4012 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 17 / Wednesday, January 26, 2022 / Notices 

1 16 U.S.C. 824. 

2 16 U.S.C. 824q. 

3 18 CFR 42.1(d). 

4Burden 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. 5FERC staff estimates that industry costs for 

salary plus benefits are similar to Commission 

costs. The FERC 2021 average salary plus benefits 

for one FERC full-time equivalent (FTE) is 

$180,703/year (or $87.00/hour) posted by the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics for the Utilities sector 

(available at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/

naics3_221000.htm). 

6The ‘‘1’’ Tariff filing is a placeholder for future 

fillers. 

Æ Hand (including courier) delivery: 

Deliver to: Federal Energy Regulatory 

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: 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 https://www.ferc.gov/ferconline/overview. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ellen Brown may be reached by email 

at DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone 

at (202) 502–8663. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. FERC–732 

Title: FERC–732, Electric Rate 

Schedule and Tariffs: Long-Term Firm 

Transmission Rights in Organized 

Electricity Markets 

OMB Control No.: 1902–0245. 

Type of Request: Three-year extension 

of the FERC–732 information collection 

requirement with no changes to the 

current reporting requirements. 

Abstract: 18 CFR part 42 provides the 

reporting requirements of FERC–732 as 

they pertain to long-term transmission 

rights. To implement section 1233 1 of 

the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 

2005),2 the Commission requires each 

transmission organization that is a 

public utility with one or more 

organized electricity markets to make 

available long-term firm transmission 

rights that satisfy each of the 

Commission’s guidelines.3

The FERC–732 regulations require 

that transmission organizations (that are 

public utilities with one or more 

organized electricity markets) choose 

one of two ways to file: 

• File tariff sheets making long-term 

firm transmission rights available that 

are consistent with each of the 

guidelines established by FERC. 

• File an explanation describing how 

their existing tariffs already provide 

long-term firm transmission rights that 

are consistent with the guidelines. 

Additionally, the Commission 

requires each transmission organization 

to make its transmission planning and 

expansion procedures and plans 

available to the public. FERC–732 

enables the Commission to exercise its 

wholesale electric rate and electric 

power transmission oversight and 

enforcement responsibilities in 

accordance with the FPA, the 

Department of Energy Organization Act 

(DOE Act), and EPAct 2005. 

Type of Respondents: Public utility 

with one or more organized electricity 

markets 

Estimate of Annual Burden: 4 The 

Commission estimates the total burden 

and cost 5 for this information collection 

as follows. 

FERC–732—ELECTRIC RATE SCHEDULES AND TARIFFS: LONG-TERM FIRM TRANSMISSION RIGHTS IN ORGANIZED

ELECTRICITY MARKETS

Number of 

respondents 

Annual 

number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Total number 

of responses 

Total annual 

burden hours 

and 

total annual 

cost 

($) 

Cost per 

respondent 

($) 

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

Public utility with one or more organized electricity markets ................................................................................... 1 1 6 1 1,180 hrs.; 

$102,660 

$102,660 

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: January 20, 2022. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2022–01523 Filed 1–25–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. IC22–2–000] 

Commission Information Collection 

Activities (Ferc–549c) Comment 

Request; Extension 

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection 

and request for comments. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 17 / Wednesday, January 26, 2022 / Notices 4013 

1 15 U.S.C. 717c–717w. 

2 15 U.S.C. 3301–3432. 

3 This series of orders began with the 

Commission’s issuance of Standards for Business 

Practices of Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines, Order 

No. 587, FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,038 (1996). 

4 An accredited standards organization under the 

auspices of the American National Standards 

Institute (ANSI). 

5Sandia is a multidisciplinary national laboratory 

and federally funded research and development 

center for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) 

National Nuclear Security Administration that 

supports numerous federal, state, and local 

government agencies, companies, and 

organizations. 

6 In April 2017, NAESB announced that Sandia, 

through funding provided by DOE, would be 

performing a surety assessment of the NAESB 

standards. As determined by Sandia and DOE, the 

Continued 

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– 

549C, (Standards for Business Practices 

of Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines), 

which will be submitted to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review. 

DATES: Comments on the collection of 

information are due February 25, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on 

FERC–549C to OMB through 

www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 

Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission Desk Officer. Please 

identify the OMB Control Number 

(1902–0174) 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. IC22–2–000) 

by one of the following methods: 

Electronic filing through http://

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. 

