30 Day Notice Issued

Document Accession #: 20220401-3002

Filed Date: 04/01/2022

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. IC22-5-000]
COMMISSION INFORMATION COLLECTION ACTIVITIES
(FERC Form Nos. 60, 60A, FERC-61, and FERC-555A);
CONSOLIDATED COMMENT REQUEST; EXTENSION
(April 1, 2022)
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.
SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting
public comment on the currently approved information collections, FERC Form Nos. 60
and 60A (Annual Report of Centralized Service Companies), FERC-61 (Narrative
Description of Service Company Functions), and FERC-555A (Preservation of Records
Companies and Service Companies Subject to PUHCA).
The Commission published a 60-day notice in the Federal Register on November
18, 2021, and received no comments on the 60-day notice.
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due [INSERT DATE 30
DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on FERC Form Nos. 60, 60A, FERC-61, and
FERC-555A to OMB through www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, Attention: Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the OMB Control Number
1902-0215 ((FERC Form Nos. 60 (Annual Report of Centralized Service Companies),

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FERC-61 (Narrative Description of Service Company Functions), and FERC-555A
(Preservation of Records Companies and Service Companies Subject to PUHCA)),
and/or 1902-0308 (FERC Form No. 60A, Annual Report of Centralized Service
Companies - Modifications to FERC Form No. 60 due to Final Rule in Docket No.
RM19-12-000) in the subject line. Your comments should be sent within 30 days of
publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
Please submit copies of your comments (identified by Docket No. IC22-5-000 and the
form) to the Commission as noted below. Electronic filing through http://www.ferc.gov,
is preferred.
 Electronic Filing: Documents must be filed in acceptable native
applications and print-to-PDF, but not in scanned or picture format.
 For those unable to file electronically, comments may be filed by USPS
mail or by hand (including courier) delivery.
o Mail via U.S. Postal Service only, addressed to: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street,
N.E., Washington, DC 20426.
o Hand (including courier) delivery to: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852.
Please reference the specific collection number(s) and/or title(s) in your comments.
Instructions: OMB submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance with
submission guidelines at: www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Using the search
function under the “Currently Under Review field,” select Federal Energy Regulatory

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Commission; click “submit” and select “comment” to the right of the subject collection.
FERC submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance with submission guidelines
at: http://www.ferc.gov. For user assistance contact FERC Online Support by e-mail at
ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or by phone at (866) 208-3676 (toll-free).
Docket: Users interested in receiving automatic notification of activity in this docket or in
viewing/downloading comments and issuances in this docket may do so at
http://www.ferc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Ellen Brown may be reached by e-mail at
DataClearance@FERC.gov and telephone at (202) 502-8663.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:1
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the information collection requirements for
FERC Form Nos. 60 and 60A, FERC-61, and FERC-555A with no changes to the current
reporting requirements. This renewal incorporates the requirements and burden
represented by the FERC Form No. 60A into FERC Form No. 60, respectively. Staff
anticipates that the Commission will seek to retire the 6T and 6-QT as duplicative after

1

Due to expiration dates in 2019 for many of the Commission’s financial forms,
the renewal work for several of the forms was in process or pending at OMB during the
2019 Forms Refresh rulemaking effort in Docket No. RM19-12-000. OMB can only
have one OMB Control No. pending review at a time. To submit the rulemaking timely
to OMB, we assigned alternate “temporary” information collection numbers (FERC Form
No. 60A) Accordingly, FERC Form No. 60A represents the additional burden associated
with the final rule in RM19-12-000. Revisions to the Filing Process for Comm’n Forms,
Order No. 859, 167 FERC ¶ 61,241 (2019).

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OMB decisions are made. Please note the three collections (60 including 60A, 61, and
555A) are distinct.2
FERC Form No. 60 (Annual Report of Centralized Service Companies), FERC-61
(Narrative Description of Service Company Functions), and FERC-555A
(Preservation of Records Companies and Service Companies Subject to PUHCA)
OMB Control Nos. and Titles: 1902-0215 ((FERC Form Nos. 60 (Annual Report of
Centralized Service Companies), FERC-61 (Narrative Description of Service Company
Functions), and FERC-555A (Preservation of Records Companies and Service
Companies Subject to PUHCA)), and 1902-0308 (FERC Form No. 60A, Annual Report
of Centralized Service Companies - Modifications to FERC Form No. 60 due to Final
Rule in Docket No. RM19-12-000).
Abstract: In accordance with the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), the
Commission implemented the repeal of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935
(PUHCA 1935) and implemented the provisions of a newly enacted Public Utility
Holding Company Act 2005 (PUHCA 2005). Pursuant to PUHCA 2005, the
Commission requires centralized service companies to file FERC Form No. 60 or FERC61, and comply with FERC-555A’s requirements unless the company is exempted or
granted a waiver pursuant to the Commission’s regulations. The information collected in
FERC Form No. 60 enables better monitoring for cross-subsidization, and aids the
Commission in carrying out its statutory responsibilities. In addition, centralized service

2

For purposes of this notice, unless otherwise stated, FERC Form Nos. 60 and
60A are collectively referred to as “FERC Form No. 60.”

