6962 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 31 / Friday, February 14, 1997 / Notices

(202) 273–0873, and by e-mail at

mmiller@ferc.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

information collected under the

requirements of FERC–547 ‘‘Gas

Pipeline Rates: Refund Report

Requirements’’ (OMB No. 1902–0084) is

used by the Commission to implement

the statutory provisions of the Sections

4, 5, and 16 of the Natural Gas Act

(NGA) (15 U.S.C. 717–717w). Refund

Reports are required to carry out the

refund obligation policy in Section 4(e)

of the NGA. Refunds are created due to

the difference between pipeline rates

collected subject to refund and firm

rates set by the Commission. The

refunds are flowed through by the

following means: (a) pursuant to

settlement agreements, and (b) legal

requirement. The Commission uses the

data to insure the pass-through to gas

consumers of refunds required to correct

rates charged by pipelines. The data

provided by the respondents are used to

monitor the progress being made in

making those refunds and to assure that

refunds are being made in compliance

with the Commission’s regulatory

functions. The Commission is

committed to insuring that refunds

owed by pipelines to their customers are

made as expeditiously as possible, in

order to hasten their ultimate passthrough to residential customers and

other end-users. The data required to be

filed for the refund report is specified by

18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

154.501.

Action: The Commission is requesting

a three-year extension of the current

expiration date, with only minor

changes to the existing collection of

data. In response to an industry-wide

settlement that changes the collection of

amounts for the Gas Research Institute

(GRI), pipeline companies are making

more frequent refund reports. However,

due to the less complex nature of these

reports, the time required to prepare

these refund reports is less than that

needed for most other refund reports.

Therefore, while the number of

projected refund reports has increased

slightly, the total annual burden has not

changed.

Burden Statement: Public reporting

burden for this collection is estimated

as:

Number of respondents annuallyNumber of responses per

respondent

Average burden hours per

response Total annual burden hours

(1) (2) (3) (1)×(2)×(3)

80 1.25 56.25 5,625

The estimated total cost to

respondents is $281,250, (5,625 hours

divided by 2,087 hours per year per

employee times $104,350 per year per

average employee = $281,250). The cost

per respondent is $3,516.

The reporting burden includes the

total time, effort, or financial resources

expended to generate, maintain, retain,

disclose, or provide the information

including: (1) reviewing instructions; (2)

developing, acquiring, installing, and

utilizing technology and systems for the

purposes of collecting, validating,

verifying, processing, maintaining,

disclosing and providing information;

(3) adjusting the existing ways to

comply with any previously applicable

instructions and requirements; (4)

training personnel to respond to a

collection of information; (5) searching

data sources; (6) completing and

reviewing the collection of information;

and (7) transmitting, or otherwise

disclosing the information.

The estimate of cost for respondents

is based upon salaries for professional

and clerical support, as well as direct

and indirect overhead costs. Direct costs

include all costs directly attributable to

providing this information, such as

administrative costs and the cost for

information technology. Indirect or

overhead costs are costs incurred by an

organization in support of its mission.

These costs apply to activities which

benefit the whole organization rather

than any one particular function or

activity.

Comments are invited on: (1) whether

the proposed 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 of

the proposed collection of information,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (3)

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on those who are to respond, including

the use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology

e.g. permitting electronic submission of

responses.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–3761 Filed 2–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

Information Collection Submitted for

Review and Request for Comments

(FERC–538)

February 11, 1997.

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of submission for review

by the Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: The Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission (commission)

has submitted the energy information

collection listed in this notice of Office

of Management and Budget (OMB) for

review under provisions of Section 3507

of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(Pub. L. 104–13). Any interested person

may file comments on the collection of

information directly with OMB and

should address a copy of those

comments to the Commission as

explained below. The Commission

received no comments in response to an

earlier Federal Register notice of

October 24, 1996 (61 FR 55137–38) and

has made this notation in its submission

to OMB.

DATES: Comments regarding this

collection of information are best

assured of having their full effect if

received within 30 days of this

notification.

ADDRESSES: Address comments to Office

of Management and Budget, Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, Desk Officer, 726 Jackson

Place, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20503. A

copy of the comments should also be

sent to Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, Division of Information

Services, Attention: Mr. Michael Miller,

888 First Street N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael P. Miller may be reached by

telephone at (202) 208–1415, by fax at
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 31 / Friday, February 14, 1997 / Notices 6963

(202) 273–0873, and by e-mail at

mmiller@ferc.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description

The energy information collection

submitted to OMB for review contains:

1. Collection of Information: FERC–

538 ‘‘Gas Pipeline Certificates: Initial

Service’’.

2. Sponsor: Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission.

3. Control No.: OMB No. 1902–0061.

The Commission is now requesting that

OMB approve a three-year extension of

the current expiration date, with no

changes to the existing collection. These

are mandatory collection requirements.

