What does the FERC-556 extension mean for small power and cogeneration facility owners?

The form that unlocks PURPA benefits

Form No. 556 implements sections 201 and 210 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. FERC uses it to certify that a facility meets the technical and corporate criteria for Qualifying Facility status. That status brings regulatory benefits: exemptions from certain Federal Power Act requirements, certain state laws, and the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005. The current OMB control number is 1902-0075.

Two paths exist. A facility can self-certify or file an application for FERC certification. Self-certification carries a lower burden. The application route takes 50 hours at the amount listed for applications per response.

What the burden table shows

FERC estimates the burden and cost for this information collection as follows:

Cogeneration Facility >1 MW: 50 respondents self-certify. Small Power Production Facility >1 MW: the figure shown for small power production facilities over 1 MW respondents self-certify. Cogeneration and Small Power Production Facility ≤1 MW: the figure shown for facilities at or below 1 MW respondents self-certify.

Total respondents: the total respondent count shown. Total responses per year: 9,407.44. Total annual burden hours: 33,302. Total annual cost: $3,396,837.66. Cost per respondent rounds to $772.71.

Self-certification takes 3.54 hours at $361.08 per response. The Commission staff believes industry is similarly situated in terms of wages and benefits. Cost estimates are based on FERC's 2026 average annual wage (and benefits) for a full-time employee of $213,003 (or $102.00/hour).

The exemption that still generates filings

Regulation 18 CFR 292.203(d) exempts small power production facilities and cogeneration facilities from self-certification if they have a net power production capacity of 1 MW or less. However, FERC discloses burdens for these filings because some facilities seek status as qualifying facilities regardless of their capacity. That is why the figure shown for facilities at or below 1 MW respondents appear in the ≤1 MW row.

What happens next

Comments on the collection of information are due October 15, 2026. Send written comments on FERC-556 to OMB through the OMB portal listed in the notice. Submit a copy to the Commission via email to DataClearance@FERC.gov with Docket No. IC26-39-000 and FERC Information Collection number FERC-556. The previous comment period ended September 8, 2026, with no comments received.