23240 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 8, 2001 / Notices

public utility shall publish a list,

pursuant to rules prescirbed by the

Commission * * * This statutory

requirement to publish customers list

allows the public the opportunity to

compare the customers listed with the

interlocking directorate information

filed in FERC Form 561, by public

utility officers and directors, for the

identification of positions where the

relationship may be employed, for

example, for the director’s own benefit

or profit, or for the benefit or profit of

any other person or persons and to the

detriment of the utility’s, or the public

interest. The required public utility

filers, the necessary filing information,

the requirement to publish the

information and the filing deadline are

all mandated by the FPA. The

Commission is not empowered to

amend or waive these statutory

requirements. Requirements the

Commission has the authority to amend,

such as the format of the filing itself and

the number of required copies are found

at 18 CFR 46.3.

Action: The Commission is requesting

a three-year extension of the current

expiration date, with no changes to the

existing collection of data.

Burden Statement: Public reporting

burden for this collection is estimated

as:

Number of respondents annually

Number of

responses per

respondent

Average burden

hours per

response

Total annual

burden hours

(1) (2) (3) (1)×(2)×(3)

175 ......................................................................................................................................... 1 6 1,050

The estimated total cost to

respondents is $59,083 (1,050 hours

divided by 2,080 hours per year per

employee times $117,041 per year per

average employee=$59,083). The cost

per respondent is $338.

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 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.

David P. Boergers,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–11489 Filed 5–7–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. IC01–561–000; FERC Form 561]

Proposed Information Collection and

Request for Comments

May 2, 2001.

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information

collection and request for comments.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

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

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(Pub. L. 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 July 9,

2001.

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) 208–2425, and by e-mail at

mike.miller@ferc. fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

information collected under the

requirements of FERC Form 561

‘‘Annual Report of Interlocking

Positions’’ (OMB No. 1902–0099) is

used by the Commission to implement

the statutory provisions of the Federal

Power Act section 305 (FPA) as

amended by Title II, Section 211 of the

Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of

1978 (PURPA) (16 U.S.C. 825d).

Submission of FERC Form 561 satisfies

the FPA section 305(b) and (c) annual

reporting requirements for public utility

officers and directors to report officer

and director positions they hold with

financial institutions, insurance

companies, utility equipment providers,

utility fuel providers, and a utility’s top

twenty customers of electric energy.

FPA section 305(c)(3)(A) defines the

public utilities who are required to file.

FPA section 305(c)(2) requires that the

filed information be made available to

the public. FPA section 305(c)(1)

requires an annual filing deadline of

April 30th. The necessary filing

information, the required filers, the

requirement to make the information

available to the public and the filing

deadline are all mandated by the FPA.

The Commission is not empowered to

amend or waive these statutory

requirements. Requirements the

Commission has the authority to amend,

such as the format of the filing itself and

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 89 / Tuesday, May 8, 2001 / Notices 23241

the number of required copies, are

found at 18 CFR 46.6 and 131.31.

The Commission has used the

information filed in FERC Form 561 for

the identification of: (1) Possible

interlocking positions where the

relationship is employed for the

director’s own benefit or profit, or for

the benefit or profit of any other person

or persons and to the detriment of the

utility’s, or the public interest; (2) the

possible existence of control over a large

number and geographically widespread

public utilities by a small group of

individuals; (3) the lack of arm’s length

dealings between public utilities and

organizations furnishing financial

services to consumers; and (4) the

evasion by means of common control of

competition resulting in higher costs

and poorer services to consumers.

FERC Form 561 is available in an

Excel spreadsheet and requires only

updating of the prior year’s information.

One signed original hard copy and one

photocopy are the required submission

to the Commission; the electronic file is

an optional submission.

Action: The Commission is requesting

a three-year extension of the current

expiration date, with no changes to the

existing collection of information.

Burden Statement: Public reporting

burden for this collection is estimated

as:

Number of respondents annually

Number of

responses per

respondent

Average burden

hours per

response

Total annual

burden hours

(1) (2) (3) (1)×(2)×(3)

1,600 ...................................................................................................................................... 1 0.25 400

The estimated total cost to

respondents is $22,508. (400 hours

divided by 2,088 hours per year per

employee times $117,041 per year per

average employee=$22,508). The cost

per respondent is $14.

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; (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,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–11490 Filed 5–7–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. PR01–1–000]

Associated Natural Gas Company;

Notice of Offer of Settlement

May 2, 2001.

Take notice that on April 18, 2001,

Associated Natural Gas Company (ANG)

tendered for filing a Stipulation and

Agreement in the above referenced

proceeding. The proposed Settlement

established a firm reservation charge of

$1.04146 per MMBtu, a maximum usage

charge of $0.00273 per MMBtu and a

maximum interruptible transportation

rate of $0.03697 per MMBtu., effective

November 1, 2000.

The Settlement also provides that

ANG shall file on or before November 1,

2003 either (1) a new petition for rate

approval under Section 284.123(b)(2) or

(2) a cost-and revenue study that

complies with Section 154.313 of the

Commission’s regulations.

Initial comments on ANG’s filing are

due on or before May 8, 2001 and reply

comments are due on or before May 18,

2001. Comments, protests and

interventions may be filed electronically

via the internet in lieu of paper. See, 18

CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the

instructions on the Commission’s web

site at http://www.ferc.fed.us/efi/

doorbell.htm.

David P. Boergers,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–11487 Filed 5–7–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP01–147–000]

Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice

of an Application

May 2, 2001.

Take notice that on April 6, 2001

Northern Natural Gas Company

(Northern), 1111 South 103rd Street,

Omaha, Nebraska 68124–1000, filed in

Docket No. CP01–147–000, a request

pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural

Gas Act (NGA), as amended, and the

Rules and Regulations of the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission

(Commission), requesting permission

and approval to abandon service under

an individually certificated agreement,

all as more fully set forth in the

application which is on file with the

Commission, and open to public

inspection. The application may be

viewed on the web at http://

www.ferc.fed/us/online/rims/htm (Call

202–208–2222 for assistance.)

Specifically, Northern proposes to

abandon service to El Paso Natural Gas