[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 140 (Thursday, July 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36479-36481]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17502]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC09-546-001]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-546); Comment 
Request; Submitted for OMB Review

July 16, 2009.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3507 of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507, the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) has submitted the 
information collection described below to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any 
interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should 
address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. 
The Commission received no comments in response to the Federal Register 
notice (74FR6401, 2/9/2009) and has made this notation in its 
submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by August 27, 
2009.

ADDRESSES: Address comments on the collection of information to the 
Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. 
Comments to OMB should be filed electronically, c/o [email protected] and include OMB Control Number 1902-0155 as a 
point of reference. The Desk Officer may be reached by telephone at 
202-395-4638.

[[Page 36480]]

    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission and should refer to Docket No. IC09-546-001. 
Comments may be filed either electronically or in paper format. Those 
persons filing electronically do not need to make a paper filing. 
Documents filed must be prepared in an acceptable filing format and in 
compliance with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission submission 
guidelines. Complete filing instructions and acceptable filing formats 
are available at http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. To file 
the document electronically, access the Commission's Web site, click on 
Documents & Filing, E-Filing (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp), and then follow the instructions for each screen. New 
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.
    For paper filings, an original and 2 copies of the comments should 
be submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of 
the Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, and should 
refer to Docket No. IC09-546-001.
    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: Ellen Brown may be reached by 
telephone at (202) 502-8663, by fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FERC-546 (Certificated Rate Filings: Gas 
Pipeline Rates; OMB Control Number 1902-0155) is required to implement 
sections 4, 5, 16 and 7(e) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) (15 U.S.C. 717-
717w). NGA sections 4, 5 and 16 authorize the Commission to inquire 
into rate structures and methodologies and to set rates at a just and 
reasonable level. Section 7(e) authorizes the Commission to set initial 
rates that are in keeping with the public convenience and necessity.
    The Commission uses the FERC-546 information to examine service and 
tariff provisions for the transportation and storage, and/or sale of 
natural gas in interstate commerce filed with the Commission.
    When a pipeline company decides to construct and operate a 
jurisdictional pipeline, it files an application with the Commission 
and receives a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. As part 
of its review, the Commission considers and authorizes ``initial 
rates'' for transportation and/or storage service for the pipeline. 
Initial rates are established for new services authorized in 
certificate proceedings and must meet a public convenience and 
necessity standard. Initial rates established in the certificate 
proceeding remain in effect until such rates are reviewed by the 
Commission in a rate proceeding. The information submitted by the 
pipeline company to the Commission in these applications for initial 
rates is the subject of FERC-546.
    The Commission's reporting requirements for this information 
collection are provided in 18 CFR 154.4, 154.7, 154.202, 154.204-.209, 
and 154.602-.603. Failure to collect this information would prevent the 
Commission from monitoring and properly evaluating pipeline proposals 
to add or modify services.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date, with no change to the existing reporting 
requirements in FERC-546.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated at:

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                                                     Number of       Number of    Average burden
         FERC data collection--FERC-546             respondents    responses per     hours per     Total annual
                                                     annually       respondent       response      burden hours
                                                             (1)             (2)             (3)     (1)x(2)x(3)
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Natural Gas Companies...........................              77               4              40          12,320
Storage Operators...............................               3               1             350           1,050
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............          13,370
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The estimated cost burden \1\ to respondents is $824,678.31 (13,370 
hours divided by 2,080 hours per year times $128,297 \2\ equals 
$824,678.31). The cost per respondent is $10,308.48.
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    \1\ The figures may not be exact, due to rounding.
    \2\ The number of hours an employee works each year is 2,080. 
The average annual salary per employee is $128,297.
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    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 estimates 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,

[[Page 36481]]

e.g. permitting electronic submission of responses.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-17502 Filed 7-22-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P