[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 57 (Monday, March 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15498-15499]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5865]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE), 
Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability is 
soliciting comments on the proposed revisions and three-year extension 
to the OE-417, ``Electric Emergency Incident and Disturbance Report.''

DATES: Comments must be filed by May 23, 2008. If you anticipate 
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the 
person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Alice Lippert. To ensure receipt of the 
comments by the due date, submission by Fax 202-586-2623 or e-mail: 
[email protected] is recommended. The mailing address is (name 
of component), (routing symbol), Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Washington, DC 20585. Alternatively, Alice Lippert may be 
contacted by telephone at 202-586-9600.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of any forms and instructions should be directed to Alice 
Lippert at the address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background
II. Current Actions
III. Request for Comments

I. Background

    The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No. 93-275, 
15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization Act (Pub. L. No. 95-91, 
42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) require the DOE to carry out a centralized, 
comprehensive, and unified energy information program. This program 
collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information 
on energy resource reserves, production, demand, technology, and 
related economic and statistical information. This information is used 
to assess the adequacy of energy resources to meet near and longer term 
domestic demands.
    The EIA, as part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), provides 
the general public and other Federal agencies with opportunities to 
comment on collections of energy information conducted by or in 
conjunction with the EIA. Any comments received help the DOE to prepare 
data requests that maximize the utility of the information collected, 
and to assess the impact of collection requirements on the public. 
Also, the DOE will later seek approval of this collection of 
information by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under section 
3507(a) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
    The DOE collects information on the generation, distribution, and 
transmission of electric energy. The DOE collects information on 
emergency situations in electric energy supply systems so that 
appropriate Federal emergency response measures can be implemented in a 
timely and effective manner.
    The purpose of this notice is to seek public comment on the revised 
Form OE-417, ``Emergency Incident and Disturbance Report,'' used to 
report electric emergency incidents and disturbances to the DOE. The 
Form OE-417 reports will enable the Department to monitor electric 
emergency incidents and disturbances in the United States (including 
all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin 
Islands, and the U.S. Trust Territories) so that the Government may 
help prevent the physical or virtual disruption of the operation of any 
critical infrastructure.
    Currently, DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy 
Reliability (OE) uses Form OE-417 to monitor major system incidents on 
electric power systems and to conduct after-action investigations on 
significant interruptions of electric power. The information is used to 
meet DOE national security responsibilities and requirements as set 
forth in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Response 
Framework. The information may also be used in developing legislative 
recommendations/reports to Congress and coordinating Federal efforts 
regarding activities such as incidents/disturbances in critical 
infrastructure protection, continuity of electric industry operations, 
and continuity of operations. The information submitted may also be 
used by the Energy Information Administration to analyze significant 
interruptions of electric power.

II. Current Actions

    The OE is considering adding an additional criterion under the 
``Criteria for Filing'' which would require facilities to report and 
contingencies involving extreme events which put stress on part(s) of 
an electric grid. These events may or may not cause service 
interruptions to customers.
    The information requested in Schedule 2 will be revised to allow 
respondents to have one area of the OE-417 form in which all the 
information is treated as protected. Previously, contact information 
included in Schedule 1 will be moved into Schedule 2 with no additional 
changes. In the Narrative of Schedule 2, a box has been added which 
allows respondents to put in the date of the ``Estimated Restoration 
Date for all Affected Customers Who

[[Page 15499]]

Can Receive Power.'' This will allow the DOE to know when all customers 
affected by the incident will have their power restored.
    In Schedule 1, line 12 asked for the ``Estimated Date/Time of 
Restoration.'' That line has been taken off of the form, but an inquiry 
about the estimated restoration time has been added into Schedule 2 to 
be considered protected information.
    Line 9 of Schedule 1 which asked for a ``Teleconference Number'' 
has been deleted from the form. This line will not appear in the 
contact information lines which were moved to Schedule 2, discussed 
above.
    The data will continue to be filed with the DOE's Emergency 
Operations Center. This DOE facility operates 24 hours daily, 7 days a 
week. Electronic submission is the preferred method of notification. 
Fax and telephone contact are also accepted. However, optional filing 
modes are being considered. The DOE is investigating an online 
submission process whereby the OE-417 form could be filled via a secure 
internet data collection system. This system would allow companies to 
submit forms directly to the DOE without having to e-mail or fax 
completed forms into the DOE Emergency Operations Center.

III. Request for Comments

    Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment 
on the actions discussed in item II. The following guidelines are 
provided to assist in the preparation of comments.

General Issues

    A. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency and does the 
information have practical utility? Practical utility is defined as the 
actual usefulness of information to or for an agency, taking into 
account its accuracy, adequacy, reliability, timeliness, and the 
agency's ability to process the information it collects.
    B. What enhancements can be made to the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected?

As a Potential Respondent to the Request for Information

    A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information to be 
collected?
    B. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If 
not, which instructions need clarification?
    C. Can the information be submitted by the due date?
    D. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to 
average 10 minutes for the Emergency Incident Report (Schedule 1, Part 
A) that is to be filed within 1 hour; the overall public reporting 
burden for the form is estimated at 2 hours to cover any detailed 
reporting in the Normal/Update Report (Schedule 1, Part B and Schedule 
2) which is filed later (up to 48 hours), if required. The estimated 
burden includes the total time necessary to provide the requested 
information. In your opinion, how accurate is this estimate?
    E. The agency estimates that the only cost to a respondent is for 
the time it will take to complete the collection. Will a respondent 
incur any start-up costs for reporting, or any recurring annual costs 
for operation, maintenance, and purchase of services associated with 
the information collection?
    F. What additional actions could be taken to minimize the burden of 
this collection of information? Such actions may involve the use of 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    G. Does any other Federal, State, or local agency collect similar 
information? If so, specify the agency, the data element(s), and the 
methods of collection.

As a Potential User of the Information To Be Collected

    A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information 
disseminated?
    B. Is the information useful at the levels of detail to be 
collected?
    C. For what purpose(s) would the information be used? Be specific.
    D. Are there alternate sources for the information and are they 
useful? If so, what are their weaknesses and/or strengths?
    Please refer to the proposed forms and instructions for more 
information about the purpose, who must report, when to report, where 
to submit, the elements to be reported, detailed instructions, 
provisions for confidentiality, and uses (including possible 
nonstatistical uses) of the information. For instructions on obtaining 
materials, see the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the form. They also 
will become a matter of public record.

    Statutory Authority: Section 3507(h)(1) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), 
Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-275, 15 U.S.C. 
761 et seq.), and the DOE Organization Act (Pub. L. 95-91, 42 U.S.C. 
7101 et seq.).

    Issued in Washington, DC, March 19, 2008.
 Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-5865 Filed 3-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P