View Information Collection Request (ICR) Package

OMB Control No: 1902-0308	ICR Reference No: 201901-1902-011
Status: Historical Inactive	Previous ICR Reference No:
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-60A
Title: FERC-60A, Annual Reports Of Centralized Service Cos., for NOPR in RM19-12
Type of Information Collection: New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Comment filed on proposed rule	Conclusion Date: 03/14/2019
	Date Received in OIRA: 02/08/2019
Terms of Clearance: 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
Expiration Date		36 Months From Approved
Responses	0	0	0
Time Burden (Hours)	0	0	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Abstract: 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.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 42 USC 16451 et seq. Name of Law: Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 (PUHCA 2005)
PL: Pub.L. 109 - 58 1261-1277 Name of Law: Energy Policy Act of 2005

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
1902-AF58	Proposed rulemaking	84 FR 1412	02/04/2019

Federal Register Notices & Comments
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
FERC-60A (NOPR in RM19-12) [XBRL for FERC-60]

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

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

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

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: 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.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $4,931

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

Agency Contact: Robert Hudson 202 502-6620

View ICR - OIRA Conclusion