Document ID: FERC-2014-0994-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals
Posted Date: 2014-08-05T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 150 (Tuesday, August 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45437-45439]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-18490]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC14-12-000]

Commission Information Collection Activities; FERC Form 2, FERC 
Form 2A and FERC-523: Comment Request

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Comment request.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting its information 
collections FERC Form 2 (Major Natural Gas Pipeline Annual Report), 
FERC Form 2A (Non-major Natural Gas Pipeline Annual Report), and FERC-
523 (Applications for Authorization for Issuance of Securities or the 
Assumption of Liabilities), to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any 
interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should 
address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. 
The Commission previously issued a Notice in the Federal Register (79 
FR 27589, May 14, 2014) requesting public comments. The Commission 
received no comments on the FERC Form 2, FERC Form 2A, or FERC-523 and 
is making this notation in its submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by September 
4, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control Nos. 
1902-0028 (FERC Form 2), 1902-0030 (FERC Form 2A), or 1902-0043 (FERC-
523) should be sent via email to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs: oira_submission@omb.gov. Attention: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. The Desk Officer may also be 
reached via telephone at 202-395-4718.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in 
Docket No. IC14-12-000, by either of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's Web site: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
     Mail/HandDelivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426.
    Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in 
accordance with submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. For user assistance contact FERC Online Support 
by email at ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or by phone at: (866) 208-3676 
(toll-free), or (202) 502-8659 for TTY.
    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/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at 
DataClearance@FERC.gov, by telephone at (202) 502-8663, and by fax at 
(202) 273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the information collection 
requirements for all collections described below with no changes to the 
current reporting requirements. Please note that each collection is 
distinct from the next.
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collections of 
information are 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 estimates of the 
burden and cost of the collections of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility and clarity of the information collections; and 
(4) ways to minimize the burden of the collections of information on 
those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.

FERC Form 2, Annual Report of Major Natural Gas Companies, & FERC Form 
2A, Annual Report of Nonmajor Natural Gas Companies

    OMB Control Nos.: 1902-0028 & 1902-0030.
    Abstract: Pursuant to sections 8, 10 and 14 of the National Gas Act 
(NGA), (15 U.S.C. 717g-717m, Pub. L. 75-688), the Commission is 
authorized to make investigations and collect and record data, to 
prescribe rules and regulations concerning accounts, records and 
memoranda as necessary or appropriate for purposes of administering the 
NGA. The Commission includes the filing requirements in 18 CFR 260.1 
and 260.2.
    The forms provide information concerning a company's past 
performance. The information is compiled using a standard chart of 
accounts contained in the Commission's

[[Page 45438]]

Uniform System of Accounts (USofA).\1\ The forms contain schedules 
which include a basic set of financial statements: Comparative Balance 
Sheet, Statement of Income and Retained Earnings, Statement of Cash 
Flows, and the Statement of Comprehensive Income and Hedging 
Activities. Supporting schedules containing supplementary information 
are filed, including revenues and the related quantities of products 
sold or transported; account balances for various operating and 
maintenance expenses; selected plant cost data; and other information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See 18 CFR part 201.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The information collected in the forms is used by Commission staff, 
state regulatory agencies and others in the review of the financial 
condition of regulated companies. The information is also used in 
various rate proceedings, industry analyses and in the Commission's 
audit programs and, as appropriate, for the computation of annual 
charges based on Page 520 of the forms. The Commission provides the 
information to the public, interveners and all interested parties to 
assist in the proceedings before the Commission.
    Print versions of the Forms 2 and 2A are located on the 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/forms.asp#2.
    Type of Respondent: Each natural gas company whose combined gas 
transported or stored for a fee exceed 50 million dekatherms in each of 
the previous three years must file the Form 2. Each natural gas company 
not meeting the filing threshold for the Form 2 but having total gas 
sales or volume transactions exceeding 200,000 dekatherms in each of 
the previous three calendar years must submit the Form 2A.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collections as:

           FERC Form No. 2: Annual Report of Major Natural Gas Companies and FERC Form No. 2A: Annual Report of Nonmajor Natural Gas Companies
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                          Average burden   Total annual
                                                             Number of     Annual number   Total number    hours & cost   burden hours &     Cost per
                                                            respondents    of responses    of responses    per response    total annual   respondent ($)
                                                                          per respondent                        \2\            cost
                                                                     (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =             (4)     (3) * (4) =       (5) / (1)
                                                                                                     (3)                             (5)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FERC Form No. 2.........................................              92               1              92           1,629         149,868     $114,844.50
                                                                                                             $114,844.50     $10,565,694
FERC Form No. 2A........................................              66               1              66          253.39          16,724         $17,864
                                                                                                                 $17,864  \3\ $1,179,024
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FERC-523, Applications for Authorization for Issuance of Securities or 
the Assumption of Liabilities

    OMB Control No.: 1902-0043.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $70.50 per 
Hour = Average Cost per Response. The hourly cost figure of $70.50 
is the average FERC employee wage plus benefits. We assume that 
respondents earn at a similar rate.
    \3\ This figure was listed as ``$1,179,042'' in the previous 
public notice. The figure reported here is correct.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Abstract: Under Federal Power Act (FPA) section 204, 16 U.S.C. 
824c, no public utility or licensee shall issue any security, or assume 
any obligation or liability as guarantor, endorser, surety, or 
otherwise in respect of any security of another person, until the 
public utility applies for and receives Commission approval by order 
authorizing the issue or assumption of the liability. The Commission 
issues an order if it finds that such issue or assumption (a) is for 
lawful object, within the corporate purposes of the applicant and 
compatible with the public interest, which is necessary or appropriate 
for or consistent with the proper performance by the applicant as a 
public utility, and which will not impair its ability to perform that 
service, and (b) is reasonably necessary or appropriate for such 
purposes.
    The Commission uses the information contained in filings to 
determine its acceptance and/or rejection of applications for 
authorization to either issue securities or to assume an obligation or 
liability by the public utilities and their licensees who submit these 
applications.
    The specific application requirements and filing format are found 
at 18 CFR part 34; and 18 CFR 131.43 and 131.50. The information is 
filed electronically.
    Type of Respondent: Public utilities subject to the FPA.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $70.50 per 
Hour = Average Cost per Response. The hourly cost figure of $70.50 
is the average FERC employee wage plus benefits. We assume that 
respondents earn at a similar rate.
    \5\ Some respondents may be required to provide more than one 
response.

                          FERC-523: Applications for Authorization for Issuance of Securities or the Assumption of Liabilities
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                           Total annual
                                                             Number of     Annual number   Total number   Average burden  burden hours &     Cost per
                                                            respondents    of responses    of responses     & cost per     total annual   respondent ($)
                                                                          per respondent                   response \4\        cost
                                                                     (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =             (4)     (3) * (4) =       (5) / (1)
                                                                                                     (3)                             (5)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FERC-523................................................              56         \5\ 1.6              90             500          45,000         $56,652
                                                                                                                 $35,250      $3,172,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 45439]]

    Dated: July 30, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-18490 Filed 8-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P