Æ Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only: 

Addressed to: Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the 

Commission, 888 First Street NE, 

Washington, DC 20426. 

Æ Hand (including courier) Delivery: 

Deliver to: Federal Energy Regulatory 

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: 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 https://www.ferc.gov/ferconline/overview. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ellen Brown may be reached by email 

at DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone 

at (202) 502–8663. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. FERC–549C 

Title: FERC–549C, Standards for 

Business Practices of Interstate Natural 

Gas Pipelines. 

OMB Control No.: 1902–0174. 

Type of Request: Three-year extension 

of the FERC–549C information 

collection requirements with no changes 

to the current reporting requirements. 

No comments were received on the 60 

day notice published on November 15, 

2021 (86 FR 63010). 

Abstract: The business practice 

standards under FERC–549C are 

required to carry out the Commission’s 

policies in accordance with the general 

authority in sections 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14, 

16, and 20 of the Natural Gas Act 

(NGA),1 and sections 311, 501, and 504 

of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 

(NGPA).2 The Commission adopted 

these business practice standards in 

order to update and standardize the 

natural gas industry’s business practices 

and procedures in addition to 

improving the efficiency of the gas 

market and the means by which the gas 

industry conducts business across the 

interstate pipeline grid. In various 

orders since 1996, the Commission has 

adopted regulations to standardize the 

business practices and communication 

methodologies of interstate natural gas 

pipelines proposed by the North 

American Energy Standards Board 

(NAESB) in order to create a more 

integrated and efficient pipeline 

industry.3 Generally, when and if 

NAESB-proposed standards (e.g., 

consensus standards developed by the 

Wholesale Gas Quadrant (WGQ) 4) are 

approved by the Commission, the 

Commission incorporates them by 

reference into its approval. The process 

of standardizing business practices in 

the natural gas industry began with a 

Commission initiative to standardize 

electronic communication of capacity 

release transactions. The outgrowth of 

the initial Commission standardization 

efforts produced working groups 

composed of all segments of the natural 

gas industry. The Gas Industry 

Standards Board (GISB) is a consensus 

organization open to all members of the 

gas industry was created. GISB was 

succeeded by NAESB. 

NAESB is a voluntary non-profit 

organization comprised of members 

from the retail and wholesale natural 

gas and electric industries. NAESB’s 

mission is to take the lead in developing 

standards across these industries to 

simplify and expand electronic 

communication and to streamline 

business practices. NAESB’s core 

objective is to facilitate a seamless North 

American marketplace for natural gas, 

as recognized by its customers, the 

business community, industry 

participants, and regulatory bodies. 

NAESB has divided its efforts among 

four quadrants including two retail 

quadrants, a wholesale electric 

quadrant, and the WGQ. The NAESB 

WGQ standards are a product of this 

effort. Industry participants seeking 

additional or amended standards (to 

include principles, definitions, 

standards, data elements, process 

descriptions, and technical 

implementation instructions) must 

submit a request to the NAESB office, 

detailing the change, so that the 

appropriate process may take place to 

amend the standards. Failure to collect 

the FERC–549C data would prevent the 

Commission from monitoring and 

properly evaluating pipeline 

transactions and/or meeting statutory 

obligations under both the NGA and 

NGPA. 

On August 17, 2020, NAESB filed a 

report informing the Commission that it 

had adopted and ratified WGQ Version 

3.2 of its business practice standards 

applicable to interstate natural gas 

pipelines. Version 3.2 of the WGQ 

includes business practice standards 

developed and modified in response to 

industry requests and directives from 

the NAESB Board of Directors. This 

version also includes the standards 

developed in response to the 

recommendations of Sandia National 

Laboratory (Sandia),5 which in 2019 

issued a cybersecurity surety assessment 

of the NAESB standards sponsored by 

DOE (Sandia Surety Assessment),6 and 


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4014 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 17 / Wednesday, January 26, 2022 / Notices 

purpose of the surety assessment was to analyze 

cybersecurity elements within the standards, 

focusing on four areas: (1) The NAESB Certification 

Program for Accredited Certification Authorities, 

including the Wholesale Electric Quadrant (WEQ)- 

012 Public Key Infrastructure Business Practice 

Standards, the NAESB Accreditation Requirements 

for Authorized Certificate Authorities, and the 

Authorized Certification Authority Process; (2) the 

WEQ Open Access Same-Time Information Systems 

suite of standards; (3) the WGQ and Retail Markets 

Quadrant internet Electronic Transport (IET) and 

Quadrant Electronic Delivery Mechanism (EDM) 

Related Standards Manual; and (4) a high-level 

dependency analysis between the gas and electric 

markets to evaluate the different security paradigms 

the markets employ. 

