[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 297-298]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-29167]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC21-4-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-549B); Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

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-549B (Gas Pipeline Rates: Annual Capacity 
Reports and Index of Customers), and is submitting the information 
collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Any 
interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should 
address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due February 4, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments on FERC-549B to OMB through 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the OMB control number (1902-
0169) in the subject line. Your comments should be sent within 30 days 
of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
    Please submit copies of your comments to the Commission (identified 
by Docket No. IC21-4-000) by any of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's Website: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
     U.S. Postal Service Mail: Persons unable to file 
electronically may mail similar pleadings to the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
     Effective July 1, 2020, delivery of filings other than by 
eFiling or the U.S. Postal Service should be delivered to Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 
20852.
    Instructions:
    OMB submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance with 
submission guidelines at www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain; Using the 
search function under the ``Currently Under Review field,'' select 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; click ``submit'' and select 
``comment'' to the right of the subject collection.
    FERC submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance with 
submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov. For user assistance, 
contact FERC Online Support by email at [email protected], or 
by phone at: (866) 208-3676 (toll-free).
    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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at 
[email protected] and telephone at (202) 502-8663.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 26, 2020, the Commission 
published a notice in the Federal Register inviting public comments for 
60 days on this information collection (85 FR 67732). The public 
comment period expired on December 28, 2020. The Commission received no 
public comments in response. As described above, the Commission now 
invites public comments for a period of 30 days.
    Title: FERC-549B (Gas Pipeline Rates: Capacity Reports and Index of 
Customers).
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0169.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-549B information 
collection requirements with no program changes.
    Abstract: The requirements of FERC-549B consist of an Index of 
Customers (IOC) report and two capacity reports. This information 
collection is authorized by 15 U.S.C. 717, 717c, and 717d, and by 18 
CFR 284.13.

Reports on Firm and Interruptible Services and on Capacity and Flow 
Information Under 284.13(b) and 284.13(d)(1)

    On April 4, 1992, in Order No. 636 (RM91-11-000), the Commission 
established a capacity release mechanism under which shippers could 
release firm transportation and storage capacity on either a short- or 
long-term basis to other shippers wanting to obtain capacity. Pipelines 
posted available firm and interruptible capacity information on their 
electronic bulletin boards (EBBs) to inform potential shippers.
    On August 3, 1992, in Order No. 636-A (RM91-11-002), the Commission 
determined through staff audits, that the efficiency of the capacity 
release mechanism could be enhanced by standardizing the content and 
format of capacity release information and the methods by which 
shippers accessed this information, which pipelines posted to their 
EBBs.
    On March 29, 1995, through Order 577 (RM95-5-000), the Commission 
amended Sec.  284.243(h) of its regulations to allow shippers the 
ability to release capacity without having to comply with the 
Commission's advance posting and bidding requirements.
    On February 9, 2000, in Order No. 637 (RM98-10-000), to create 
greater substitution between different forms of capacity and to enhance 
competition across the pipeline grid, the Commission revised its 
capacity release regulations regarding scheduling, segmentation and 
flexible point rights, penalties, and reporting requirements. This 
resulted in more reliable capacity information availability and price 
data that shippers needed to make informed decisions in a competitive 
market as well as to improve shipper's and the Commission's ability to 
monitor the market for potential abuses.

Peak Day Annual Capacity Report Under 284.13(d)(2)

    The regulation at 18 CFR 284.13(d)(2) requires an annual peak day 
capacity report of all interstate pipelines, including natural gas 
storage only companies. This report is generally a short report showing 
the peak day design capacity or the actual peak day capacity achieved, 
with a short explanation, if needed. The regulation provides that an 
interstate pipeline must make an annual filing by March 1 of each year 
showing the estimated peak day capacity of the pipeline's system, and 
the estimated storage capacity and maximum daily delivery capability of

[[Page 298]]

storage facilities under reasonably representative operating 
assumptions and the respective assignments of that capacity to the 
various firm services provided by the pipeline.
    This annual report is publicly available, while other more specific 
interstate pipeline and storage capacity details are filed as Critical 
Energy Infrastructure Information, such as the Annual System Flow 
Diagram (FERC-567), which is not publicly available.

Index of Customers Under 284.13(c)

    In Order 581, issued September 28, 1995 (Docket No. RM95-4-000), 
the Commission established the IOC quarterly information requirement. 
This order required the reporting of five data elements in the IOC 
filing: The customer name, the rate schedule under which service is 
rendered, the contract effective date, the contract termination date, 
and the maximum daily contract quantity, for either transportation or 
storage service, as appropriate.
    In a notice issued separately from Order 581 in Docket No. RM95-4-
000, issued February 29, 1996, the Commission, through technical 
conferences with industry, determined that the IOC data reported should 
be in tab delimited format on diskette and in a format prescribed in 
Appendix A of the rulemaking. In a departure from past practice, a 
three-digit code, instead of a six-digit code, was established to 
identify the respondent.
    In Order 637, issued February 9, 2000 (Docket Nos. RM98-10-000 and 
RM98-12-000), the Commission required the filing of: The receipt and 
delivery points held under contract and the zones or segments in which 
the capacity is held, the common transaction point codes, the contract 
number, the shipper identification number, an indication of whether the 
contract includes negotiated rates, the names of any agents or asset 
managers that control capacity in a pipeline rate zone, and any 
affiliate relationship between the pipeline and the holder of capacity. 
It was stated in the order that the changes to the Commission's 
reporting requirements would enhance the reliability of information 
about capacity availability and price that shippers need to make 
informed decisions in a competitive market as well as improve shippers' 
and the Commission's ability to monitor marketplace behavior to detect 
and remedy anti-competitive behavior. Order 637 required a pipeline to 
post the IOC data quarterly on its website instead of on the outdated 
EBBs.
    Types of Respondents: Interstate pipelines subject to FERC 
regulation under the Natural Gas Act, and those entities defined as 
Hinshaw Pipelines under the Natural Gas Policy Act.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden \1\ for the information collection as shown in 
the following table:
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    \1\ 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 CFR 1320.3.
    \2\ The current average cost for one FERC full-time equivalent 
($83.00 per hour for wages plus benefits) is used as a proxy for 
industry's hourly cost.

                                        FERC-54B9B (Gas Pipeline Rates: Capacity Reports and Index of Customers)
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                                                      Average annual
                                      Average annual     number of      Average annual     Average burden & cost    Total annual burden      Cost per
         Types of responses              number of     responses per    total number of      per response \2\      hours & total annual   respondent ($)
                                        respondents     respondent         responses                                       cost
A.                                                 B               C                   D  E.....................  F.....................               G
                                                                       (Col. B x Col. C)                          (Col. D x Col. E).....       (Col. E /
                                                                                                                                                   Col.)
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Capacity Reports under 284.13(b) &               168               6               1,008  145 hrs.; $83,664.....  146,160 hrs.;                  $83,664
 284.13(d)(1).                                                                                                     $12,131,280.
Index of Customers under 18 CFR                  168               4                 672  3 hrs.; $249..........  2,016 hrs.; $167,328..             996
 284.13(c).
Peak Day Annual Capacity Report                  168               1                 168  10 hrs.; $830.........  1,680 hrs.; $139,440..             830
 under 18 CFR 284.13(d)(2).
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    Totals..........................  ..............  ..............               1,848  ......................  149,856 hrs.;                   74,036
                                                                                                                   $12,433,048.
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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: December 29, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-29167 Filed 1-4-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P