83 FR 47914 - Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC Form No. 552); Comment Request; Extension
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 184 (September 21, 2018)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 184 (September 21, 2018)
| Page Range | 47914-47914 | |
| FR Document | 2018-20620 |
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 184 (Friday, September 21, 2018)] [Notices] [Page 47914] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2018-20620] [[Page 47914]] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. IC18-14-000] Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC Form No. 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 Form No. 552 (Annual Report of Natural Gas Transactions) and 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. On July 9, 2018, the Commission published a Notice in the Federal Register in Docket No. IC18-14-000 requesting public comments. The Commission received no comments. DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due October 22, 2018. ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by OMB Control No. 1902- 0242, should be sent via email to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs: oira_submission@omb.gov. Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in 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 ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, 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 DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202) 273-0873. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: FERC Form No. 552, Annual Report of Natural Gas Transactions. OMB Control No.: 1902-0242. Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC Form No. 552 information collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting requirements. Abstract: The Commission uses the information collected in the FERC Form No. 552 \1\ to provide greater transparency into the size of the physical natural gas market and the use of physical fixed-price and index-based natural gas transactions. This information assists the Commission and the public in assessing whether index prices are the result of a robust market of fixed-price transactions. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ FERC Form No. 552 is prescribed in 18 CFR 260.401. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- FERC Form No. 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\ Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109-58, sections 1261 et seq., 119 Stat. 594 (2005). \3\ 15 U.S.C. 717t-2(a)(1)(2006). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type of Respondents: Wholesale natural gas market participants. Estimate of Annual Burden: \4\ The Commission estimates the average annual burden and cost \5\ for this information collection as follows. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \4\ 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. Refer to 5 CFR 1320.3 for additional information. \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 weighted cost (for wages plus benefits) is rounded to $84.18/hour [or ($64.35/hour x 0.75) + ($143.68/hour x 0.25)]. \6\ Commission staff estimates the average annual burden per respondent to be 20 hours (rather than the prior estimate of ten hours). There are no changes to the reporting requirements. FERC Form No. 552, Annual Report of Natural Gas Transactions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual number Average burden hours Annual cost Category Number of of responses Total number and cost ($) per Total annual burden per respondent respondents per respondent of responses response hours and cost ($) ($) (rounded) (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 $1,684 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. Dated: September 13, 2018. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2018-20620 Filed 9-20-18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
![47914 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 184 / Friday, September 21, 2018 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
identified by OMB Control No. 1902– Title: FERC Form No. 552, Annual
Federal Energy Regulatory 0242, should be sent via email to the Report of Natural Gas Transactions.
Commission Office of Information and Regulatory OMB Control No.: 1902–0242.
Affairs: oira_submission@omb.gov.
[Docket No. IC18–14–000] Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Type of Request: Three-year extension
Commission Desk Officer. of the FERC Form No. 552 information
Commission Information Collection A copy of the comments should also collection requirements with no changes
Activities (FERC Form No. 552); be sent to the Commission, in Docket to the current reporting requirements.
Comment Request; Extension No. IC18–14–000, by either of the Abstract: The Commission uses the
following methods: information collected in the FERC Form
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory • eFiling at Commission’s website: No. 552 1 to provide greater
Commission, Department of Energy. http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ transparency into the size of the
ACTION: Notice of information collection efiling.asp. physical natural gas market and the use
and request for comments. • Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: of physical fixed-price and index-based
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, natural gas transactions. This
SUMMARY: In compliance with the Secretary of the Commission, 888 First
requirements of the Paperwork information assists the Commission and
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. the public in assessing whether index
Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Instructions: All submissions must be
Energy Regulatory Commission prices are the result of a robust market
formatted and filed in accordance with of fixed-price transactions.
(Commission or FERC) is soliciting submission guidelines at: http://
public comment on the currently FERC Form No. 552 had its genesis in
www.ferc.gov/help/submission-
approved information collection FERC the Energy Policy Act of 2005,2 which
guide.asp. For user assistance, contact
Form No. 552 (Annual Report of Natural FERC Online Support by email at added section 23 of the Natural Gas Act
Gas Transactions) and submitting the ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or by phone (NGA). Section 23 of the NGA, among
information collection to the Office of at: (866) 208–3676 (toll-free), or (202) other things, directs the Commission ‘‘to
Management and Budget (OMB) for 502–8659 for TTY. facilitate price transparency in markets
review. Any interested person may file Docket: Users interested in receiving for the sale or transportation of physical
comments directly with OMB and automatic notification of activity in this natural gas in interstate commerce,
should address a copy of those docket or in viewing/downloading having due regard for the public
comments to the Commission as comments and issuances in this docket interest, the integrity of those markets,
explained below. On July 9, 2018, the may do so at http://www.ferc.gov/docs- and the protection of consumers.’’ 3
Commission published a Notice in the filing/docs-filing.asp. Type of Respondents: Wholesale
Federal Register in Docket No. IC18– FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: natural gas market participants.
14–000 requesting public comments. Ellen Brown may be reached by email Estimate of Annual Burden: 4 The
The Commission received no comments. at DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone Commission estimates the average
DATES: Comments on the collection of at (202) 502–8663, and fax at (202) 273– annual burden and cost 5 for this
information are due October 22, 2018. 0873. information collection as follows.
FERC FORM NO. 552, ANNUAL REPORT OF NATURAL GAS TRANSACTIONS
Annual Total Average Annual cost
Total annual burden
Number of number of number burden hours per
Category hours and cost
respondents responses per of responses and cost ($) respondent
($)
respondent per response ($) (rounded)
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (3) (4) (3) * (4) = (5) (5) ÷ (1)
Wholesale natural
gas market partici-
pants ..................... 675 1 675 20 hrs.; 6 $1,683.60 13,500 hrs.; $1,136,430 $1,684
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: September 13, 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. 2018–20620 Filed 9–20–18; 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 Form No. 552 is prescribed in 18 CFR information to or for a Federal agency. Refer to 5 of $64.35 (for wages plus benefits), and 25% of the
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
260.401. CFR 1320.3 for additional information. work is done by legal staff members (code 23–0000)
2 Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109–58, 5 Costs (for wages and benefits) are based on wage at an hourly cost of $143.68 (for wages plus
sections 1261 et seq., 119 Stat. 594 (2005). figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for benefits). Therefore the weighted cost (for wages
3 15 U.S.C. 717t–2(a)(1)(2006).
May 2017 (at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/ plus benefits) is rounded to $84.18/hour [or
naics2_22.htm) and benefits information (for ($64.35/hour × 0.75) + ($143.68/hour × 0.25)].
4 Burden is defined as the total time, effort, or
December 2017, issued March 20, 2018, at https:// 6 Commission staff estimates the average annual
financial resources expended by persons to www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm). The staff burden per respondent to be 20 hours (rather than
generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide estimates that 75% of the work is done by a the prior estimate of ten hours). There are no
financial analyst (code 13–2051) at an hourly cost changes to the reporting requirements.
VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:43 Sep 20, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\21SEN1.SGM 21SEN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/83_FR_48098/page/1.svg)
Document Created: 2018-09-21 00:23:50
Document Modified: 2018-09-21 00:23:50
| 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 October 22, 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 47914 |
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