR--to be submitted to OMB at the final rule
stage--a description of how the agency has responded to any public
comments on the ICR, including comments on maximizing the practical
utility of the collection and minimizing the burden.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
FERC-60 is in the process of being
renewed, so we are using a temporary information collection no.
(FERC-60A) for the related aspects of the NOPR in RM19-12. NOPR in
RM19-12. The Commission is proposing to transition from the current
use of the Visual FoxPro software, which is no longer supported by
its developer, to a type of Extensible Markup Language (XML) called
eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL). The XBRL standard
would be used to file the Commission’s Form Nos. 1, 1-F, 2, 2-A,
3-Q electric, 3-Q natural gas, 6, 6-Q, 60, and 714. The use of XBRL
should make the information in these forms easier for filers and
data users to analyze and assist in automating regulatory filings
and business information processing. In addition, the Commission
believes that transitioning from the current Visual FoxPro system
to XBRL will decrease the costs, over time, of preparing the
necessary data for submission and complying with future changes to
filing requirements set forth by the Commission. The Commission is
also proposing to revise its regulations to require filers of Form
No. 1-F to file their report in electronic media pursuant to 18 CFR
385.2011. Background for related FERC-60. Section 1264 of PUHCA
2005 concerns FERC access to the books and records of holding
companies and other companies in holding company systems, &
Section 1275 of PUHCA 2005 addresses FERC's review &
authorization of allocation of costs for non-power goods or
administrative or mgt.services when requested by holding co. system
or state commission. Sections 1264 & 1275 of PUHCA supplement
FERC's existing authorities under Federal Power Act (FPA) & the
Natural Gas Act (NGA) to protect customers against improper
cross-subsidization or encumbrances of assets including FERC's
authority under FPA Section 301 & NGA Section 8 to obtain the
books & records of regulated cos.& any person that controls
or is controlled by these companies if relevant to jurisdictional
activities.Sections 1264(a) & (b) of EPAct 2005 provide that
each holding company and each associate of a holding company will
maintain and make available to FERC "such books, accounts,
memoranda, and other records as the Commission determines are
relevant to the costs incurred by a public utility or natural gas
company that is an associate of such holding company and necessary
or appropriate for the protection of the public utility or natural
gas company customers with respect to jurisdictional rates."
Section 1264(c) empowers FERC to examine the books and records of
any company in a holding company system, or any affiliate thereof,
that FERC determines are relevant to costs incurred by a public
utility or natural gas company within the holding co. system &
necessary or appropriate for protection of public utility or
natural gas customers w/respect to jurisdictional rates. Further,
Congress has enhanced FERC's existing authorities over public
utility mergers, acquisitions & dispositions of jurisdictional
facilities in electric industry. Since 1935, FERC has regulated
certain electric utility activities under the Federal Power Act
(FPA). Under FPA Secs. 205 & 206, FERC oversees the rates,
terms, and conditions of sales for resale of electric energy &
transmission service in interstate commerce by public
utilities.FERC must ensure that those rates, terms and conditions
are just & reasonable & are not unduly discriminatory or
preferential. Under FPA Sec.203, FERC reviews mergers & other
asset transfers involving public utilities. FERC's role in natural
gas industry is primarily defined by the Natural Gas Act of 1938
(NGA). Under the NGA, FERC regulates the construction of new
natural gas pipelines, liquefied natural gas terminals &
related facilities. NGA also enables FERC to oversee the rates,
term & conditions of sales for resale and transportation of
natural gas in interstate commerce.
Under the Commission’s
regulations, certain entities are required to report information to
the Commission by filing one or more forms. Currently, these
entities use a Commission-distributed software application called
Visual FoxPro. Each entity is required to gather its relevant
financial and other data and enter the data into Visual FoxPro,
which the entity maintains on its own computer system. The entity
then uses the Visual FoxPro software to transmit the information to
the Commission. However, Microsoft Corporation, the developer of
Visual FoxPro, no longer supports this product. Recognizing that
Microsoft Corporation no longer supports Visual FoxPro, on April
25, 2015, the Commission issued an order announcing its intention
to replace the current Visual FoxPro filing format for Form Nos. 1,
1-F, 2, 2-A, 3-Q electric, 3-Q natural gas, 6, 6-Q, 60, and 714
(collectively, the VFP Forms) with an XML-based filing format. The
Commission stated that XML is the current industry standard for
submission of electronic data, such as that captured in its forms,
and that the XML data format has significant advantages over other
approaches because it is non-proprietary, and would establish a
single standard for nearly all Commission forms while also
providing consistency with the Commission’s current electronic
tariff (eTariff) filings and the Electric Quarterly Report (EQR)
systems. The XML format facilitates the sharing of data across
different information systems, particularly via the Internet, by
structuring the data using tags to identify particular data
elements.
$4,931
No
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Robert Hudson 202
502-6620
No
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:
(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;
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.