[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 205 (Monday, October 24, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73092-73094]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-25622]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC16-14-000]


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

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Comment request.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is submitting its information collection [FERC-604 (Cash 
Management Agreements) and FERC-923 (Communication of Operational 
Information between Natural Gas Pipelines and Electric Transmission 
Operators)] 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 previously issued 
a Notice in the Federal Register (81 FR 54574, 8/16/2016) requesting 
public comments. The Commission received no comments on either the 
FERC-604 or the FERC-923 and is making this notation in its submittal 
to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due November 23, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0267 (FERC-604) or 1902-0265 (FERC-923) should be sent via email 
to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs: 
[email protected]. 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 Commission, in 
Docket No. IC16-14-000, 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: 
    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-604, Cash Management Agreements

    OMB Control No.: 1902-0267.
    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

[[Page 73093]]

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. At that 
time, the Commission obtained OMB clearance for this new reporting 
requirement under the FERC-555 information collection (OMB Control No. 
1902-0098). Now, the Commission includes these reporting requirements 
for cash management agreements under the FERC-604 information 
collection (OMB Control No. 1902-0267). The Commission implemented 
these reporting requirements in 18 CFR parts 141.500, 260.400, and 
357.5.
    Type of Respondent: Public utilities, natural gas companies, and 
oil pipeline companies.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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    \1\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $74.50 per 
Hour = Average Cost per Response. The Commission staff believes that 
the industry's level and skill set is comparable to FERC's with an 
average hourly cost (wages plus benefits) of $74.50.

                                      FERC-604, Cash Management Agreements
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                                                                                   Total annual
                                Annual number   Total number   Average burden &   burden hours &     Cost per
    Number of respondents       of responses    of responses       cost per        total annual     respondent
                               per respondent                    response \1\          cost             ($)
(1)                                       (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).............  (3) * (4) = (5)       (5) / (1)
                                                          (3)
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25...........................               1              25  1.5 hrs.;         37.5 hrs.;              $111.75
                                                                $111.75.          $2,793.75.
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FERC-923, Communication of Operational Information Between Natural Gas 
Pipelines and Electric Transmission Operators

    OMB Control No.: 1902-0265.
    Abstract: In 2013, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC 
or Commission) revised its regulations to provide explicit authority to 
interstate natural gas pipelines and public utilities that own, 
operate, or control facilities used for the transmission of electric 
energy in interstate commerce to voluntarily share non-public, 
operational information with each other for the purpose of promoting 
reliable service and operational planning on either the pipeline's or 
public utility's system. This helps ensure the reliability of natural 
gas pipeline and public utility transmission service by permitting 
transmission operators to share the information with each other that 
they deem necessary to promote the reliability and integrity of their 
systems. FERC removed actual or perceived prohibitions to the 
information sharing and communications between industry entities. The 
communications of information are not and will not be submitted to 
FERC. Rather, the non-public information is shared voluntarily between 
industry entities. FERC does not prescribe the content, medium, format, 
or frequency for the information sharing and communications. Those 
decisions are made by the industry entities, depending on their needs 
and the situation.
    Type of Respondent: Natural gas pipelines and public utilities.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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    \2\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $74.50 per 
Hour = Average Cost per Response. The Commission staff believes that 
the industry's level and skill set is comparable to FERC's with an 
average hourly cost (wages plus benefits) of $74.50.
    \3\ The estimate for the number of respondents is based on the 
North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Compliance 
Registry as of July 29, 2016, minus the Transmission Operators 
within ERCOT.

                  FERC-923, Communication of Operational Information Between Natural Gas Pipelines and Electric Transmission Operators
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                                                        Annual number                                              Total annual burden       Cost per
                                          Number of     of responses    Total number     Average burden & cost     hours & total annual     respondent
                                         respondents   per respondent   of responses       per response \2\                cost                 ($)
(1)                                               (2)     (1) * (2) =             (4)  (3) * (4) = (5).........  (5) / (1)..............
                                                                  (3)
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Public Utility Transmission Operator,         \3\ 164              12           1,968  0.5 hrs.; $37.25........  984 hrs.; $73,308......            $447
 communications.
Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines,                 155              12           1,860  0.5 hrs.; $37.25........  930 hrs.; $69,285......             447
 communications.
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    Total............................  ..............           3,828  ..............  1,914 hrs; $142,593.....
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[[Page 73094]]

    Dated: October 18, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-25622 Filed 10-21-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P