[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 184 (Monday, September 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58296-58297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23002]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC13-16-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-604); Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Comment request.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting the information 
collection FERC-604 (Cash Management Agreements) 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 
(78 FR 29359, 5/20/2013) requesting public comments. FERC received no 
comments on the FERC-604 and is making this notation in its submittal 
to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by October 23, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB (identified by FERC-604 and Docket 
No. IC13-16-000) should be sent via email to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs: oira--submission@

[[Page 58297]]

omb.gov. Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. 
The Desk Officer may also be reached via telephone at 202-395-4718.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (identified by the Docket No. IC13-16-000) 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], by telephone at (202) 502-8663, and by fax at 
(202) 273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: FERC-604, Cash Management Agreements.
    OMB Control No.: To be determined.
    Type of Request: Three-year approval of the FERC-604 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the reporting requirements.
    Abstract: Cash management or ``money pool'' programs typically 
concentrate affiliates' cash assets in joint accounts for the purpose 
of providing financial flexibility and lowering the cost of borrowing.
    In a 2001 investigation, FERC staff found that balances in cash 
management programs affecting FERC-regulated entities totaled 
approximately $16 billion. Additionally, other investigations revealed 
large transfers of funds (amounting to more than $1 billion) between 
regulated pipeline affiliates and non-regulated parents whose financial 
conditions were precarious. The Commission found that these and other 
fund transfers and the enormous (mostly unregulated) pools of money in 
cash management programs could detrimentally affect regulated rates.
    To protect customers and promote transparency, the Commission 
issued Order 634-A (2003) requiring entities to formalize in writing 
and file with the Commission their cash management agreements. The 
Commission obtained OMB clearance for this new reporting requirement 
under the FERC-555 information collection (OMB Control No. 1902-0098). 
However, in subsequent extension requests to OMB for the FERC-555 
collection, the Commission failed to include the cash management 
agreement reporting burden as part of the estimates. In this 
proceeding, the Commission rectifies the omission by seeking public 
comment on the reporting requirement in order to update the OMB 
clearance for cash management agreement filings. The Commission intends 
to put the reporting requirements under the collection number ``FERC-
604'' and request a new OMB Control Number.
    The Commission implemented these requirements in 18 CFR 141.500, 
260.400, and 357.5.
    Type of Respondents: Public utilities and licensees, natural gas 
companies, and oil pipeline companies.
    Estimate of Annual Burden \1\: The Commission estimates the total 
Public Reporting Burden for this information collection as:
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    \1\ Burden is defined 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-604: Cash Management Agreements
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                                                                                       Annual number     Annual total    Average annual
                                                                        Number of       of responses      number of       burden hours   Estimated total
                                                                       respondents     per respondent     responses       per response    annual burden
                                                                                  A                B    (A) x (B) = (C)              D                (C) x (D)
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Public utilities and licensees, natural gas companies, and oil               \2\ 25                1               25              1.5             37.5
 pipeline companies................................................
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    The total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is $2,625 
[37.5 hours * $70 per hour \3\ = $2,625].
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    \2\ This figure is based on the number of filings received by 
the Commission for cash management agreements over the last several 
years.
    \3\ This is a loaded cost (wages plus benefits) for a full-time 
employee.
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    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: September 16, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-23002 Filed 9-20-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P