[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 31 (Thursday, February 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4055-4056]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-02332]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC19-3-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-546); 
Consolidated Comment Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

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-546 (Certificated 
Rate Filings: Gas Pipeline Rates) 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 published a Notice in the Federal Register on 
11/2/2018, requesting public comments. The Commission received no 
comments on the FERC-546 and will make this notation in its submittal 
to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by March 18, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No.

[[Page 4056]]

1902-0155 (FERC-546), 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 202-395-8528.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in 
Docket No. IC19-3-000, 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], by telephone at (202) 502-8663, and by fax at 
(202) 273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: FERC-546, Certificated Rate Filings: Gas Pipeline Rates.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0155.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-546 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The requirements of the FERC-546 information collection 
are contained within the Commission's regulations in 18 CFR parts 
154.7, 154.202, 154.204-154.208, 154.602-154.603, 284.501-284.505, and 
154.4. The Commission reviews the FERC-546 materials to decide whether 
to approve rates and tariff changes associated with an application for 
a certificate under Natural Gas Act (NGA) section 7(c). Additionally, 
FERC reviews FERC-546 materials in NGA section 4(f), storage 
applications, to evaluate an applicant's market power and determine 
whether to grant market-based rate authority to the applicant. The 
Commission uses the information in FERC-546 to monitor jurisdictional 
transportation, natural gas storage, and unbundled sales activities of 
interstate natural gas pipelines and Hinshaw \1\ pipelines. In addition 
to fulfilling the Commission's obligations under the NGA, the FERC-546 
enables the Commission to monitor the activities and evaluate 
transactions of the natural gas industry, ensure competitiveness, and 
improve efficiency of the industry's operations. In summary, the 
Commission uses the information to:
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    \1\ Hinshaw pipelines are those that receive all out-of-state 
gas from entities within or at the boundary of a state if all the 
natural gas so received is ultimately consumed within the state in 
which it is received, 15 U.S.C. 717(c). Congress concluded that 
Hinshaw pipelines are ``matters primarily of local concern,'' and so 
are more appropriately regulated by pertinent state agencies rather 
than by FERC. The Natural Gas Act section 1(c) exempts Hinshaw 
pipelines from FERC jurisdiction. A Hinshaw pipeline, however, may 
apply for a FERC certificate to transport gas outside of state 
lines.
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     Ensure adequate customer protections under NGA section 
4(f);
     review rate and tariff changes filed under NGA section 
7(c) for certification of natural gas pipeline transportation and 
storage services;
     provide general industry oversight; and
     supplement documentation during the pipeline audits 
process.
    Failure to collect this information would prevent the Commission 
from monitoring and evaluating transactions and operations of 
jurisdictional pipelines and performing its regulatory functions.
    Type of Respondents: Jurisdictional pipeline companies and storage 
operators.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \2\ The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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    \2\ ``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-546 (Certificated Rate Filings: Gas Pipeline Rates)
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                                                        Annual number
                                        Annual number        of         Total number    Average burden and cost    Total annual burden       Cost per
                                       of respondents   responsesper    of responses       per response \3\       hours and total annual  respondent ($)
                                                         respondent       (rounded)            (rounded)              cost (rounded)         (rounded)
                                                  (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).....................  (3) * (4) = (5)........       (5) / (1)
                                                                                  (3)
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Pipeline Certificate Filings and                   51       \4\ 1.471              75  500 hrs.; $40,000.......  37,500 hrs.; $3,000,000     \5\ $58,824
 Storage Applications.
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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.
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    \3\ The hourly cost (for salary plus benefits) uses the figures 
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2017, for positions 
involved in the reporting and recordkeeping requirements. These 
figures include salary (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm) and benefits (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm) and are:
    Electrical Engineer (Occupation Code: 17-2071; $66.90/hour)
    Management Analyst (Occupation Code: 13-1111; $63.32/hour)
    Accounting (Occupation Code: 13-2011; $56.59/hours)
    Computer and Mathematical (Occupation Code: 15-0000; $63.25/
hour)
    Legal (Occupation Code: 23-0000; $143.68/hour)
    The average hourly cost (salary plus benefits) is calculated 
weighting each of the previously mentioned wage categories as 
follows: $66.90/hour (0.4) + $63.32/hour (0.2) + $56.59/hour (0.1) + 
$63.25/hour (0.1) + $143.68/hour (0.2) = $80.14/hour. The Commission 
rounds this figure to $80/hour.
    \4\ This figure was calculated by dividing the total number of 
responses (75) by the total number of respondents (51). The 
resulting figure was then rounded to the nearest thousandth place.
    \5\ Rounded from $58,823.53.

    Dated: February 8, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-02332 Filed 2-13-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P