[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 223 (Friday, November 18, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81755-81756]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27804]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC16-13-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-547); 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 its information 
collection FERC-547 (Gas Pipeline Rates: Refund Report Requirements) 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 49970, 7/29/2016) requesting 
public comments. The Commission received no comments on the FERC-547 
and is making this notation in its submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by December 
19, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0084, 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. IC16-13-000, 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: 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 reporting requirements.
    Abstract: The Commission uses FERC-547 (Gas Pipeline Rates: Refund 
Report Requirements) to implement the 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

[[Page 81756]]

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.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 717-717w.
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    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 estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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    \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.
    \3\ The cost is based on FERC's 2016 average cost (salary plus 
benefits) of $74.50/hour. The Commission staff believes that the 
industry's level and skill set is comparable to FERC.

                                                FERC-547--Gas Pipeline Rates: Refund Report Requirements
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                                                Annual number
                                 Number of       of responses   Total number of   Average burden  and cost    Total annual burden hours      Cost per
                                respondents     per respondent     Responses          per  response \3\         and total annual cost     respondent ($)
                                         (1)              (2)      (1)*(2)=(3)   (4).......................  (3)*(4)=(5)...............         (5)/(1)
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Natural Gas Pipelines.......              11                1               11   75 hrs.; $5,587.50........  825 hrs.; $61,462.50......       $5,587.50
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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: November 14, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-27804 Filed 11-17-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P