[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 84 (Thursday, April 30, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23954-23955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09173]
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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 2-A; 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 (PRA), 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
RM19-12-000 on March 14, 2019.
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DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due June 29, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC20-10-
000) by either of the following methods:
eFiling at Commission's website: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp
Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, at Health and Human Services,
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
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 [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 http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at
[email protected], 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 No.: 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-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 Account (USoA).\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 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
[[Page 23955]]
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.
Type of Respondent: Major and Non-Major Natural Gas Companies.
Estimate of Annual Burden \3\: The Commission estimates the annual
public reporting burden and cost \4\ for the information collection as
shown in the following table:
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\3\ 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.
\4\ 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 $80/hour.
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Annual cost
Information collection (FERC Number of Annual number Total number Average burden & cost per Total annual burden hours & per
Form No.) respondents of responses of responses response cost \5\ respondent
per respondent ($)
(1) (2) (1)*(2)=(3) (4)......................... (3)*(4)=(5)................ (5)/(1)
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2............................ 100 1 100 1,671.66 hrs.; $133,733..... 167,166 hrs.; 13,373,280... 133,733
2-A.......................... 81 1 81 296 hrs.; $23,680........... 23,976 hrs.; 1,918,080..... 23,680
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\5\ Every figure in this column is rounded to the nearest dollar.
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: April 24, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-09173 Filed 4-29-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P