83 FR 31741 - Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-552); Comment Request; Extension

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 131 (July 9, 2018)

Page Range		31741-31741
FR Document		2018-14563

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- 552, Annual Report of Natural Gas Transactions.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 131 (Monday, July 9, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 131 (Monday, July 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 31741]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14563]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC18-14-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-552); Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

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 the currently approved 
information collection, FERC- 552, Annual Report of Natural Gas 
Transactions.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due September 7, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC18-14-
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: FERC-552, Annual Report of Natural Gas Transactions.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0242.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-552 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The Commission uses the information collected in the 
FERC-552 \1\ to provide greater transparency into the size of the 
physical natural gas market and the types of transactions market 
participants use to make physical natural gas purchases and sales. The 
collection includes transactions that contribute to, or may contribute 
to natural gas price indices. Many market participants rely on indices 
as a way to reference market prices without taking on the risks of 
active trading.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ FERC-552 is prescribed in 18 CFR (Code of Federal 
Regulations) 260.401.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FERC-552 had its genesis in the Energy Policy Act of 2005,\2\ which 
added section 23 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA). Section 23 of the NGA, 
among other things, directs the Commission ``to facilitate price 
transparency in markets for the sale or transportation of physical 
natural gas in interstate commerce, having due regard for the public 
interest, the integrity of those markets, and the protection of 
consumers.'' \3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Public Law 109-58.
    \3\ 15 U.S.C. 717t-2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Type of Respondents: Wholesale natural gas market participants.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \4\ The Commission estimates the total 
annual burden and cost \5\ for this information collection as follows.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ ``Burden'' is 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 Title 5 CFR 1320.3.
    \5\ Costs (for wages and benefits) are based on wage figures 
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for May 2017 (at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm) and benefits information (for 
December 2017, issued March 20, 2018, at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm). The staff estimates that 75% of the work 
is done by a financial analyst (code 13-2051) at an hourly cost of 
$64.35 (for wages plus benefits), and 25% of the work is done by 
legal staff members (code 23-0000) at an hourly cost of $143.68 (for 
wages plus benefits). Therefore the average cost (for wages plus 
benefits) is rounded to $84.18/hour [or ($64.35/hour * 0.75) + 
($143.68/hour * 0.25)].

                                                   FERC-552--Annual Report of Natural Gas Transactions
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                             Annual cost
                                          Number of    Annual number   Total number    Average burden hours and   Total annual burden hours      per
                Category                 respondents   of responses    of responses      cost per response ($)           and cost ($)         respondent
                                                      per respondent                                                                             ($)
                                                 (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).......................  (3) * (4) = (5)..........    (5) / (1)
                                                                                 (3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wholesale natural gas market                     675               1             675  20 hrs.; \6\ $1,683.60....  13,500 hrs.; $1,136,430..       $1,683
 participants.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

    \6\ The staff thinks that the average estimated burden per 
filing should be 20 hours (rather than the current estimate of 10 
hours). There are no changes to the reporting requirements.

    Dated: June 29, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-14563 Filed 7-6-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 131 / Monday, July 9, 2018 / Notices 31741