4. Necessity of Collection of

Information: Submission of the

information is necessary to enable the

Commission to carry out its

responsibilities in implementing the

provisions of the Natural Gas Act

(NGA). The information reported under

Commission identifier FERC–538 is

filed in accordance with Section 7(a)

(NGA). It is necessary to advise the

Commission concerning the service

which an applicant (local distribution

company or municipality) requests the

Commission to direct a natural gas

pipeline company to extend or improve

transportation facilities, establish

physical connections to serve, and sell

natural gas to the applicant. It must be

determined whether the distributor

applicant can economically construct

and manage its facilities. In addition,

the supply data are used to determine if

the pipeline company can provide the

service without curtailing certain of its

existing customers. The flow data and

market data are also used to evaluate

existing and future customer

requirements on the system to find

sufficient capacity will be available.

Likewise, the cost of facilities and the

rate data are used to evaluate the

financial impact of the cost of service of

the project to both the pipeline

company and its customers.

5. Respondent Description: The

respondent universe currently

comprises on average, 1 natural gas

pipeline company.

6. Estimated Burden: 240 total burden

hours, 1 respondent, 1 response

annually, 240 hours per response

(average).

7, Estimated Cost Burden to

Respondents: 240 hours ÷ 2,087 hours

per year × $104,350 per year = $12,000.

Statutory Authority: Sections 7, 10(a) and

16 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), 15 U.S.C.

Section 717–717w.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–3745 Filed 2–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. ER96–2703–000]

Citizens Utilities Company; Notice of

Filing

February 10, 1997.

Take notice that on January 13, 1997,

Citizens Utilities Company tendered for

filing an amendment in the abovereferenced docket.

Any person desiring to be heard or to

protest said filing should file a motion

to intervene or protest with the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888

First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426, in accordance with Rules 211

and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of

Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211

and 18 CFR 385.214). All such motions

or protests should be filed on or before

February 21, 1997. Protests will be

considered by the Commission in

determining the appropriate action to be

taken, but will not serve to make

protestants parties to the proceeding.

Any person wishing to become a party

must file a motion to intervene. Copies

of this filing are on file with the

Commission and are available for public

inspection.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–3704 Filed 2–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. ER97–30–000]

Kincaid Generation L.L.C.; Notice of

Issuance of Order

February 11, 1997.

Kincaid Generation L.L.C. (Kincaid)

filed an application for authorization to

sell power at market-based rates, and for

certain waivers and authorizations. In

particular, Kincaid requested that the

Commission grant blanket approval

under 18 CFR Part 34 of all future

issuances of securities and assumptions

of liabilities by Kincaid. On January 30,

1997, the Commission issued an Order

Conditionally Accepting For Filing

Proposed Market-Based Rates (Order), in

the above-docketed proceeding.

The Commission’s January 30, 1997

Order granted the request for blanket

approval under Part 34, subject to the

conditions found in Ordering

Paragraphs (E), (F), and (H):

(E) Within 30 days of the date of this

order, any person desiring to be heard

or to protest the Commission’s blanket

approval of issuances of securities or

assumptions of liabilities by Kincaid

should file a motion to intervene or

protest with the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission, 888 First

Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, in

accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of

the Commission’s Rules of Practice and

Procedure, 18 CFR 385.211 and 385.214.

(F) Absent a request to be heard

within the period set forth in Ordering

Paragraph (E) above, Kincaid is hereby

authorized, pursuant to section 204 of

the FPA, to issue securities and to

assume obligations or liabilities as

guarantor, endorser, surety or otherwise

in respect of any security of another

person; provided that such issue or

assumption is for some lawful object

within the corporate purposes of

Kincaid, compatible with the public

interest, and reasonably necessary or

appropriate for such purposes.

(H) The Commission reserves the right

to modify this order to require a further

showing that neither public or private

interests will be adversely affected by

continued Commission approval of

Kincaid’s issuances of securities or

assumptions of liabilities * * *.

Notice is hereby given that the

deadline for filing motions to intervene

or protests, as set forth above, is March

3, 1997.

Copies of the full text of the Order are

available from the Commission’s Public

Reference Branch, 888 First Street, N.E.,

Washington, D.C. 20426.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–3744 Filed 2–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. ER97–683–000]

Northwest Natural Gas Company;

Notice of Issuance of Order

February 11, 1997.

Northwest Natural Gas Company

(Northwest Natural) submitted for filing

a rate schedule under which Northwest

Natural will engage in wholesale

electric power and energy transactions

as a marketer. Northwest Natural also

requested waiver of various Commission

regulations. In particular, Northwest

Natural requested that the Commission

grant blanket approval under 18 CFR

Part 34 of all future issuances of

securities and assumptions of liability

by Northwest Natural.

On February 6, 1997, pursuant to

delegated authority, the Director,

Division of Applications, Office of