FERC-505, Small Hydropower Projects and Conduit Facilities including License/Relicense, Exemption, and Qualifying Conduit Facility Determination

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
CFR-2017-title18-vol1-part5.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-01-29
CFR-2017-title18-vol1-part8.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-01-29
CFR-2017-title18-vol1-part16.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-01-29
CFR-2017-title18-vol1-part4.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-01-29
FERC-505 Supporting Statement 4-10-2018.docx Supporting Statement A	2018-04-10
PURPA78.PDF Supplementary Document	2018-01-23
FERC-505 & FERC-512 30-Day Notice.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-01-11
FERC-505 and FERC-512 FED REG.pdf Supplementary Document	2017-10-04
Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 20133.pdf Supplementary Document	2017-09-29
16 USC 797a.PNG Supplementary Document	2017-09-29
CFR-2017-title18-vol1-part16.pdf Supplementary Document	2017-09-29
CFR-2017-title18-vol1-part292.pdf Supplementary Document	2017-09-29
FERC-505 FERC-512 60 day issued.docx Supplementary Document	2017-09-29

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: 201708-1902-014
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201412-1902-001
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-505
Title: FERC-505, 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: 04/11/2018
	Date Received in OIRA: 01/29/2018
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	04/30/2021	36 Months From Approved	04/30/2018
Responses	33	0	28
Time Burden (Hours)	24,321	0	59,339
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

---

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 Renewal: FERC-505 is an application for a small hydropower project license or relicense, exemption, or determination of a qualifying conduit hydropower facility. FERC-505 has an increase in the number of responses and the decrease in total hours is related to Congress’ enactment of the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act in August 2013, which in part, authorized the Commission to issue qualifying conduit exemptions. The 28 previous responses that were requested and approved did not include qualifying conduit exemption applications, which at the time, did not exist. Qualifying conduit exemption applications are much less burdensome to prepare than the other applications reported. Of the 33 responses currently requested, 22 are attributed to the much less burdensome qualifying exemption applications. Therefore, although the number of responses slightly increased, the total burden decreased.

---

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 46 Name of Law: Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA)
   US Code: 16 USC 791 Name of Law: Federal Power Act
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

---

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

---

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	82 FR 46231	10/04/2017
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	82 FR 60978	12/26/2017
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
Small Hydropower Projects and Conduit Facilities including License/Relicense, Exemption, and Qualifying Conduit Facility Determination

---

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	33	28	0	0	5	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	24,321	59,339	0	0	-35,018	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 total annual burden for FERC-505 information collection increased by 5 responses but decreased by 35,018 hours from previously approved burden. The increase in the number of responses and the decrease in total hours is related to Congress’ enactment of the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act in August 2013, which in part, authorized the Commission to issue qualifying conduit exemptions. The 28 previous responses that were requested and approved did not include qualifying conduit exemption applications, which at the time, did not exist. Qualifying conduit exemption applications are much less burdensome to prepare than the other applications reported. Of the 33 responses currently requested, 22 are attributed to the much less burdensome qualifying exemption applications. Therefore, although the number of responses slightly increased, the total burden decreased.

---

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $1,355,132

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

---

Common Form ICR:  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:

(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: 01/29/2018

---