Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-592); Comment Request; Extension

Published date18 December 2018
Citation83 FR 64818
Record Number2018-27308
SectionNotices
CourtEnergy Department,Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 242 (Tuesday, December 18, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 18, 2018)]
                [Notices]
                [Pages 64818-64819]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2018-27308]
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                DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
                Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
                [Docket No. IC19-12-000]
                Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-592); Comment
                Request; Extension
                AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.
                ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.
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                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-592 (Standards of Conduct for Transmission
                Provider and Marketing Affiliates of Interstate Pipelines).
                DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due February 19,
                2019.
                ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC19-12-
                000) by either of the following methods:
                 eFiling at Commission's website: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
                 Mail/Hand Delivery/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, telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202)
                273-0873.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                 Title: Standards of Conduct for Transmission Provider and Marketing
                Affiliates of Interstate Pipelines.
                 OMB Control No.: 1902-0157.
                 Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-592 information
                collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting
                requirements.
                 Abstract: The Commission uses the information maintained and posted
                by the respondents to monitor the pipeline's transportation, sales, and
                storage activities for its marketing affiliate to deter undue
                discrimination by pipeline companies in favor of their marketing
                affiliates. Non-affiliated shippers and other entities (e.g. state
                commissions) also use information to determine whether they have been
                harmed by affiliate preference and to prepare evidence for proceedings
                following the filing of a complaint.
                18 CFR Part 358 (Standards of Conduct)
                 Respondents maintain and provide the information required by part
                358 on their internet websites. When the Commission requires a pipeline
                to post information on its website following a disclosure of non-public
                information to its marketing affiliate, non-affiliated shippers obtain
                comparable access to the non-public transportation information, which
                allows them to compete with marketing affiliates on a more equal basis.
                18 CFR 250.16, and the FERC-592 Log/Format
                 This form (log/format) provides the electronic formats for
                maintaining information on discounted transportation transactions and
                capacity allocation to support monitoring of activities of interstate
                pipeline marketing affiliates. Commission staff considers discounts
                given to shippers in litigated rate cases.
                 Without this information collection:
                 The Commission would be unable to effectively monitor
                whether pipelines are giving discriminatory preference to their
                marketing affiliates; and
                 non-affiliated shippers and state commissions and others
                would be unable to determine if they have been harmed by affiliate
                preference or prepare evidence for proceedings following the filing of
                a complaint.
                 Type of Respondents: Natural gas pipelines.
                 Estimate of Annual Burden:\1\ The Commission estimates the annual
                reporting burden and cost for the information collection as:
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                 \1\ ``Burden'' 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, reference 5 Code of Federal
                Regulations 1320.3.
                 \2\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the
                following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $79.00/hour =
                Average cost/response. The figure is the 2018 FERC average hourly
                cost (for wages and benefits) of $79.00 (and an average annual
                salary of $164,820/year). Commission staff is using the FERC average
                salary because we consider any reporting requirements completed in
                response to the FERC-592 to be compensated at rates similar to the
                work of FERC employees.
                 \3\ The requirements for this collection are contained in 18 CFR
                part 358 and 18 CFR part 250.16.
                 FERC-592--Standards for Conduct for Transmission Providers Marketing Affiliates of Interstate Pipelines
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                 Annual number Total annual burden
                 Number of of responses Total number of Average burden & cost hours & total annual Cost per
                 respondents per respondent responses per response \2\ cost respondent ($)
                 (1) (2) (1) * (2) = (3) (4)................... (3) * (4) = (5)....... (5) / (1)
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                FERC 592 \3\........................ 85 1 85 116.62 hrs.; $9,212.98 9,913 hrs.; $783,127.. 9,212.98
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                 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;
                [[Page 64819]]
                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: December 12, 2018.
                Kimberly D. Bose,
                Secretary.
                [FR Doc. 2018-27308 Filed 12-17-18; 8:45 am]
                 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
                

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