[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 53 (Tuesday, March 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10064-10065]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05113]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC19-11-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-538); Comment 
Request

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-538 (Gas Pipelines 
Certificates: Section 7(a) Mandatory Initial Service) 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 December 18, 2018, requesting public comments. The 
Commission received no comments on the FERC-538 and is making this 
notation in its submittal to OMB.

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

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0061, should be sent via email to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs: [email protected]. Attention: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission Desk Officer.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in 
Docket No. IC19-11-000, 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: Gas Pipelines Certificates: Section 7(a) Mandatory Initial 
Service.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0061.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-538 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: Under sections 7(a), 10(a) and 16 of Natural Gas Act 
(NGA),\1\ upon application by a person or municipality authorized to 
engage in the local distribution of natural gas, the Commission may 
order a natural gas company to extend or improve its transportation 
facilities, and sell natural gas to the municipality or person and, for 
such purpose, to extend its transportation facilities to communities 
immediately adjacent to such facilities or to territories served by the 
natural gas pipeline company. The Commission uses the application data 
in order to be fully informed concerning the applicant, and the service 
the applicant is requesting.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 717f-w.
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    Type of Respondents: Persons or municipalities authorized to engage 
in the local distribution of natural gas.
    Estimate of Annual Burden \2\: The Commission estimates the annual 
reporting burden and cost 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.

[[Page 10065]]



                                                           FERC-538--Gas Pipeline Certificates: Section 7(a) Mandatory Initial Service
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                                                           Annual number
                                             Number of     of responses    Total number       Average burden hrs. & Cost ($) per       Total annual burden Hours & total annual      Cost per
                                            respondents   per respondent   of responses                  response \3\                                  cost ($)                   respondent ($)
                                                     (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).......................................  (3) * (4) = (5)...........................       (5) / (1)
                                                                                     (3)
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Gas Pipeline Certificates...............               1               1               1  240 hrs.; $18,960.........................  240 hrs.; $18,960.........................         $18,960
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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 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 cost 
of $164,820/year). Commission staff is using the FERC average salary 
plus benefits because we consider people completing the FERC-538 to 
be compensated at rates similar to FERC employees.

    Dated: March 13, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-05113 Filed 3-18-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P