[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 31 (Friday, February 14, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6961-6962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-3761]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[FERC-547]


Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments

February 10, 1997
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection and request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(a) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13), the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is soliciting public 
comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described 
below.

DATES: Consideration will be given to comments submitted on or before 
April 15, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be 
obtained from and written comments may be submitted to the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael P. Miller, Information 
Services Division, ED-12.4, 888 First Street N.E., Washington, D.C. 
20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michel P. Miller may be reached by 
telephone at (202) 208-1415, by fax at

[[Page 6962]]

(202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC-547 ``Gas Pipeline Rates: Refund Report 
Requirements'' (OMB No. 1902-0084) is used by the Commission to 
implement the statutory provisions of the Sections 4, 5, and 16 of the 
Natural Gas Act (NGA) (15 U.S.C. 717-717w). Refund Reports are required 
to carry out the refund obligation policy in Section 4(e) of the NGA. 
Refunds are created due to the difference between pipeline rates 
collected subject to refund and firm rates set by the Commission. The 
refunds are flowed through by the following means: (a) pursuant to 
settlement agreements, and (b) legal requirement. The Commission uses 
the data to insure the pass-through to gas consumers of refunds 
required to correct rates charged by pipelines. The data provided by 
the respondents are used to monitor the progress being made in making 
those refunds and to assure that refunds are being made in compliance 
with the Commission's regulatory functions. The Commission is committed 
to insuring that refunds owed by pipelines to their customers are made 
as expeditiously as possible, in order to hasten their ultimate pass-
through to residential customers and other end-users. The data required 
to be filed for the refund report is specified by 18 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) 154.501.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date, with only minor changes to the existing 
collection of data. In response to an industry-wide settlement that 
changes the collection of amounts for the Gas Research Institute (GRI), 
pipeline companies are making more frequent refund reports. However, 
due to the less complex nature of these reports, the time required to 
prepare these refund reports is less than that needed for most other 
refund reports. Therefore, while the number of projected refund reports 
has increased slightly, the total annual burden has not changed.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

                                                                        
    Number of        Number of    Average burden                        
   respondents     responses per     hours per      Total annual burden 
    annually        respondent       response              hours        
(1)                       (2)             (3)         (1) x (2) x (3)   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
80..............         1.25           56.25                   5,625   
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    The estimated total cost to respondents is $281,250, (5,625 hours 
divided by 2,087 hours per year per employee times $104,350 per year 
per average employee = $281,250). The cost per respondent is $3,516.
    The reporting burden includes the total time, effort, or financial 
resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide 
the information including: (1) reviewing instructions; (2) developing, 
acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the 
purposes of collecting, validating, verifying, processing, maintaining, 
disclosing and providing information; (3) adjusting the existing ways 
to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements; 
(4) training personnel to respond to a collection of information; (5) 
searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collection of 
information; and (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the 
information.
    The estimate of cost for respondents is based upon salaries for 
professional and clerical support, as well as direct and indirect 
overhead costs. Direct costs include all costs directly attributable to 
providing this information, such as administrative costs and the cost 
for information technology. Indirect or overhead costs are costs 
incurred by an organization in support of its mission. These costs 
apply to activities which benefit the whole organization rather than 
any one particular function or activity.
    Comments are invited on: (1) whether the proposed collection of 
information is 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 estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology e.g. permitting electronic submission of 
responses.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-3761 Filed 2-13-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M