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companies are required to follow the Commission’s preservation of records requirements
for centralized service companies.
FERC Form No. 60
FERC Form No. 60 is an annual reporting requirement for centralized service
companies set forth in 18 C.F.R. § 366.23. The report’s function is to collect financial
information (including balance sheet, assets, liabilities, billing and charges for associated
and non-associated companies) from centralized service companies subject to the
Commission’s jurisdiction. Unless the Commission exempts or grants a waiver pursuant
to 18 C.F.R. §§ 366.3 and 366.4 to the holding company system, every centralized
service company in a holding company system must prepare and file electronically with
the Commission the FERC Form No. 60, pursuant to the General Instructions in the form.
FERC-61
FERC-61 is a filing requirement for service companies in holding company
systems (including special purpose companies) that are currently exempt or granted a
waiver of FERC’s regulations and would not have to file FERC Form No. 60. Instead,
those service companies are required to file, on an annual basis, a narrative description of
the service company’s functions during the prior calendar year (FERC-61). In
complying, a holding company may make a single filing on behalf of all of its service
company subsidiaries.
FERC-555A
The Commission’s regulations prescribe a mandated preservation of records
requirements for holding companies and service companies (unless otherwise exempted

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by FERC). This requires them to maintain and make available to FERC, their books and
records. The preservation of records requirement provides for uniform records retention
by holding companies and centralized service companies subject to PUHCA 2005.
Data from FERC Form No. 60, FERC-61, and FERC-555A provide a level of
transparency that: 1) helps protect ratepayers from pass-through of improper service
company costs, 2) enables the Commission to review and determine cost allocations
(among holding company members) for certain non-power goods and services, 3) aids the
Commission in meeting its oversight and market monitoring obligations, and 4) benefits
the public, both as ratepayers and investors. In addition, the Commission’s audit staff
uses these records during compliance audits, reviews and special analyses.
If data from FERC Form No. 60, FERC-61, and FERC-555A were not available, it
would be difficult for the Commission to meet its statutory responsibilities under EPAct
1992, EPAct of 2005, and PUHCA 2005, and the Commission would have fewer of the
regulatory mechanisms necessary to ensure transparency and protect ratepayers.
XBRL, Order No. 859, and FERC Form No. 60
Previously, FERC Form No. 60 filers would transmit the information in the form
to the Commission using a software application called Visual FoxPro (VFP). This
application is no longer supported by its developer, Microsoft Corporation. As a result,
in April 2015, the Commission issued an order announcing its intention to replace the
VFP filing format for certain Commission forms (including FERC Form No. 60) with an
eXtensible Markup Language (XML)-based filing format. On June 20, 2019, the
Commission issued Order No. 859, which adopted eXtensible Business Reporting

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Language (XBRL) as the standard for filing FERC Form No. 60 and certain other
Commission forms.3
Type of Respondent: Centralized service companies
Estimate of Annual Burden:4 The Commission estimates the annual public reporting
burden and cost (rounded in the tables) for the information collections as:5

3

Revisions to the Filing Process for Comm’n Forms, Order No. 859, 167 FERC ¶
61,241 (2019).
4

Burden is defined as the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide information to or for a Federal
agency. For further explanation of what is included in the information collection burden,
refer to Title 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3. The burden hours and costs are
rounded for ease of presentation.
5

The cost for the Form 60 and FERC-61 is based on FERC’s 2021 Commissionwide average salary cost (salary plus benefits) of $87.00/hour (On FERC Form No. 61
the dollar figure was rounded up to $44 for the .5 hour of burden, which was carried
through the calculations for total average annual burden costs). The Commission staff
believes the FERC FTE (full-time equivalent) average cost for wages plus benefits is
representative of the corresponding cost for the industry respondents.
For the FERC-555A, the $35.83 hourly cost figure comes from the average cost (wages
plus benefits) of a file clerk (Occupation Code 43-4071) as posted on the BLS website
(http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm).

