In accordance
with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for three
years.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
11/30/2022
36 Months From Approved
11/30/2019
4,318
0
2,693
6,537
0
4,100
0
0
0
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.
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
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.
$334,571
No
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Nishi Parekh 202
502-8325
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.
Form 556 Certification of Qualifying Facility (QF) Status for a Small Power Production or Cogeneration Facility
FERC-556 supp state_IC19-16_ 5-6-19.docx
556_60day_FR2019-04678.pdf
Certification of Qualifying Facility (QF) Status for a Small Power Production or Cogeneration Facility