
[Federal Register: December 10, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 236)]
[Notices]               
[Page 65527-65528]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10de09-53]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC09-592-001]

 
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-592); Comment 
Request; Submitted for OMB Review

December 3, 2009.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3507 of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 USC 3507, the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) has submitted the 
information collection described below 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 issued two Notices related to FERC-592 that were 
published in the Federal Register: (a) ``Commission Information 
Collection Activities (FERC-592); Comment Request; Extension'' (74FR 
50176, 9/30/2009), and (b) ``Request for Comment on and Emergency 
Short-Term Clearance Extension of OMB Approval for FERC-592'' 
(74FR58010, 11/10/2009). FERC received no comments from these notices 
and has made this notation in its submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by January 11, 
2010.

ADDRESSES: Address comments on the collection of information to the 
Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. 
Comments to OMB should be filed electronically, c/o oira_
submission@omb.eop.gov and include OMB Control Number 1902-0157 as a 
point of reference. The Desk Officer may be reached by telephone at 
202-395-4638. A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission and should refer to Docket No. IC09-592-
001. Comments may be filed either electronically or in paper format. 
Those persons filing electronically do not need to make a paper filing. 
Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in an 
acceptable filing format and in compliance with the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission submission guidelines. Complete filing 
instructions and acceptable filing formats are available at http://
www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide/electronic-media.asp. To file the 
document electronically, access the Commission's Web site and click on 
Documents & Filing, E-Filing (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling.asp), and then follow the instructions for each screen. First 
time users will have to establish a user name and password. The 
Commission will send an automatic acknowledgement to the sender's e-
mail address upon receipt of comments.
    For paper filings, an original and two copies of the comments 
should be submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 
20426, and should refer to Docket No. IC09-592-001.
    All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the 
Internet through FERC's homepage using the ``eLibrary'' link. For user 
assistance, contact ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at (866) 
208-3676 or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by 
telephone at (202) 502-8663, by fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at 
ellen.brown@ferc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FERC-592 (``Standards of Conduct for 
Transmission Providers; and Marketing Affiliates of Interstate 
Pipelines,'' OMB No. 1902-0157) includes the reporting, recordkeeping, 
and posting requirements in:
     18 CFR Part 358 (Standards of Conduct),
     18 CFR 250.16, and
     FERC Form No. 592 log/format, that is posted at http://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/eforms.asp#592.

Hereafter, this Notice will refer to this group of collections of 
information as ``FERC-592.''
    Under section 4 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), the Commission has 
the regulatory responsibility to ensure that pipeline rates and terms 
and conditions of service are just and reasonable and not unduly 
discriminatory. In order to ensure just and reasonable rates and 
services, the Commission must achieve two objectives: Prevent undue 
discrimination in natural gas markets, and promote competitive and 
efficient markets while mitigating market power. In short, the 
Commission's regulatory policy must seek to reconcile the objectives of 
fostering an efficient market that provides good alternatives to as 
many shippers as possible, while at the same time creating a regulatory 
framework that is fair and protects captive customers without good 
alternatives.
    The ``FERC-592'' information (that is posted on the Web site, 
maintained, and/or provided by the respondents, as required) is used by 
the Commission to monitor the pipeline's transportation, sales, and 
storage activities for its marketing affiliate, and to deter undue 
discrimination by pipeline companies in favor of their affiliates. The 
information is also used by non-affiliated shippers, customers, and 
others (such as state commissions) to determine whether they have been 
harmed by affiliate preference and, in some cases, to prepare evidence 
for proceedings following the filing of a complaint or that address NGA 
section 4 rate cases.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
expiration date for the FERC-592, with no changes to the reporting 
requirements.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden \1\ for this collection 
is estimated as follows.
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    \1\ The average number of hours an employee works per year is 
2,080. The average employee costs $128,297 per year.

[[Page 65528]]



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                                                                                   Average
 Information collection ``FERC-592'' (OMB No.     Number of       Number of     burden hours      Total annual
                  1902-0157)                     respondents    responses per   per response    burden hours (1)
                                                annually (1)   respondent (2)        (3)          x (2) x (3)
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18 CFR Part 358..............................  ..............  ..............  ..............  .................
18 CFR 250.16................................  ..............  ..............  ..............  .................
FERC Form No. 592 log/format.................              85               1          116.62              9,913
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 [Note: These figures may not be exact, due to rounding.]

    The total estimated annual cost burden \1\ to respondents is 
$611,446.22 [(9,913 hours/2,080 hours per year) x $128,297/year]. The 
average annual cost per respondent is $7,193.48.
    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 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 of the proposed collections 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.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-29412 Filed 12-9-09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
