[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 18, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64818-64819]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27308]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC19-12-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-592); Comment
Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.
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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 soliciting public comment on the currently approved
information collection, FERC-592 (Standards of Conduct for Transmission
Provider and Marketing Affiliates of Interstate Pipelines).
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due February 19,
2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC19-12-
000) by either of the following methods:
eFiling at Commission's website: 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: Standards of Conduct for Transmission Provider and Marketing
Affiliates of Interstate Pipelines.
OMB Control No.: 1902-0157.
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-592 information
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting
requirements.
Abstract: The Commission uses the information maintained and posted
by the respondents to monitor the pipeline's transportation, sales, and
storage activities for its marketing affiliate to deter undue
discrimination by pipeline companies in favor of their marketing
affiliates. Non-affiliated shippers and other entities (e.g. state
commissions) also use information to determine whether they have been
harmed by affiliate preference and to prepare evidence for proceedings
following the filing of a complaint.
18 CFR Part 358 (Standards of Conduct)
Respondents maintain and provide the information required by part
358 on their internet websites. When the Commission requires a pipeline
to post information on its website following a disclosure of non-public
information to its marketing affiliate, non-affiliated shippers obtain
comparable access to the non-public transportation information, which
allows them to compete with marketing affiliates on a more equal basis.
18 CFR 250.16, and the FERC-592 Log/Format
This form (log/format) provides the electronic formats for
maintaining information on discounted transportation transactions and
capacity allocation to support monitoring of activities of interstate
pipeline marketing affiliates. Commission staff considers discounts
given to shippers in litigated rate cases.
Without this information collection:
The Commission would be unable to effectively monitor
whether pipelines are giving discriminatory preference to their
marketing affiliates; and
non-affiliated shippers and state commissions and others
would be unable to determine if they have been harmed by affiliate
preference or prepare evidence for proceedings following the filing of
a complaint.
Type of Respondents: Natural gas pipelines.
Estimate of Annual Burden:\1\ The Commission estimates the annual
reporting burden and cost for the 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.
\2\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $79.00/hour =
Average cost/response. The figure is the 2018 FERC average hourly
cost (for wages and benefits) of $79.00 (and an average annual
salary of $164,820/year). Commission staff is using the FERC average
salary because we consider any reporting requirements completed in
response to the FERC-592 to be compensated at rates similar to the
work of FERC employees.
\3\ The requirements for this collection are contained in 18 CFR
part 358 and 18 CFR part 250.16.
FERC-592--Standards for Conduct for Transmission Providers Marketing Affiliates of Interstate Pipelines
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Annual number Total annual burden
Number of of responses Total number of Average burden & cost hours & total annual Cost per
respondents per respondent responses per response \2\ cost respondent ($)
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (3) (4)................... (3) * (4) = (5)....... (5) / (1)
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FERC 592 \3\........................ 85 1 85 116.62 hrs.; $9,212.98 9,913 hrs.; $783,127.. 9,212.98
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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;
[[Page 64819]]
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: December 12, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-27308 Filed 12-17-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P