Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 2 / Tuesday, January 5, 2021 / Notices 297 

must file in accordance with Rules 211 

and 214 of the Commission’s 

Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and 

385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

time on the specified comment date. 

Protests may be considered, but 

intervention is necessary to become a 

party to the proceeding. 

eFiling is encouraged. More detailed 

information relating to filing 

requirements, interventions, protests, 

service, and qualifying facilities filings 

can be found at: http://www.ferc.gov/ 

docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For 

other information, call (866) 208–3676 

(toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. 

Dated: December 29, 2020. 

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2020–29164 Filed 1–4–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

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. 

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 ferconlinesupport@

ferc.gov, 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 DataClearance@FERC.gov 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 § 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 


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298 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 2 / Tuesday, January 5, 2021 / Notices 

1The 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. 

2The 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. 

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: 

FERC–54B9B (GAS PIPELINE RATES: CAPACITY REPORTS AND INDEX OF CUSTOMERS) 

Types of responses 

Average 

annual number 

of respondents 

Average 

annual number 

of responses 

per 

respondent 

Average 

annual total 

number of 

responses 

Average burden & 

cost per response 2

Total annual burden 

hours & total annual 

cost 

Cost per 

respondent 

($) 

A. B C D 

(Col. B × Col. C) 

E F 

(Col. D × Col. E) 

G 

(Col. E ÷ Col.) 

Capacity Reports under 284.13(b) & 

284.13(d)(1).

168 6 1,008 145 hrs.; $83,664 ...... 146,160 hrs.; 

$12,131,280.

$83,664 

Index of Customers under 18 CFR 

284.13(c).

168 4 672 3 hrs.; $249 ............... 2,016 hrs.; $167,328 996 

Peak Day Annual Capacity Report under 

18 CFR 284.13(d)(2).

168 1 168 10 hrs.; $830 ............. 1,680 hrs.; $139,440 830 

Totals ................................................... ........................ ........................ 1,848 ................................... 149,856 hrs.; 

$12,433,048.

74,036 

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 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 

COMMISSION 

Sunshine Act Notice 

AGENCY: Equal Employment 

Opportunity Commission. 

TIME AND DATE: Thursday, January 7, 

2021, 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. 

STATUS: The meeting will be open to the 

public. Note: Because of the COVID–19 

pandemic, the meeting will be held as 

an audio-only conference. The public 

may listen to the audio-only conference 

by following the instructions that will 

be posted on www.eeoc.gov 24 hours 

before the meeting. Closed captioning 

services will be available. The following 

items will be considered at the meeting: 

Final Rule Updating the Commission’s 

Conciliation Procedures 

Formal Opinion Letter Concerning 

Individual Coverage Health 

Reimbursement Arrangements Under 

the ADEA 

Final Rule Amending the Commission’s 

Official Time Regulation for the 

Federal Sector 

Note: In accordance with the 

Sunshine Act, the public will be able to 

listen to the Commission’s deliberations 


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