2014-18490. 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: [e-mail]. 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 [e-mail], or by phone at: [phone] (toll-free), or [phone] 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 [e-mail], by telephone at [phone], and by fax at [phone].

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 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.

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

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

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

OMB Control No.: 1902-0043.

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:

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

	Number of respondents	Annual number of responses per respondent	Total number of responses	Average burden & cost per response 4	Total annual burden hours & total annual cost	Cost per respondent ($)
	(1)	(2)	(1) * (2) = (3)	(4)	(3) * (4) = (5)	(5) ÷ (1)
FERC-523	56	5 1.6	90	500 $35,250	45,000 $3,172,500	$56,652

Dated: July 30, 2014.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  See 18 CFR part 201.

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.

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.