Notice2024-14672
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-537); Comment Request; Extension
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 3, 2024
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Abstract
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-537 (Gas Pipeline Certificates: Construction, Acquisition, and Abandonment).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55235-55236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14672]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC24-22-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-537); Comment
Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
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-537 (Gas Pipeline Certificates:
Construction, Acquisition, and Abandonment).
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due September 3,
2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit copies of your comments (identified by Docket
No. IC24-22-000) by one of the following methods:
Electronic filing through <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a> is preferred.
<bullet> Electronic Filing: Documents must be filed in acceptable
native applications and print-to-PDF, but not in scanned or picture
format.
<bullet> For those unable to file electronically, comments may be
submitted to FERC as follows:
[cir] Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE,
Washington, DC 20426.
[cir] All other services (including courier): Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 12225 Wilkins
Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852.
Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in
accordance with submission guidelines at: <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>. For user
assistance, contact FERC Online Support by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3b5d5e495854555752555e484e4b4b54494f7b5d5e4958155c544d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2e484b5c4d41404247404b5d5b5e5e415c5a6e484b5c4d00494158">[email protected]</span></a>, or by phone at (866) 208-3676 (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 <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean Sonneman may be reached by email
at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#55113421341639303427343b363015131007167b323a23"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3f7b5e4b5e7c535a5e4d5e515c5a7f797a6d7c11585049">[email protected]</span></a>, telephone at (202) 502-6362.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: FERC-537: Gas Pipeline Certificates: Construction,
Acquisition, and Abandonment.
OMB Control No.: 1902-0060.
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-537 information
collection requirements with no changes to the reporting requirements.
Abstract: The FERC-537 information collection is in place for the
Commission to carry out its responsibilities under section 7 of the
Natural Gas Act (NGA). Section 7 of the NGA \1\ requires natural gas
companies to obtain Commission approval before constructing, extending,
or abandoning facilities or service. The Commission reviews and
analyses the information filed under the FERC-537 to determine whether
to approve or deny the requested authorization. After reviewing the
supplied information, the Commission may grant a request to construct
or extend pipeline facilities or service by issuing a certificate of
public convenience and necessity. If the Commission failed to collect
these data, it would lose its ability to review relevant information to
determine whether the requested certificate should be authorized.
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\1\ 15 U.S.C. 717f.
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The Commission implements section 7 of the NGA under regulations at
18 CFR part 157.
The data generally required to be submitted in a certificate filing
consists of identification of the company and responsible officials,
factors considered in the location of the facilities, and the impact on
the area for environmental considerations. As applicable to the
specific request, applicants may provide:
<bullet> Flow diagrams showing the design capacity for engineering
design verification and safety determination;
<bullet> Cost of proposed facilities, plans for financing, and
estimated revenues and expenses related to the proposed facility for
accounting and financial evaluation; or
<bullet> Existing and proposed storage capacity and pressures and
reservoir engineering studies for requests to increase storage
capacity.
Applications for an order authorizing abandonment of facilities or
service must contain a statement providing in detail the reasons for
the requested abandonment and must contain exhibits listed at 18 CFR
157.18, as well as an affidavit showing the consent of existing
customers. With some exceptions, such applications also must include an
environmental report.
Applicants filing in accordance with 18 CFR part 157, subpart A
(either for a certificate or for abandonment) generally must make a
good-faith effort to provide notice of the application to all affected
landowners, towns, communities, and government agencies.
Certain self-implementing construction and abandonment programs do
not require the filing of applications. However, those types of
programs do require the filing of annual reports, so many less
significant actions can be reported in a single filing/response and
less detail would be required. Additionally, requests for an increase
of pipeline capacity must include a statement that demonstrates
compliance with the Commission's Certificate Policy Statement by making
a showing that the cost of the expansion
[[Page 55236]]
will not be subsidized by existing customers and that there will not be
adverse economic impacts to existing customers, competing pipelines or
their customers, nor to landowners and to surrounding communities.
Type of Respondents: Jurisdictional natural gas companies.
Estimate of Annual Burden: \2\ The Commission estimates the annual
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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\2\ 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. Refer to
5 CFR 1320.3 for additional information.
FERC-537 (Gas Pipeline Certificates: Construction, Acquisition, and Abandonment) \3\
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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 \4\ cost respondent ($)
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (3)...... (4).................. (3) * (4) = (5)...... (5) / (1) \5\
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18 CFR 157.5-.11 (Interstate 31 1.39 43 (rounded)......... 500 hrs.; $50,000.... 21,500 hrs; $69,355
Certificate and Abandonment $2,150,000.
Applications).
18 CFR 157.53 (Pipeline Purging/ 1 1 1.................... 50 hrs.; $5,000...... 50 hrs.; $5,000...... 5,000
Testing Exemptions).
18 CFR 157.201-.209; 157.211; 30 2.125 63.75................ 200 hrs.; $20,000.... 12,750 hrs.; 42,500
157.214-.218 (Blanket Certificates $1,275,000.
Prior to Notice Filings).
18 CFR 157.201-.209; 157.211; 176 1 176.................. 50 hrs.; $5,000...... 8,800hrs.; $880,000.. 5,000
157.214-.218 (Blanket
Certificates--Annual Reports).
18 CFR 284.11 (NGPA Section 311 75 1 75................... 50 hrs.; $5,000...... 3,750 hrs.; $375,000. 5,000
Construction--Annual Reports).
18 CFR 284.8 \6\ (Request for 31 1.39 43 (rounded)......... 10 hrs.; $1,000...... 430 hrs.; $43,000.... 1,390
Waiver of Capacity Release
Regulations).
18 CFR 284.13(e) and 284.126(a) 2 1 2.................... 30 hrs.; $3,000...... 60 hrs.; $6,000...... 3,000
(Interstate and Intrastate Bypass
Notice).
18 CFR 284.221 (Blanket 1 1 1.................... 100 hrs.; $10,000.... 100 hrs.; $10,000.... 10,000
Certificates).
18 CFR 284.224 (Hinshaw Blanket 2 1 2.................... 75 hrs.; $7,500...... 150 hrs.; $15,000.... 7,500
Certificates).
18 CFR 157.5-.11; 157.13-.20 (Non- 11 1.36 15................... 75 hrs.; $7,500...... 1,125 hrs.; $112,500. 10,227
facility Certificate or
Abandonment Applications.
Project based Labor wages.......... 22 1 22................... 15 hrs. $1,500....... 330 hrs. $33,000..... 1,500
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Total.......................... .............. .............. 444 (rounded)........ ..................... 49,045 hrs.; ..............
$4,539,000.
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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; 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.
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\3\ Changes to estimated number of respondents were based on
average number of respondents over the past three years.
\4\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $100.00/hour
= Average cost/response. The figure is the 2024 FERC average hourly
cost (for wages and benefits) of 100.00 (and an average annual
salary of $207,786/year). Commission staff is using the FERC average
salary because we consider any reporting requirements completed in
response to the FERC-537 to be compensated at rates similar to the
work of FERC employees.
\5\ Each of the figures in this column are rounded to the
nearest dollar.
\6\ A Certificate Abandonment Application would require waiver
of the Commission's capacity release regulations in 18 CFR 284.8;
therefore this activity is associated with Interstate Certificate
and Abandonment Applications.
Dated: June 27, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-14672 Filed 7-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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