2020-13717. Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-73); Comment Request; Extension

AGENCY:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection and request for comments.

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-73 (Oil Pipeline Service Life Data) and submitting the information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below.

DATES:

Comments on the collection of information are due July 27, 2020.

ADDRESSES:

Send written comments on FERC-73 to OMB through www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain,, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the OMB control number (1902-0019) in the subject line. Your comments should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

Please submit copies of your comments to the Commission (identified by Docket No. IC20-12-000) by either of the following methods:

• eFiling at Commission's Website: http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​efiling.asp.
• Mail/Express Services: Persons unable to file electronically may mail similar pleadings to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. Hand delivered submissions in docketed proceedings should be delivered to Health and Human Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

Instructions:

OMB submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance with submission guidelines at www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain;​; Using the search function under the “Currently Under Review field,” select Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; click “submit” and select “comment” to the right of the subject collection.

FERC 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 [e-mail], or by phone at: [phone] (toll-free).

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 [e-mail] and telephone at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: FERC Form No. 73, Oil Pipeline Service Life Data.

OMB Control No.: 1902-0019.

Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC Form No. 73 information collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting requirements.

Abstract: The Commission collects FERC Form No. 73 information as part of its authority under the Interstate Commerce Act, 49 U.S.C. 60501, et al. FERC Form No. 73 contains necessary information for the review of oil pipeline companies' proposed depreciation rates, as regulated entities are required to provide service life data illustrating the remaining physical life of an oil pipeline's properties, in order to calculate the company's cost of service and its transportation rates to access customers. The Commission implements these filing reviews under the purview of 18 CFR part 357.3, FERC Form No. 73, Oil Pipeline Data for Depreciation Analysis, and 18 CFR part 347. Parts 357.3 and 347 require an oil pipeline company to submit information under FERC Form No. 73 when: (1) Requesting approval for new or changed depreciation rates of an oil pipeline; or (2) being directed by the Commission to file the service life data during an investigation of its book depreciation rates.

On April 16, 2020, the Commission published a Notice in the Federal Register in Docket No. IC20-12-000 requesting public comments.^[1] The Commission received no public comments.

Type of Respondent: Oil pipeline companies.

Estimate of Annual Burden: ^[2] The Commission estimates the annual public reporting burden for the information collection as below:

FERC Form No. 73, Oil Pipeline Service Life Data

	Number of respondents	Annual number of responses per respondent	Total number of responses	Average burden and cost per response 3	Total annual burden and total annual cost	Cost per respondent ($)
	(1)	(2)	(1) * (2) = (3)	(4)	(3) * (4) = (5)	(5) ÷ (1)
Oil Pipelines Undergoing Investigation or Review	32	1	32 4	40 hrs.; $3,200	1,280 hrs.; $102,400	$3,200

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; 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: June 19, 2020.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  85 FR 21229.

2.  “Burden” is 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, refer to 5 CFR 1320.3.

3.  The Commission staff estimates the average cost in salary and benefits for the average respondent based on the Commission's 2019 average cost for salary plus benefits at $80/hour.

4.  The total number of responses entailing the submittal of a depreciation study in the past three years was 96. The average response from those three years is 96/3 years = 32 responses per year.