[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 93 (Wednesday, May 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27589-27591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11020]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC14-12-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC Form 2 & 2A, & 
FERC-523); Consolidated Comment Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy 
(DOE).

ACTION: Notice of information collections and request for comments.

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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 
requirements and burden \1\ of the information collections described 
below.
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    \1\ 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.

DATES: Comments on the collections of information are due July 14, 
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2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC14-12-
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. Please reference the specific collection number 
and/or title in your comments.
    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

[[Page 27590]]

at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202) 273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Type of Request: Three-year extension of the 
information collection requirements for all collections described below 
with no changes to the current reporting requirements. Please note that 
each collection is distinct from the next.
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collections of 
information are 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 and cost of the collections of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility and clarity of the information collections; and 
(4) ways to minimize the burden of the collections of information on 
those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.

FERC Form 2, Annual Report of Major Natural Gas Companies, & FERC Form 
2A, Annual Report of Nonmajor Natural Gas Companies

    OMB Control Nos.: 1902-0028 & 1902-0030.
    Abstract: Pursuant to sections 8, 10 and 14 of the National Gas Act 
(NGA), (15 U.S.C. 717g-717m, Pub. L. 75-688), the Commission is 
authorized to make investigations and collect and record data, to 
prescribe rules and regulations concerning accounts, records and 
memoranda as necessary or appropriate for purposes of administering the 
NGA. The Commission includes the filing requirements in 18 CFR 260.1 
and 260.2.
    The forms provide information concerning a company's past 
performance. The information is compiled using a standard chart of 
accounts contained in the Commission's Uniform System of Accounts 
(USofA).\2\ The forms contain schedules which include a basic set of 
financial statements: Comparative Balance Sheet, Statement of Income 
and Retained Earnings, Statement of Cash Flows, and the Statement of 
Comprehensive Income and Hedging Activities. Supporting schedules 
containing supplementary information are filed, including revenues and 
the related quantities of products sold or transported; account 
balances for various operating and maintenance expenses; selected plant 
cost data; and other information.
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    \2\ See 18 CFR part 201.
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    The information collected in the forms is used by Commission staff, 
state regulatory agencies and others in the review of the financial 
condition of regulated companies. The information is also used in 
various rate proceedings, industry analyses and in the Commission's 
audit programs and as appropriate, for the computation of annual 
charges based on Page 520 of the forms. The Commission provides the 
information to the public, interveners and all interested parties to 
assist in the proceedings before the Commission.
    Print versions of the Forms 2 and 2A are located on the 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/forms.asp#2.
    Type of Respondent: Each natural gas company whose combined gas 
transported or stored for a fee exceed 50 million dekatherms in each of 
the previous three years must file the Form 2. Each natural gas company 
not meeting the filing threshold for the Form 2 but having total gas 
sales or volume transactions exceeding 200,000 dekatherms in each of 
the previous three calendar years must submit the Form 2A.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collections as:
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    \3\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response
    * $70.50 per Hour = Average Cost per Response. The hourly cost 
figure of $70.50 is the average FERC employee wage plus benefits. We 
assume that respondents earn at a similar rate.

           FERC Form No. 2--Annual Report of Major Natural Gas Companies and FERC Form No. 2A: Annual Report of Nonmajor Natural Gas Companies
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                                                                          Annual  number                      Average      Total annual
                                                             Number of     of  responses   Total  number   burden  hours   burden hours      Cost per
                                                            respondents         per        of  responses   and cost per      and total    respondent ($)
                                                                            respondent                     response \3\     annual cost
                                                                     (1)             (2)     (1)*(2)=(3)             (4)     (3)*(4)=(5)         (5)/(1)
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FERC Form No. 2.........................................              92               1              92           1,629         149,868     $114,844.50
                                                                                                             $114,844.50     $10,565,694
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FERC Form No. 2A........................................              66               1              66          253.39          16,724          17,864
                                                                                                                 $17,864      $1,179,042
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FERC-523, Applications for Authorization for Issuance of Securities or 
the Assumption of Liabilities

    OMB Control No.: 1902-0082.
    Abstract: Under Federal Power Act (FPA) section 204, 16 U.S.C. 
824c, no public utility or licensee shall issue any security, or assume 
any obligation or liability as guarantor, endorser, surety, or 
otherwise in respect of any security of another person, until the 
public utility applies for and receives Commission approval by order 
authorizing the issue or assumption of the liability. The Commission 
issues an order if it finds that such issue or assumption (a) is for 
lawful object, within the corporate purposes of the applicant and 
compatible with the public interest, which is necessary or appropriate 
for or consistent with the proper performance by the applicant as a 
public utility, and which will not impair its ability to perform that 
service, and (b) is reasonably necessary or appropriate for such 
purposes.
    The Commission uses the information contained in filings to 
determine its acceptance and/or rejection of applications for 
authorization to either issue securities or to assume an obligation or 
liability by the public utilities and their licensees who submit these 
applications.
    The specific application requirements and filing format are found 
at 18 CFR part 34; and 18 CFR 131.43 and 131.50. The information is 
filed electronically.
    Type of Respondent: Public utilities subject to the FPA.

[[Page 27591]]

    Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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    \4\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $70.50 per 
Hour = Average Cost per Response. The hourly cost figure of $70.50 
is the average FERC employee wage plus benefits. We assume that 
respondents earn at a similar rate.
    \5\ Some respondents may be required to provide more than one 
response.

                          FERC-523--Applications for Authorization for Issuance of Securities or the Assumption of Liabilities
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                                                                                                       Average  burden    Total annual
                                                       Number of      Annual  number   Total  number    hours and cost    burden hours       Cost per
                                                      respondents     of  responses    of  responses     per response      and total      respondent ($)
                                                                     per  respondent                         \3\          annual cost
                                                               (1)              (2)      (1)*(2)=(3)              (4)      (3)*(4)=(5)          (5)/(1)
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FERC-523..........................................              56          \5\ 1.6               90              500           45,000          $56,652
                                                                                                              $35,250       $3,172,500
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    Dated: May 7, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-11020 Filed 5-13-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P