This filing is accessible on-line at Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
http://www.ferc.gov, using the Energy Regulatory Commission Title: FERC–552, Annual Report of
‘‘eLibrary’’ link and is available for (Commission or FERC) is soliciting Natural Gas Transactions.
review in the Commission’s Public public comment on the currently OMB Control No.: 1902–0242.
Reference Room in Washington, DC. approved information collection, FERC-
There is an ‘‘eSubscription’’ link on the 552, Annual Report of Natural Gas Type of Request: Three-year extension
website that enables subscribers to Transactions. of the FERC–552 information collection
receive email notification when a requirements with no changes to the
DATES: Comments on the collection of current reporting requirements.
document is added to a subscribed information are due September 7, 2018.
docket(s). For assistance with any FERC Abstract: The Commission uses the
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments information collected in the FERC–552 1
Online service, please email
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, or call (identified by Docket No. IC18–14–000) to provide greater transparency into the
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call by either of the following methods: size of the physical natural gas market
(202) 502–8659. • eFiling at Commission’s Website: and the types of transactions market
Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ participants use to make physical
Time on July 19, 2018. efiling.asp. natural gas purchases and sales. The
• Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: collection includes transactions that
Dated: June 29, 2018. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
Kimberly D. Bose, contribute to, or may contribute to
Secretary of the Commission, 888 First natural gas price indices. Many market
Secretary. Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. participants rely on indices as a way to
[FR Doc. 2018–14561 Filed 7–6–18; 8:45 am] Instructions: All submissions must be
reference market prices without taking
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P formatted and filed in accordance with
on the risks of active trading.
submission guidelines at: http://
www.ferc.gov/help/submission- FERC–552 had its genesis in the
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY guide.asp. For user assistance, contact Energy Policy Act of 2005,2 which
FERC Online Support by email at added section 23 of the Natural Gas Act
Federal Energy Regulatory ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or by phone (NGA). Section 23 of the NGA, among
Commission at: (866) 208–3676 (toll-free), or (202) other things, directs the Commission ‘‘to
[Docket No. IC18–14–000] 502–8659 for TTY. facilitate price transparency in markets
Docket: Users interested in receiving for the sale or transportation of physical
Commission Information Collection automatic notification of activity in this natural gas in interstate commerce,
Activities (FERC–552); Comment docket or in viewing/downloading having due regard for the public
Request; Extension comments and issuances in this docket interest, the integrity of those markets,
may do so at http://www.ferc.gov/docs- and the protection of consumers.’’ 3
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory
filing/docs-filing.asp. Type of Respondents: Wholesale
Commission, Department of Energy.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: natural gas market participants.
ACTION: Notice of information collection
and request for comments. Ellen Brown may be reached by email Estimate of Annual Burden: 4 The
at DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone Commission estimates the total annual
SUMMARY: In compliance with the at (202) 502–8663, and fax at (202) 273– burden and cost 5 for this information
requirements of the Paperwork 0873. collection as follows.
FERC–552—ANNUAL REPORT OF NATURAL GAS TRANSACTIONS
Annual Average burden Total annual Annual
Total
Number of number of hours and cost per burden hours cost per
Category number of
respondents responses per response and cost respondent
responses
respondent ($) ($) ($)

(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (3) (4) (3) * (4) = (5) (5) ÷ (1)

Wholesale natural gas market partici- 675 1 675 20 hrs.; 6 $1,683.60 ........... 13,500 hrs.; $1,136,430 ..... $1,683
pants.

Comments: Comments are invited on: of information, including the validity of of automated collection techniques or
(1) Whether the collection of the methodology and assumptions used; other forms of information technology.
information is necessary for the proper (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility Dated: June 29, 2018.
performance of the functions of the and clarity of the information collection;
Kimberly D. Bose,
Commission, including whether the and (4) ways to minimize the burden of
information will have practical utility; Secretary.
the collection of information on those
(2) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate [FR Doc. 2018–14563 Filed 7–6–18; 8:45 am]
who are to respond, including the use
of the burden and cost of the collection BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

1 FERC–552 is prescribed in 18 CFR (Code of 5 Costs (for wages and benefits) are based on wage at an hourly cost of $143.68 (for wages plus
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES

Federal Regulations) 260.401. figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for benefits). Therefore the average cost (for wages plus
2 Public Law 109–58. May 2017 (at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/ benefits) is rounded to $84.18/hour [or ($64.35/hour
3 15 U.S.C. 717t–2. naics2_22.htm) and benefits information (for * 0.75) + ($143.68/hour * 0.25)].
4 ‘‘Burden’’ is the total time, effort, or financial December 2017, issued March 20, 2018, at https:// 6 The staff thinks that the average estimated
resources expended by persons to generate, www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm). The staff
burden per filing should be 20 hours (rather than
maintain, retain, or disclose or provide information estimates that 75% of the work is done by a
financial analyst (code 13–2051) at an hourly cost the current estimate of 10 hours). There are no
to or for a Federal agency. For further explanation
of what is included in the information collection of $64.35 (for wages plus benefits), and 25% of the changes to the reporting requirements.
burden, refer to Title 5 CFR 1320.3. work is done by legal staff members (code 23–0000)

VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:00 Jul 06, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 E:\FR\FM\09JYN1.SGM 09JYN1

Document Created: 2018-07-07 00:43:08
Document Modified: 2018-07-07 00:43:08

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice of information collection and request for comments.
Dates		Comments on the collection of information are due September 7, 2018.
Contact		Ellen Brown may be reached by email at [email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202) 273-0873.
FR Citation		83 FR 31741

83 FR 31741 - Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-552); Comment Request; Extension

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 131 (July 9, 2018)

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission