FERC-556, Certification of Qualifying Facility (QF) Status for a Small Power Production or Cogeneration Facility

Forms and Documents

Forms and supporting documents for this ICR

Document	Type	Status	Availability
Form 556 Certification of Qualifying Facility (QF) Status for a Small Power Production or Cogeneration Facility	Form and Instruction	Modified	Available
FERC-556 supp state_IC19-16_ 5-6-19.docx	Supporting Statement A	Uploaded 2019-05-20	Available
556_30day_20190515-3049.docx	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2019-05-20	Repair queued
556_eCFR_5-6-19.docx	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2019-05-06	Available
556_60day_FR2019-04678.pdf	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2019-03-22	Available
556_60day_20190307-3023.docx	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2019-03-13	Available
16 USC 824a3 (PURPA 1978).pdf	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2016-03-18	Available
16 USC 2602.pdf	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2016-03-18	Available

IC Document Collections

Information collection document groups

IC ID	Collection	Type	Status	Form
23017	Certification of Qualifying Facility (QF) Status for a Small Power Production or Cogeneration Facility	Form and Instruction	Modified

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 1902-0075	ICR Reference No: 201903-1902-005
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201603-1902-007
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-556
Title: FERC-556, Certification of Qualifying Facility (QF) Status for a Small Power Production or Cogeneration Facility
Type of Information Collection: Extension without change of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 11/18/2019
	Date Received in OIRA: 05/20/2019
Terms of Clearance: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for three years.

table that charts list comparision

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	11/30/2022	36 Months From Approved	11/30/2019
Responses	4,318	0	2,693
Time Burden (Hours)	6,537	0	4,100
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: The information collected from FERC Form 556 is not changing. The data required under 18 CFR Section 131.80 and 18 CFR Part 292 are used by the Commission to determine whether a proposed certification for QF status meets the criteria for a qualifying small power production facility or a qualifying cogeneration facility under its regulations and is eligible to receive the benefits available to it under PURPA. In order to obtain QF status and obtain PURPA benefits, an owner or operator of a small power production or cogeneration facility must follow the process indicated in FERC Form 556 and select, at its option, either the procedure set forth in 18 CFR Section 292.207(a), which requires the submission to FERC of a self-certification or self-recertification, or the procedure set forth in 18 CFR Section 292.207(b), which requires the submission to FERC of an application for Commission certification or recertification. The information requirements for these two processes are largely the same (i.e., the submittal of a completed FERC Form 556 provides the information necessary to demonstrate compliance with FERC’s regulations). If FERC did not collect the FERC Form 556 information, there would be no basis for the Commission to determine whether a facility satisfies the requirements of QF status. Since revocation of the qualifying status of a small power production or cogeneration facility may occur if the facility fails to comply with any of the 18 CFR Part 292 criteria, private financial lenders to small power production and cogeneration power facilities occasionally require small power producers and cogenerators to follow 18 CFR Section 292.207(b) procedures (certification by FERC as opposed to self-certification) in order to reduce the risk of status revocation.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 792-828c Name of Law: Federal Power Act (FPA)
   US Code: 16 USC 2601 Name of Law: Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) of 1978
  

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:
	84 FR 9317	03/14/2019
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	84 FR 23557	05/22/2019
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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

table that charts list of burden

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Certification of Qualifying Facility (QF) Status for a Small Power Production or Cogeneration Facility	556	Form 556 (Certification of Qualifying Facility (QF) Status for Small Power Production or Cogeneration Facility

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ICR Summary of Burden

table that charts list 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	4,318	2,693	0	0	1,625	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	6,537	4,100	0	0	2,437	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

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

Burden Increase Due to:

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

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: The reporting requirements and estimated average burden per response (or filing) have not changed. The number of respondents in Question 12 is based on the number of actual filings FERC received throughout 2018. While the number of filings fluctuates from year to year, recent data on the actual number of filings is representative of the number of filings for the next three years, as the Commission received a record number of filings in 2018. The increase in number of respondents is due in part to advances in technology, the extension of production tax credits and investment tax credits by Congress available to solar and wind QFs, and the filing by a single entity of multiple (and often numerous) FERC Form 556s for multiple facilities. The number of responses per respondent has remained the same due to the fact that respondents and/or their legal representatives have gained experience over time from submitting FERC Form 556 filings and are no longer committing as many filing errors on FERC Form 556s as in previous years. The average burden hours per response has also remained the same because many of the respondents filing FERC Form 556s are solar or wind small power production facilities and those FERC Form 556s are less complex than other types of qualifying facilities to review. Additionally, many of the FERC Form 556s received are from respondents who are filing multiple FERC Form 556s for each of their multiple, yet separate QFs, and reviewing these types of filings is much simpler, as the information is very similar in each FERC Form 556. Thus, the total number of responses has increased and the total estimated annual burden hours has also appropriately increased.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $334,571

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

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     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: 05/20/2019

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