[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 67 (Tuesday, April 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17027-17028]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8456]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC03-544-000, FERC-544]


Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments

April 1, 2003.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(a) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 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 
June 4, 2003.

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 
Executive Director, ED-30, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. 
Comments on the proposed collection of information may be filed either 
in paper format or electronically. Those parties filing electronically 
do not need to make a paper filing. For paper filings, the original and 
14 copies of such comments should be submitted to the Office of the 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426 and should refer to Docket No. IC03-544-000.
    Documents filed electronically via the Internet can be prepared in 
a variety of formats including WordPerfect, MS Word, Portable Document 
Format, Rich Text Format of ASCII format. To file the document, access 
the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov and click on ``Make an 
E-filing,'' and then follow the instructions for each screen. First 
time users will have to establish a user name and password. The 
Commission will send an automatic acknowledgment to the sender's E-mail 
address upon receipt of documents. User assistance for electronic 
filings is available at 202-502-8258 or by E-mail to [email protected]. 
Comments should not be submitted to this e-mail address.
    All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the 
Internet through FERC's homepage using the FERRIS link. For user 
assistance, contact [email protected] or toll free at (866) 
208-3676 or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller at (202)502-8415, by 
fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC-544 ``Gas Pipeline Rates: Rate Change(Formal)'', 
is used by the Commission to carry out its responsibilities in 
implementing the statutory provisions of sections 4, 5, and 16 of the 
Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C.717c-717o, Pub. L. 75-688). The Commission 
implements FERC-544 filing requirements in the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR part 154.
    General rate change applications filed under section 4(e) of the 
Natural Gas Act reflect changes in rates based generally upon changes 
in the pipeline company's overall costs of providing service. Staff 
analyses are performed to determine whether the proposed rates and 
charges are consistent with the Commission's statutory 
responsibilities, policies, conditions. A preliminary review and report 
to the Commission of all changes filed under the NGA must be made by 
staff. Based upon the report, the Commission determines the filing 
should be accepted or suspended and set for hearing and investigation. 
18 CFR 154.301 through 154.313 govern the filing requirements for rate 
changes and define the statements and schedules pipeline companies must 
file in support of their proposed rates and charges. 18 CFR 154.205 
governs the filing requirements for changes relating to suspended 
tariffs, executed agreements or parts thereof. 18 CFR 154.206 permits 
the proposed change in rate, charge, classification or service to go 
into effect upon motion of the jurisdictional gas pipeline at the 
expiration of the

[[Page 17028]]

suspension period or upon receipt of the motion, whichever is later.
    Formal rate change filings (FERC-544) are suspended and set for 
hearing. When the NGA section 4(e) filing is suspended, the rate 
becomes the subject of a hearing process and may go into effect subject 
to refund with interest. All suspended filings that go through the 
hearing process are considered formal cases and an investigation is 
instituted to determine the reasonableness of the rate filing. If the 
rates and charges are deemed unjust, unreasonable or unduly 
discriminatory, the appropriate rate, charge or service condition is 
ascertained. The formal proceeding is terminated by the issuance of a 
final Commission order.
    Action: The Commission is requesting reinstatement. Due to an 
administrative lapse, FERC-544 was allowed to expire. The Commission 
seeks reinstatement of FERC-544 and a three-year approval of the 
collection of information.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Number of      Average burden    Total annual
             Number of respondents annually  (1)                responses per      hours per       burden hours
                                                               respondent  (2)   response  (3)     (1)x(2)x(3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10...........................................................               1            4,583           45,830
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The estimated total cost to respondents is $2,578,841.00. (No. of 
hours divided by 2,080 hours per year per employee times $117,041.00 
per year per average employee = $ 2,578,841.00.) The cost per 
respondent is $257.884.
    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.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-8456 Filed 4-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P