Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC Form Nos. 2 and 2A); Comment Request; Extension, 43831-43832 [2020-15577]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 139 (Monday, July 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43831-43832]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15577]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC20-10-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC Form Nos. 2 
and 2A); Comment Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

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 Form No. 2 (Annual Report for Major 
Natural Gas Companies) and FERC Form No. 2-A (Annual Report for Non-
Major Natural Gas Companies).\1\
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    \1\ FERC Form Nos. 2 and 2-A are part of the ``Forms Refresh'' 
effort, which is a separate activity and not addressed here. See 
Revisions to the Filing Process for Commission Forms, 166 FERC ] 
61,027 (2019) (started in Docket No. AD15-11-000 and ongoing in 
Docket No. RM19-12-000). OMB issued its decisions on the proposed 
changes in the Forms Refresh Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in Docket 
No. RM19-12-000 on March 14, 2019.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due August 19, 
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2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments on FERC Form Nos. 2 and 2-A 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) through www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk 
Officer. Please identify the OMB control numbers (1902-0028 and 1902-
0030) 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. IC20-10-000) by either of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's website: https://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: All submissions must be formatted and filed in 
accordance with submission guidelines at: https://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. For user assistance, contact FERC Online Support 
by email at [email protected], 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 https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at 
[email protected] and telephone at (202) 502-8663.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: FERC Form No. 2, Annual Report for Major Natural Gas 
Companies; OMB Control No. 1902-0028.
    FERC Form No. 2-A, Annual Report for Non-Major Natural Gas 
Companies; OMB Control No. 1902-0030.
    OMB Control Nos.: 1902-0028, 1902-0030.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC Form No. 2 and 
FERC Form No. 2-A information collection requirements without a change 
to the current reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
    Abstract: Pursuant to sections 8, 10 and 14 of the Natural Gas Act 
(NGA), (15 U.S.C. 717g, 717i, and 717m), the Commission is authorized 
to conduct investigations and collect and record data, and to prescribe 
rules and regulations concerning accounts, records and memoranda as 
necessary or appropriate for purposes of administering the NGA. The 
Commission may prescribe a system of accounts for jurisdictional 
companies and, after notice and opportunity for hearing, may determine 
the accounts in which particular outlays and receipts will be entered, 
charged or credited.
    The Commission collects FERC Form Nos. 2 and 2-A information as 
prescribed in 18 CFR 260.1 and 18 CFR 260.2. These forms provide 
information concerning a company's current performance, compiled using 
the Commission's Uniform System of Accounts (USofA).\2\ FERC Form No. 2 
is filed by ``Major'' natural gas companies that have combined natural 
gas transported or stored for a fee that exceeds 50 million Dekatherms 
in each of the three previous calendar years. FERC Form No. 2-A is 
filed by ``Non-Major'' natural gas companies that do not meet the 
filing threshold for the FERC Form No. 2, but have total gas sales or 
volume transactions that

[[Page 43832]]

exceeds 200,000 Dekatherms in each of the three previous calendar 
years.
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    \2\ See 18 CFR part 201 (Uniform System of Accounts Prescribed 
for Natural Gas Companies Subject to the Provisions of the Natural 
Gas Act).
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    The forms provide information concerning a company's financial and 
operational information. 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 assists the Commission in the 
administration of its jurisdictional responsibilities and is used by 
Commission staff, state regulatory agencies, customers, financial 
analysts 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. The 
information is made available to the public, interveners and all 
interested parties to assist in the proceedings before the Commission. 
For financial information to be useful to the Commission, it must be 
understandable, relevant, reliable and timely. The Form Nos. 2 and 2-A 
financial statements are prepared in accordance with the Commission's 
USofA and related regulations, and provide data that enables the 
Commission to develop and monitor cost-based rates, analyze costs of 
different services and classes of assets, and compare costs across 
lines of business. The use of the USofA permits natural gas companies 
to account for similar transactions and events in a consistent manner, 
and to communicate those results to the Commission on a periodic basis. 
Comparability of data and financial statement analysis for a particular 
entity from one period to the next, or between entities, within the 
same industry, would be difficult to achieve if each company maintained 
its own accounting records using dissimilar accounting methods and 
classifications to record similar transactions and events.
    In summary, without the information collected in the forms, it 
would be difficult for the Commission to ensure, as required by the 
NGA, that a pipeline's rates remain just and reasonable, respond to 
Congressional and outside inquires, and make decisions in a timely 
manner.
    On April 30, 2020, the Commission published a Notice in the Federal 
Register in Docket No. IC20-10-000 requesting public comments.\3\ The 
Commission received no public comments.
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    \3\ 85 FR 23954.
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    Type of Respondent: Major and Non-Major Natural Gas Companies.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \4\ The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden and cost \5\ for the information collection as 
shown in the following table:
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    \4\ 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. For 
further explanation of what is included in the information 
collection burden, refer to 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.
    \5\ The Commission staff believes the FERC FTE (full-time 
equivalent) average cost for wages plus benefits is representative 
of the corresponding cost for the industry respondents. Based upon 
the FERC's 2019 average cost for salary plus benefits, the average 
hourly cost is $80/hour.

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                                                                                                                                            Annual cost
  Information collection  (FERC form      Number of     Annual number   Total number     Average burden & cost     Total annual burden          per
                 No.)                    respondents    of  responses   of responses         per response            hours & cost \6\       respondent
                                                       per respondent                                                                           ($)
                                                  (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).....................  (3) * (4) = (5)........       (5) / (1)
                                                                                  (3)
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2....................................             100               1             100  1,671.66 hrs.; $133,733.  167,166 hrs.;                  $133,733
                                                                                                                  $13,373,280.
2-A..................................              81               1              81  296 hrs.; $23,680.......  23,976 hrs.; $1,918,080          23,680
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    \6\ Every figure in this column is rounded to the nearest 
dollar.
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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.

    Dated: July 13, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-15577 Filed 7-17-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P