[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 26 (Thursday, February 7, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5801-5802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-2973]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC01-2-001 FERC Form No. 2]


Information Collection Submitted for Review and Request for 
Comments

February 1, 2002.
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 
one comment from an entity who supported the continued use of this 
information collection. The comments were in response to an earlier 
Federal Register notice of September 28, 2001 (66 FR 49653). The 
Commission has acknowledged 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, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, 
DC 20503. The Desk Officer may also be reached at (202) 395-7318. A 
copy of the comments should also be sent to Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Attention: Mr. 
Michael Miller, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Miller may be reached by telephone 
at

[[Page 5802]]

(202) 208-1415, by fax at (202) 208-2425, 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 Form 2 ``Annual Report of Major 
Natural Gas Companies''
    2. Sponsor: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
    3. Control No.: OMB No. 1902-0028. The Commission is now requesting 
that OMB approve a three-year extension of the current expiration date, 
with no proposed changes to the existing collection. There is an 
adjustment to the reporting burden due to an additional respondent 
since the Commission's last submission in 1998. In addition, the 
availability of Form 2 submission software for all filers for the 2001 
filing year, will the Commission believes, reduce the burden as 
respondents will benefit from user support at the Commission and from 
filing the FERC Form 2 electronically through the Commission's gateway 
on its website. This is a mandatory information collection requirement.
    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 Natural Gas Act 
(NGA). Under the NGA the Commission may prescribe a system of accounts 
for jurisdictional companies, and after notice and hearing, may 
determine the accounts in which particular outlays and receipts will be 
entered, charged or credited. The FERC Form 2 is designed to collect 
financial information from ``Major Natural Gas Companies''. A company 
is defined as a ``Major Natural Gas Company'' if its combined gas 
transported or stored exceeded 50 million dekatherms (dth) in each of 
the three previous calendar years. The form collects general corporate 
information: summary financial information, balance sheet and income 
statement supporting information, gas plant, operating expenses and 
statistical data. The information collected is used by the Commission, 
state regulatory agencies and others in the review of the financial 
condition of the regulated companies, in various rate proceedings and 
audit programs and in the assessment of annual charges which are 
necessary to recover the Commission's costs.
    5. Respondent Description: The respondent universe currently 
comprises on average, 57 companies subject to the Commission's 
jurisdiction.
    6. Estimated Burden: 84,360 total burden hours, 57 respondents, 1 
response annually, 1,480 hours per response (average).
    7. Estimated Cost Burden to Respondents: 84,360 hours  
2,080 hours per year  x  $117,041 per year = $ 4,746,913 average cost 
per respondent = $83,279.

    Statutory Authority: Sections 8 and 10 of the Natural Gas Act 
(NGA), 15 U.S.C. 717g-717i.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-2973 Filed 2-6-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P