[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 50178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-24546]



[[Page 50178]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC01-02A-000, FERC Form 2-A]


Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments

September 26, 2001.
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 within 60 days 
of the publication of this notice.

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 Miller, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer, CI-1, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller may be reached by 
telephone at (202)208-1415, by fax at (202)208-2425, and by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC Form 2-A ``Annual Report of Nonmajor Natural Gas 
Companies'' (OMB No. 1902-0030) is used by the Commission to implement 
the statutory provisions of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) 15 U.S.C. 717. 
The FERC Form 2-A is a financial and operating report for nonmajor 
natural gas pipeline owners. A ``nonmajor'' pipeline owner is one that 
has combined gas sales for resale and has gas transported or stored for 
a fee that exceeds 200,000 Dth but which is less than 50 million Dth, 
in each of the three previous calendar years. Under the Form 2-A, the 
Commission investigates, collects and records data, and prescribes 
rules and regulations concerning accounts, records and memoranda as 
necessary to administer the NGA. The Commission is empowered to 
prescribe a system of accounts for jurisdictional gas pipelines and 
after notice and opportunity for hearing, may determine the accounts in 
which particular outlays and receipts will be entered, charged or 
credited.
    FERC staff uses the data in the continuous review of the financial 
condition of jurisdictional companies, in various rate proceedings and 
in the Commission's audit program. FERC Form 2-A data are also used to 
compute annual charges which are assessed against each jurisdictional 
natural gas pipeline and which are necessary to recover the 
Commission's annual costs.
    The annual financial information filed with the Commission is a 
mandatory requirement submitted in a prescribed format which is filed 
electronically and on paper. The Commission implements these filing 
requirements in 18 CFR Parts 158, 201, 260.2 and 385.2011.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date, with no changes to the existing information 
collection.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Number of          Number of       Average burden
   respondents       responses per        hours per       Total annual
     Annually          respondent         response        burden hours
(1)                            (2)                (3)   (1) x (2) x (3)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
             53                  1                 30             1,590
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated cost burden to respondents: 1,590 hours/2,080 hours per 
year  x  $117,041 per year = $89,469. The cost per respondent is equal 
to $1,688.
    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 cost estimate 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.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-24546 Filed 10-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P