[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4175-4176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01321]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC22-32-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-551) Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 a renewal of currently approved 
information collection, FERC-551, (Reporting of Flow Volume and 
Capacity by Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines), which will be submitted 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. No Comments 
were received on the 60-day notice published on September 29, 2022.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due February 23, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on FERC-551 to OMB through 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the OMB Control Number (1902-
0243) in the subject line of your comments. Comments should be sent 
within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
    Please submit copies of your comments to the Commission. You may 
submit copies of your comments (identified by Docket No. IC22-32-000) 
by one of the following methods:
    Electronic filing through https://www.ferc.gov, is preferred.
     Electronic Filing: Documents must be filed in acceptable 
native applications and print-to-PDF, but not in scanned or picture 
format.
     For those unable to file electronically, comments may be 
filed by USPS mail or by hand (including courier) delivery.
    [cir] Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only: Addressed to: Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First 
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    [cir] Hand (Including Courier) Delivery: Deliver to: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 12225 Wilkins 
Avenue, Rockville, MD 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: https://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 https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    >Title: FERC-551, Reporting of Flow Volume and Capacity by 
Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0243.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-551 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The Commission is authorized to facilitate price 
transparency in markets for the sale or transportation of natural gas 
in interstate commerce, regarding the public interest, the integrity of 
those markets, fair competition, and the protection of consumers. FERC-
551 uses the information provided by pipelines as part of its overall 
implementation of the statutory

[[Page 4176]]

provisions of section 23 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and 16 U.S.C. 
717t-2. More specifically, the Commission relies, in part, on section 
23(a)(1) of the NGA, for the authority to collect this information and 
uses the pipelines' FERC-551 postings as part of fulfilling the 
transparency provisions of section 23(a)(1) of the NGA. The data 
requirements for pipelines are listed in the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR 284.13 (Reporting requirements for 
interstate pipelines). The Commission has directed that the data 
requirements under FERC-551 are to be posted on interstate pipelines' 
websites and provided in downloadable file formats, in conformity with 
18 CFR 284.12.
    The posting requirements are based on the Commission's authority 
under section 23 of the NGA (as added by the Energy Policy Act of 
2005), which provides, in relevant part, that the Commission may issue 
such rules as necessary and appropriate to provide for the 
dissemination of ``information about the availability and prices of 
natural gas at wholesale and in interstate commerce.'' \1\ This 
provision enhances the Commission's authority to ensure confidence in 
the Nation's natural gas markets. The Commission's market-oriented 
policies for the wholesale natural gas industry require that interested 
persons have broad confidence that reported market prices accurately 
reflect the interplay of legitimate market forces. Without confidence 
in the efficiency of price formation, the true value of transactions is 
very difficult to determine. Further, price transparency facilitates 
ensuring that jurisdictional prices are ``just and reasonable.'' \2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Section 23(a)(2) of the NGA, 15 U.S.C. 717t-2(a)(2) (2000 & 
Supp. V 2005).
    \2\ See sections 4 and 5 of the NGA, 15 U.S.C. 717c and 717d.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The posting of FERC-551 information occurs on a daily basis. The 
data must be available for download for not less than 90 days from the 
date of posting and must be retained by the pipeline for three years.
    The daily posting requirements for major non-interstate pipelines 
prescribed in the Commission's Order No. 720 are no longer required. 
The number of respondents used to develop the burden estimates do not 
include any major non-interstate pipelines.
    Type of Respondents: Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \3\ The Commission estimates the total 
public reporting burden and cost for this information collection as 
follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ 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, refer to 5 CFR 1320.3.

                                   FERC-551--Reporting of Flow Volume and Capacity by Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Annual number  of                       Average burden &   Total annual burden
                                      Number of        responses  per    Total number  of   cost per response      hours & total     Burden hours & cost
                                     respondents         respondent         responses              \4\              annual cost      per respondent  ($)
                                                (1)                (2)    (1) * (2) = (3)  (4)................  (3) * (4) = (5)....  (5) / (1)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FERC-551........................                181                365             66,065  0.5 hours; $37.....  33,032.50 hrs.;      182.5 hrs.;
                                                                                                                 $2,444,405.          $13,505.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The hourly figure (wages plus benefits) is based on the 
average of the occupational categories for 2022 found on the Bureau 
of Labor Statistics website (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm and http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm):
    --Management (Occupation Code: 11-0000): $102.41.
    --Business (Occupation Code: 13-0000): $47.71.
    --Financial (Occupation Code: 13-2051): $70.68.
    These various occupational categories' wage (and benefits) 
figures are averaged and weighted equally, giving an average of 
$73.60/hour. The resulting wage figure is rounded to $74.00/hour for 
use in calculating wage figures in the FERC-551 renewal.

    Dated: January 18, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-01321 Filed 1-23-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P