7 ‘‘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 Code of Federal Regulations 

1320.3. 

8Commission staff estimates that the industry’s 

skill set and cost (for wages and benefits) for FERC– 

549C are approximately the same as the 

Commission’s average cost. The FERC 2021 average 

salary plus benefits for one FERC full-time 

equivalent (FTE) is $180,703/year (or $87.00/hour) 

posted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the 

Utilities sector (available at https://www.bls.gov/ 

oes/current/naics3_221000.htm). 

9The estimated hourly cost (salary plus benefits) 

provided in this section is based on the salary 

figures for May 2021 posted by the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics for the Utilities sector (available at http:// 

www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm#13-0000) 

and scaled to reflect benefits using the relative 

importance of employer costs in employee 

compensation from June 2021 (available at https:// 

www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm). The 

hourly estimates for salary plus benefits are: 

Petroleum Engineer (Occupation Code: 17–2171), 

$74.20 

Computer Systems Analysts (Occupation Code: 

15–1120), $67.99 

Legal (Occupation Code: 23–0000), $142.25 

Economist (Occupation Code: 19–3011), $75.75 

The average hourly cost (salary plus benefits) is 

calculated weighting each of the aforementioned 

wage categories as follows: $74.20 (0.3) + $142.25 

(0.3) + $67.99 (0.15) + $75.75 (0.25) = $94.07. 

the standards developed to enable the 

use of distributed ledger technologies 

when transacting the NAESB Base 

Contract for Sale and Purchase of 

Natural Gas. The NAESB report 

identifies all the changes made to the 

WGQ Version 3.1 Standards and 

summarizes the deliberations that led to 

the changes being made. It also 

identifies changes to the existing 

standards that were considered but not 

adopted due to a lack of consensus or 

other reasons. 

Type of Respondents: Natural gas 

pipelines under the jurisdiction of NGA 

and NGPA. 

Estimate of Annual Burden.7 The 

Commission estimates the total annual 

burden and cost for this information 

collection as follows: 8

FERC–549C—STANDARDS FOR BUSINESS PRACTICES OF INTERSTATE NATURAL GAS PIPELINES

Number of 

respondents 

Average 

number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Total number 

of responses 

Average 

burden and 

cost per 

response 9

(4) 

Total 

annual burden 

hours 

and total 

annual 

cost 

Cost per 

respondent 

($) 

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

Burden from Final Rule RM96–1–42 

(NAESB Version 3.2) ..................... 59.33 1 59.33 100 hrs.; 

$9,407 

5,933.33 hrs.; 

$558,148.35 

$9,407 

Standards for Business Practices of 

Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines .... 165 2.96 490 96 hrs.; 

$9,030.72 

47,040 hrs.; 

$4,425,052.80 

$26,818.50 

Total for FERC–549C ................. ........................ ........................ 549.33 ........................ 52,973.33 hrs.; 

$4,983,201.15 

..............................

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: January 20, 2022. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2022–01519 Filed 1–25–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. CP21–6–000] 

Spire Storage West, LLC; Notice of 

Revised Schedule for Environmental 

Review of the Clear Creek Expansion 

Project 

This notice identifies the Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission staff’s 

revised schedule for the completion of 

the environmental impact statement 

(EIS) for Spire Storage West, LLC’s Clear 

Creek Expansion Project. The first 

notice of schedule, issued on August 26, 

2021, identified January 21, 2022 as the 

final EIS issuance date. However, 

environmental staff is in the process of 

assessing various alternatives raised 

during the draft EIS comment period. As 

a result, staff has revised the schedule 

for issuance of the final EIS. 

Schedule for Environmental Review 

Issuance of the Notice of Availability of 

the final EIS March 15, 2022 

90-day Federal Authorization Decision 

Deadline June 13, 2022 

If another schedule change becomes 

necessary, an additional notice will be 

provided so that the relevant agencies 

are kept informed of the project’s 

progress. 

Additional Information 

In order to receive notification of the 

issuance of the EIS and to keep track of 

all formal issuances and submittals in 

specific dockets, the Commission offers 

a free service called eSubscription. This 

can reduce the amount of time you 

spend researching proceedings by 

automatically providing you with 

notification of these filings, document 

summaries, and direct links to the 

documents. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/ 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES