[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42369-42370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11884]



[[Page 42369]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC06-592-000; FERC-592]


Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request; Extension

July 18, 2006.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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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: Comments on the collection of information are due September 5, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: Copies of sample filings of the proposed collection of 
information can be obtained from the Commission's Web site (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filings/elibrary.asp) or from the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael Miller, Office of the Executive 
Director, ED-34, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments 
may be filed either in paper format or electronically. Those parties 
filing electronically do not need to make a paper filing. For paper 
filing, the original and 14 copies of such comments should be submitted 
to the Secretary of the Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426 and refer to 
Docket No. IC06-592-000.
    Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in 
WordPerfect, MS Word, Portable Document Format, or 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 
acknowledgement to the sender's e-mail address upon receipt of 
comments.
    All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the 
Internet through FERC's homepage using the eLibrary 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 may be reached by 
telephone 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-592 ``Marketing Affiliates of Interstate 
Pipelines'' (OMB No. 1902-0157) is used by the Commission to implement 
the statutory provisions of sections 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14, 16, and 20 of 
the Natural Gas Act (NPA) 15 U.S.C. 717-717w and Title II, section 311 
and sections 501 and 504 of the Natural Gas Policy Act (Pub. L. 95-
621).
    The FERC-592 requirements apply to ``Transmission Providers'' who 
are defined as any interstate natural gas pipeline that transports gas 
for others, subject to the Natural Gas Act (i.e., pursuant to subpart A 
of part 157 or subparts B or G of part 284). See 18 CFR 358.3(a)(1) and 
(2). A Transmission Provider does not include a natural gas storage 
provider authorized to charge market-based rates that is not 
interconnected with the jurisdictional facilities of any affiliated 
interstate natural gas pipeline, has no exclusive franchise area, no 
captive ratepayers or no market power, 18 CFR 358.3(a)(3).
    Initially, FERC-592 was adopted when the Commission issued the 
Standards of Conduct in Order No. 497, 53 FR 22161, June 14, 1988. The 
Commission issued the Standards of Conduct to prevent Transmission 
Providers from discriminating against non-affiliated shippers or from 
granting undue preferences to their marketing and energy affiliates. In 
response to growing competition in the natural gas marketplace and to 
further ensure that it could monitor transactions for the exercise of 
market power, the Commission revised its reporting requirements in 
Order No. 637, 65 FR 10219, on February 25, 2000. The Commission 
required pipelines to post more transmission information on their 
Internet Web sites to improve transparency of transmission information.
    With the revisions in Order No. 637, the Commission also eliminated 
many of the requirements of the original FERC-592s. First the 
Commission eliminated the requirement to submit the FERC-592 
information to the Commission. Second the Commission eliminated many of 
the items required under the FERC-592 requirements and retained only 
two requirements: (1) A pipeline must retain information pertaining to 
discounts (affiliated and non-affiliated) and, (2) if a pipeline relies 
on contract information or other data to allocate capacity, it must 
maintain a log of that information for all shippers (affiliated and 
non-affiliated).
    In November 2003, the Commission enhanced and expanded the 
Standards of Conduct in Order No. 2004 and subsequently in Order Nos. 
2004-A, B, C, and D. However, Order No. 2004 did not substantively 
change the FERC-592 requirements, which applies only to natural gas 
Transmission Providers.
    While there are many different requirements under the Standards of 
Conduct, the basic requirements are that a Transmission Provider must: 
(1) Function independently from its Marketing and Energy Affiliates; 
and (2) must treat all transmission customers, affiliated and non-
affiliated, on a non-discriminatory basis and may not operate its 
transmission system to preferentially benefit its Marketing or Energy 
Affiliates. See 18 CFR 358.2.
    This information is used by the Commission, market participants and 
state commissions to monitor for undue discrimination by pipeline 
companies in favor of their marketing affiliates and in some cases, 
this information is used in formal proceedings following the filing of 
a complaint.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date, with no changes to the existing collection of 
data.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

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                                                                  Number of      Average burden
                Number of respondents annually                  responses per      hours per       Total annual
                                                                  respondent        response       burden hours
(1)                                                                       (2)              (3)   (1) x (2) x (3)
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85...........................................................               1              117            9,913
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    Estimated cost burden to respondents is $559,136; (9,913 burden 
hours/2080 work hours per year x $117,321 annual average salary per 
employee = $559,136). The estimated annual cost per respondent is 
$6,578.
    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; (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the information; 
and (8) requesting e.g. waiver or clarification of requirements.
    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. E6-11884 Filed 7-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P