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OMB Control No: 1902-0060	ICR Reference No: 202403-1902-016
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 202310-1902-011
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-537
Title: FERC-537, Gas Pipeline Certificates: Construction, Acquisition and Abandonment (PL24-1-000)
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 06/04/2024
	Date Received in OIRA: 04/09/2024
Terms of Clearance: Because the agency sought comments only on the changes associated with the regulation, the existing expiration date remains the same for this collection. In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	12/31/2024	36 Months From Approved	12/31/2024
Responses	416	0	394
Time Burden (Hours)	45,763	0	45,433
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Abstract: The information collection activities in Docket No. PL24-1-000 will assist the Commission in implementing sections 3 and 7 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA). Section 3(a) of the NGA authorizes the Commission to approve or deny proposals to import or export natural gas. Section 3(e) of the NGA authorizes the Commission to approve or deny applications for the siting, construction, expansion, or operation of an LNG terminal. Under section 7(c) of the NGA, the Commission may issue certificates of public convenience and necessity (PCN certificates) for facilities used for the transportation of natural gas (including LNG) in interstate commerce. When acting on applications filed pursuant to these provisions of the NGA, the Commission serves as the lead federal agency regarding the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Commission’s regulations implementing these authorities are codified in 18 CFR Parts 153, 157, and 380, which require prospective applicants and applicants to provide information necessary for the Commission to process their applications. In the final policy statement, PL24-1-000, the Commission is clarifying that the cost data (submitted via the FERC-537) should include project-wide labor wages and include union and non-union wages. The Commission clarified it will look to applicable collective-bargaining agreements or Project Labor Agreements as an appropriate default source of project-area wage standards because collectively bargained wages reflect actual wage and fringe benefit rates paid to the project workforce. Collective-bargaining agreements reflect the actual labor cost that should be included in natural gas pipeline cost-NGA section 7(c) certificate applications including the cost of the proposed facilities with detailed cost of construction, depreciation study, and addition inputs to support proposed initial rates.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 15 USC 3301-3432 Name of Law: Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978
US Code: 15 USC 717-717w Name of Law: Natural Gas Act

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	88 FR 73833	10/27/2023
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	89 FR 21503	03/28/2024
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Gas Pipeline Certificates: Construction, Acquisition and Abandonment
Project Area Labor Wage

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to Agency Discretion
Annual Number of Responses	416	394	22
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	45,763	45,433	330
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: There is an increase in both burden and responses due to the final policy statement PL24-1-000, which will require filers to submit information on project area wages. Specifically, responses are increasing by 22 and burden hours are increasing by 330 hours.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $839,540

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

Agency Contact: James Sarikas 202 502-6831 james.sarikas@ferc.gov

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