Document Accession #: 20220401-3002

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Form 60 (OMB Control No. 1902-0215) including Form 60A (OMB Control No. 1902-0308)
Average
Average
Total Average
Annual Burden
Number of
Annual Number Total Number
Annual Burden
Cost per
(Hrs.) & Cost
of Responses
of Responses
(Hrs.) & Total
Respondent ($)
Requirements Respondents
Per Response
per Respondent
Annual Cost ($)
($)
1
2
(1)*(2)=(3)
4
(3)*(4)=(5)
(5)÷(1)
75
3,150
Form 60
42
1
42
$6,525
$274,050
$6,525

Form 60A

42

1

3
$261

42

Total (includes
both Form 60
and Form 60A)

126
$10,962

$261

3,276
$285,012

$6,786

FERC-61 (OMB Control No. 1902-0215)

Requirements

FERC-61

Number of
Respondents

Average
Average Annual
Annual Number Total Number
Burden (Hrs.) &
of Responses
of Responses Cost Per Response
per Respondent
($, rounded)

1

2

(1)*(2)=(3)

80

1

80

4
0.5
$44

40
$3,520

Total

Requirements

Number of
Respondents
1

FERC-555A

122

0

Total

Total Average
Annual Burden
Cost per Respondent
(Hrs.) & Total
($, rounded)
Annual Cost ($,
rounded)
(3)*(4)=(5)
(5)÷(1)
40
$3,520
$44

$44

FERC-555A (OMB Control No. 1902-0215)
Average
Average Annual
Annual Number Total Number Burden (Hrs.) &
of Responses
of Responses
Cost Per
per Respondent
Response ($)
2
(1)*(2)=(3)
4
1,080
1
122
$38,696

Total Average
Annual Burde n
(Hrs.) & Total
Annual Cost ($)
(3)*(4)=(5)
131,760
$4,720,912

0
$0

0
$0

$0

131,760
$4,720,912

$38,696

0

0

Cost per
Respondent ($)
(5)÷(1)
$38,696

Document Accession #: 20220401-3002

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FERC-555A Record Retention
Cost Per
Total Number
Respondent
of Responses
(1)*(2)=(3)
4
Paper Storage
Electronic
Storage
Total Storage
Burden

Total Annual
Cost
(3)*(4)=(5)

122

$387.60

$47,287

122

$15.25

$1,861

$402.85

$49,148

Total Annual Cost: $5,009,444 (Paperwork Burden) + $49,148
(Record Retention storage cost) = $5,058,592.
A more granular breakdown of the FERC-60/61/555A cost categories follows:
Labor Cost: The total estimated annual cost for labor burden to respondents is
$5,009,444 [$285,012 (FERC Form No. 60) + $3,520 (FERC-61) + $4,720,912 (FERC555A)]
FERC Form No. 60: 42 respondents x $6,786 per respondent = $285,012
FERC-61: 80 respondents x $44 per respondent = $3,520
FERC-555A: 122 respondents x $38,696 per respondent = $4,720,912
Storage Cost:6 In addition to the labor (burden cost provided above), there are
additional costs that represent record retention and storage costs:
 Paper storage costs (using an estimate of 60 cubic feet x $6.46 per cubic
foot): $387.60 per respondent annually. Total annual paper storage cost to
industry ($387.60 x 122 respondents): $47,287. This estimate assumes that
a respondent stores the same volume of paper as it did in the past and that

6

Internal analysis assumes 50% paper storage and 50% electronic storage.

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the cost of such storage has not changed. We expect that this estimate
should trend downward over time as more companies move away from
paper storage and rely more heavily on electronic storage.
 Electronic storage costs: $15.25 per respondent annually. Total annual
electronic storage cost to industry ($15.25 x 122 respondents): $1,861.
This calculation retains the previous estimate that storage of 1GB per year
is $15.25. We expect that this estimate should trend downward over time
as the cost of electronic storage technology, including cloud storage,
continues to decrease. For example, external hard drives of approximately
500GB are available for approximately $50. In addition, cloud storage
plans from multiple providers for 1TB of storage (with a reasonable amount
of requests and data transfers) are available for less than $35 per month.
Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) whether the collections of information are
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including
whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency’s
estimates of the burden and cost of the collections of information, including the validity
of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information collections; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the
collections of information on those who are to respond, including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.

Document Accession #: 20220401-3002

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Document Content(s)
Final- FERC 60 60A 61 555A 30-day notice.docx.............................1