Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 121 /Wednesday, June 24, 1998 / Notices 34369

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. IC98–2000; FERC Form 2]

Proposed Information Collection and

Request for Comments

June 18, 1998.

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information

collection and request for comments.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(2)(a)

of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(Pub. L. No. 104–13), the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission (Commission) is

soliciting public comment on the

specific aspects of the information

collection described below.

DATES: Consideration will be given to

comments submitted on or before

August 24, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed

collection of information can be

obtained from and written comments

may be submitted to the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael

Miller, Office of the Chief Information

Officer, CI–1 888 First Street NE,

Washington, DC 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael Miller may be reached by

telephone at (202) 208–1415, by fax at

(202) 273–0873, and by e-mail at

michael, miller@ferc.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

information collected under the

requirements of FERC Form 2 ‘‘Annual

Report of Major Natural Gas

Companies’’ (OMB No. 1902–0028) is

used by the Commission to implement

the statutory provisions of the Natural

Gas Act (NGA), (15 U.S.C. 717). The

NGA authorizes the Commission to

prescribe rules and regulations

concerning accounts, records and

memoranda as necessary or appropriate

for purposes of administering the NGA.

The Commission may prescribe a

system of accounts for jurisdictional

companies and, after notice and

opportunity for hearing may determine

the accounts in which particular outlays

and receipts will be entered, charged or

credited.

The Commission’s Office of Chief

Accountant uses the information

collected in its audit program and the

continuous review of the financial

condition of regulated companies. The

Office of Pipeline Regulation uses the

data in its various rate proceedings and

supply programs, and the Offices of

Economic Policy and General Counsel

use the data in their programs relating

to the administration of the NGA. Data

on certain schedules of the FERC Form

2 is used to compute annual charges

which are then assessed against natural

gas companies to recover the

Commission’s annual costs. These

annual charges are required by Section

3401 of the Budget Act.

The NGA mandates the collection of

information needed by the Commission

to perform it regulatory responsibilities

in the setting of just and reasonable

rates. The Commission could be held in

violation of the NGA if the information

was not collected.

The Commission implements these

filing requirements in the Code of

Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR

Section 260.1, and Parts 158 and 201

and Section 385.2011.

Action: The Commission is requesting

a three-year extension of the current

expiration date.

Burden Statement: Public Reporting

burden for this collection is estimated

as:

Number of respondents annually

(1)

Number of responses per respondent

(2)

Average burden hours per response

(3)

Total annual burden hours

(1)×(2)×(3)

58 1 1,485 86,130

Estimated cost burden to respondents:

86,130 hours divided by 2088 hours per

year times $109,889 per year equals

$4,532,921. The cost per respondent is

equal to $78,154.

The reporting burden includes the

total time, effort, or financial resources

expended to generate, maintain, retain,

disclosure, 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 of 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 Commission’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.

David P. Boergers,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–16712 Filed 6–23–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. IC98–2A–000; FERC Form 2–

A]

Proposed Information Collection and

Request for Comments

June 18, 1998.

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information

collection and request for comments.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(2)(a)

of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(Pub. L. No. 104–13), the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission (Commission) is