[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 91 (Tuesday, May 12, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26165-26166]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12545]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[IC98-555-001-FERC-555]


Information Collection Submitted for Review and Request for 
Comments

May 6, 1998.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of submission for review by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) has 
submitted the energy information collection listed in this notice to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review under provisions 
of Section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 
104-13). Any interested person may file comments on the collection of 
information directly with OMB and should address a copy of those 
comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission received 
public comments from two entities in response to an earlier Federal 
Register notice of December 10, 1997 (62 FR 65071) and has replied to 
these comments in its submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments regarding this collection of information are best 
assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of this 
notification.

ADDRESSES: Address comments to Office of Management and Budget, Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, Desk Officer, 726 Jackson

[[Page 26166]]

Place, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20503. A copy of the comments should also 
be sent to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Division of 
Information Services, Attention: Mr. Michael Miller, 888 First Street 
N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller may be reached by 
telephone at (202) 208-1415, by fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description

    The energy information collection submitted to OMB for review 
contains:
    1. Collection of Information: FERC-555 ``Preservation of Records of 
Public Utilities and Licensees, Natural Gas and Oil Pipeline 
Companies.''
    2. Sponsor: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
    3. Control No.: OMB No. 1902-0098. The Commission is now requesting 
that OMB approve a three-year extension of the current expiration date, 
with no substantive changes to the existing collection. There is an 
increase in the reporting burden due to an increase in the number of 
respondents participating in industry and consequently subject to the 
Commission's jurisdiction. This increase reflects an adjustment to the 
Commission's regulatory burden for this information collection 
requirement. These are mandatory collection requirements.
    4. Necessity of Collection of Information: Submission of the 
information is necessary to enable the Commission to carry out its 
responsibilities in implementing the provisions of the Federal Power 
Act (FPA); the Natural Gas Act (NGA); and the Interstate Commerce Act 
(ICA). These statutes provide the Commission with the authority and 
responsibility for policing jurisdictional companies' to ensure 
compliance with the Acts' requirements. The information retained under 
Commission identifier FERC-555 are records maintained by the regulated 
companies in accordance with Schedules provided in the Commission's 
regulations in 18 CFR Parts 125, 225 and 356. The companies will use 
the regulatory requirements to determine the minimum length of time to 
maintain their records. These records are retained to be used during 
financial/compliance audits of jurisdictional companies forming the 
basis of the audit staff's opinion regarding (1) the reliability of the 
financial data filed with Commission by companies, (2) the extent of 
conformance by the companies to the Uniform System of Accounts (3) 
compliance with the Commission's regulations for rate filings and 
reports.
    Respondent Description: The respondent universe currently comprises 
on average, 515 recordkeepers subject to the Commission's regulations.
    6. Estimated Burden: 1,236,000 total burden hours, 515 respondents, 
1 response annually, 2,400 hours per response (average).
    7. Estimated Cost Burden to Respondents: 1,236,000 hours  
2,088 hours per year  x  $110,000 per year = $65,049,236, average cost 
per respondent = $126,309.
    Statutory Authority: Sections 301(a), 304(a), 309, of the Federal 
Power Act (FPA) 16 U.S.C. 792-828o; Sections 8(a), 10(a), 16 of the 
Natural Gas Act (NGA), 15 U.S.C. 717-717w; and Sections 19 and 20 of 
the Interstate Commerce Act (ICA), 49 U.S.C. 20.
David P. Boergers,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-12545 Filed 5-11-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M