[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 31 (Friday, February 14, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6961-6962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-3761]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[FERC-547]
Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments
February 10, 1997
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection and request for
comments.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(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
April 15, 1997.
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 P. Miller, Information
Services Division, ED-12.4, 888 First Street N.E., Washington, D.C.
20426.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michel P. Miller may be reached by
telephone at (202) 208-1415, by fax at
[[Page 6962]]
(202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at mmiller@ferc.fed.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the
requirements of FERC-547 ``Gas Pipeline Rates: Refund Report
Requirements'' (OMB No. 1902-0084) is used by the Commission to
implement the statutory provisions of the Sections 4, 5, and 16 of the
Natural Gas Act (NGA) (15 U.S.C. 717-717w). Refund Reports are required
to carry out the refund obligation policy in Section 4(e) of the NGA.
Refunds are created due to the difference between pipeline rates
collected subject to refund and firm rates set by the Commission. The
refunds are flowed through by the following means: (a) pursuant to
settlement agreements, and (b) legal requirement. The Commission uses
the data to insure the pass-through to gas consumers of refunds
required to correct rates charged by pipelines. The data provided by
the respondents are used to monitor the progress being made in making
those refunds and to assure that refunds are being made in compliance
with the Commission's regulatory functions. The Commission is committed
to insuring that refunds owed by pipelines to their customers are made
as expeditiously as possible, in order to hasten their ultimate pass-
through to residential customers and other end-users. The data required
to be filed for the refund report is specified by 18 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) 154.501.
Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the
current expiration date, with only minor changes to the existing
collection of data. In response to an industry-wide settlement that
changes the collection of amounts for the Gas Research Institute (GRI),
pipeline companies are making more frequent refund reports. However,
due to the less complex nature of these reports, the time required to
prepare these refund reports is less than that needed for most other
refund reports. Therefore, while the number of projected refund reports
has increased slightly, the total annual burden has not changed.
Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is
estimated as:
Number of Number of Average burden
respondents responses per hours per Total annual burden
annually respondent response hours
(1) (2) (3) (1) x (2) x (3)
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80.............. 1.25 56.25 5,625
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The estimated total cost to respondents is $281,250, (5,625 hours
divided by 2,087 hours per year per employee times $104,350 per year
per average employee = $281,250). The cost per respondent is $3,516.
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; 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.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-3761 Filed 2-13-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
