[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 139 (Friday, July 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43186-43187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17286]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC13-18-000; FERC-547]


Commission Information Collection Activities; 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, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the 
currently approved information collection, FERC-547 (Gas Pipeline 
Rates: Refund Report Requirements).

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due September 17, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC13-18-
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 CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at 
[email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202) 
273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Gas Pipeline Rates: Refund Report Requirements.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0084.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-547 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The Commission uses FERC-547 (Gas Pipeline Rates: Refund 
Report Requirements) to implement the

[[Page 43187]]

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 located in 18 CFR 154.501 and 154.502.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 717-717w.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
    Type of Respondents: Natural gas companies.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \2\ The Commission reduces its estimate 
of the total Public Reporting Burden for this information collection 
from the estimate made three years ago based on the number of filings 
received over the previous three years (from an average of 30 
respondents to an average of 11 respondents currently).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ 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.

                                                FERC-547: Gas Pipeline Rates: Refund Report Requirements
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                         Number of                       Average burden
                                                                        Number of      responses per   Total number of     hours per     Estimated total
                                                                       respondents       respondent       responses         response      annual burden
                                                                                (A)              (B)    (A) x (B) = (C)            (D)                (C) x (D)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Natural Gas Companies..............................................              11                1               11               75              825
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is $57,750. 
[825 hours * $70/hour \3\ = $57,750].
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ FY2013 Estimated Average Hourly Cost per FTE, including 
salary + benefits.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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: July 12, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-17286 Filed 7-18-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P