[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 116 (Monday, June 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36176-36177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14277]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC13-17-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-551); Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved 
information collection, Reporting of Flow Volume and Capacity by 
Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines. This collection originally affected 
both intrastate and interstate natural gas pipelines, but for reasons 
described below only pertains to interstate natural gas pipelines.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due August 16, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC13-17-
000) by either of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's Web site: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
     Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426.
    Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in 
accordance with submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. For user assistance contact FERC Online Support 
by email at [email protected], or by phone at: (866) 208-3676 
(toll-free), or (202) 502-8659 for TTY.
    Docket: Users interested in receiving automatic notification of 
activity in this docket or in viewing/downloading comments and 
issuances in this docket may do so at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at 
[email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202) 
273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Reporting of Flow Volume and Capacity by Interstate Natural 
Gas Pipelines.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0243.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-551 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements except as described below.
    Abstract: Interstate pipelines are required to post on their Web 
sites the volumes of no-notice service flows \1\ at each receipt and 
delivery point before 11:30 a.m. central clock time three days after 
the day of gas flow.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See 18 CFR 284.7(a)(4) (requiring pipelines to provide no-
notice service).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FERC implemented Order Nos. 720 and 720-A to comply with the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 (``EPAct 2005'') and specifically Section 23 of 
EPAct 2005, which amended the NGA to direct FERC to ``facilitate price 
transparency in markets for the sale or transportation of physical 
natural gas in interstate commerce.'' On October 24, 2011, the United 
States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a decision 
granting the Texas Pipeline Association and the Railroad Commission's 
petition for review and vacating FERC's Order Nos. 720 and 720-A. In 
its order, the 5th Circuit held that Order Nos. 720 and 720-A exceeded 
the scope of FERC' authority under the Natural Gas Act of 1938 and FERC 
could not require intrastate natural gas pipelines to post the 
information. However, the court's decision did not disrupt the 
reporting and posting obligations of interstate natural gas 
pipelines.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Order Granting Motion to Clarify Opinion, Texas Pipelines 
Ass'n v. FERC, 661 F.3d 258 (Dec. 20. 2011).
    \3\ The Commission defines burden as the total time, effort, or 
financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, 
retain, or disclose or provide information to or for a Federal 
agency. For further explanation of what is included in the 
information collection burden, reference 5 Code of Federal 
Regulations 1320.3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Type of Respondents: Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines.
    Estimate of Annual Burden:\3\ The Commission estimates the total 
Public Reporting Burden for this information collection for Interstate 
Natural Gas

[[Page 36177]]

Pipelines has not changed since the Final Rule on Rehearing was issued 
on January 21, 2012 in Docket No. RM08-2-001.\4\

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   Estimated
                                                               Number of daily   annual burden     Total annual
                    Number of respondents                        postings per      hours per      hours for all
                                                                  respondent       respondent      respondents
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
101..........................................................               1              183           18,483
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Commission estimates $1,040,038 as the total collection cost 
based on 18,483 hours at $56.27/hour \5\ (18,483 hours*$56.27/
hour=1,040,038 (rounded)).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ 18 CFR still lists the posting requirements for intrastate 
pipelines at 284.14. The Commission notes that because of the 
court's decision, FERC no longer requires intrastate pipelines to 
report this information.
    \5\ This figure includes wages plus benefits and comes from the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics Management Analyst category (13-1111) 
(http://bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm and http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the 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 and 
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.

    Dated: June 10, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-14277 Filed 6-14-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P