[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 60 (Friday, March 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17308-17309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06400]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
[Docket No. RUS-20-ELECTRIC-0008]
Information Collection Activity; Comment Request
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites comments on the following
information collection extension for which RUS intends to request
approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by May 26, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lauren Cusick, Management Analysis,
Regulations Management Division, Rural Development, 1400 Independence
Ave. SW, STOP 1522, South Building, Washington, DC 20250-1522.
Telephone: (202) 720-1414 or email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget's (OMB)
[[Page 17309]]
regulation (5 CFR 1320) implementing provisions of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) requires that interested members
of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on
information collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR
1320.8(d)). This notice identifies an information collection that RUS
is submitting to OMB for revision.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the Agency, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the
collection of information including the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden
of the collection of information on respondents, including through the
use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical or other
technological collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
Comments may be sent by the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
http://www.regulations.gov and, in the Search box, insert RUS-20-
ELECTRIC-0008 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting
and related materials available electronically. Information on using
Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing documents,
submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the
comment period, is available through the site's ``User Tips'' link.
Title: Electric System Emergency Restoration Plan.
OMB Control Number: 0572-0140.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: USDA Rural Development administers rural utilities
programs through the Rural Utilities Service (Agency). The Agency
manages loan programs in accordance with the Rural Electrification Act
(RE Act) of 1936, 7 U.S.C. 901 et sec., as amended. One of the Agency's
main objectives is to safeguard loan security. An important part of
safeguarding loan security is to make sure Agency financed facilities
are utilized responsibly, adequately operated and adequately
maintained. Accordingly, RUS borrowers have a duty to RUS to maintain
their respective systems. In performing this duty, borrowers further
the purposes of the RE Act while also preserving the value of electric
systems to serve as collateral for repayment of RUS assistance.
A substantial portion of the electric infrastructure of the United
States resides in rural America and is maintained by rural Americans.
RUS is uniquely coupled with the electric infrastructure of rural
America and its electric borrowers serving rural America. To ensure
that the electric infrastructure in rural America is adequately
protected, electric borrowers conduct a Vulnerability and Risk
Assessment (VRA) of their respective systems and utilize the results of
this assessment to enhance an existing Emergency Restoration Plan (ERP)
or to create an ERP. The VRA is utilized to identify specific assets
and infrastructure owned or served by the electric utility, to
determine the criticality and the risk level associated with the assets
and infrastructure including a risk versus cost analysis, to identify
threats and vulnerabilities, if present, to review existing mitigation
procedures and to assist in the development of new and additional
mitigating procedures, if necessary. The ERP provides written
procedures detailing response and restoration efforts in the event of a
major system outage resulting from a natural or man-made disaster. The
annual exercise of the ERP ensures operability and employee competency
and serves to identify and correct deficiencies in the existing ERP.
The exercise may be implemented individually by a single borrower, or
by an individual borrower as a participant in a multi-party (to include
utilities, government agencies and other participants or combination
thereof) tabletop execution or actual implementation of the ERP.
Electric borrowers maintain ERPs as part of prudent utilities
practices. These ERPs are essential to continuous operation of the
electric systems. Each electric borrower provides RUS with an annual
self-certification that an ERP exists for the system and that an
initial VRA has been performed.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 0.5 hour per response.
Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 625.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 313 hours.
Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Lauren
Cusick, Regulations Management Division, at (202) 720-1414, or email:
[email protected].
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
requests for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of
public record.
Chad Rupe,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-06400 Filed 3-26-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P