[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 181 (Monday, September 20, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57265-57266]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-23364]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC10-547-001]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-547); Comment 
Request; Submitted for OMB Review

September 13, 2010.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Energy.

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 issued a Notice in the Federal Register (75 FR 34107, 6/
16/2010) requesting public comments. FERC received no comments on the 
FERC-547 and has made this notation in its submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by October 20, 
2010.

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 1902-0084 for 
reference. The Desk Officer may be reached by telephone at 202-395-
4638.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission and should refer to Docket No. IC10-547-001. 
Comments may be filed either electronically or in paper format. Those 
persons filing electronically do not need to make a paper filing. 
Documents filed electronically via the Internet 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 and click on Documents 
& Filing, E-Filing (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp), 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.
    For paper filings, the comments should be submitted to the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First

[[Page 57266]]

Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, and should refer to Docket No. IC10-
547-001.
    Users interested in receiving automatic notification of activity in 
FERC Docket Number IC10-547 may do so through eSubscription at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp. 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 e-mail 
at [email protected], by telephone at (202) 502-8663, and by fax 
at (202) 273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC-547, ``Gas Pipeline Rates: Refund Report 
Requirements'' (OMB Control No. 1902-0084), is used by the Commission 
to implement the statutory refund provisions governed by sections 4, 5, 
and 16 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA).\1\ Sections 4 and 5 authorize the 
Commission to order a refund, with interest, for any portion of a 
natural gas company's increased rate or charge found to be unjust or 
unreasonable. Refunds may also be instituted by a natural gas company 
as a stipulation to a Commission-approved settlement agreement or a 
provision under the company's tariff. Section 16 of the NGA authorizes 
the Commission to prescribe rules and regulations necessary to 
administer its refund mandates. The Commission's refund reporting 
requirements are found in 18 CFR 154.501 and 154.502.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 717-717w.
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    The Commission uses the data to monitor refunds owed by natural gas 
companies to ensure that the flow-through of refunds owed by these 
companies are made as expeditiously as possible and to assure that 
refunds are made in compliance with the Commission's regulations.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
FERC-547 reporting requirements, with no changes.
    Burden Statement: The estimated annual public reporting burden for 
FERC-547 is reduced from the estimate made three years ago due to a 
reduction in the average number of filings received annually, from 60 
in 2007, to 30 presently.

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                                                               Average  number
                                                 Number of       of  reponses   Average  burden    Total annual
            FERC data collection                respondents    per respondents     hours per       burden hours
                                                    (1)              (2)          response (3)     (1)x(2)x(3)
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FERC-547....................................              30                1               75            2,250
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    The total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is $149,143 
(2250 hours/2080 hours \2\ per year, times $137,874 \3\).
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    \2\ Estimated number of hours an employee works each year.
    \3\ Estimated average annual cost per employee.
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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 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.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-23364 Filed 9-17-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P