[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 118 (Monday, June 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35867-35869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15279]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE), 
U.S. 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 August 19, 2011. If you anticipate 
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the 
person listed in Addresses as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Brian Copeland. To ensure receipt of the 
comments by the due date submission by e-mail: 
[email protected] or by Fax 202-586-2623 is recommended. The 
mailing address is Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy 
Reliability (Attn: Comments on OE-417 Electric Emergency Incident and 
Disturbance Report), OE-30, Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Washington, DC 20585. Alternatively, Brian Copeland may be 
contacted by telephone at 202-586-1178.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Brian Copeland using the contact information 
listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains:

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

I. Background

    The 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.) 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 Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE), 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 OE. 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 DOE 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)

[[Page 35868]]

so that the Government may help prevent the physical or virtual 
disruption of the operation of any critical infrastructure.
    Currently, 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 OE to analyze significant interruptions of electric power.

II. Current Actions

    OE is considering changing the wording for criteria 1, 2, 
9, & 10 to better capture the type of physical and cyber events that 
would need to be reported. The updated language would be:
    Criterion #1--Physical attack that causes major interruptions or 
impacts to critical infrastructure facilities or to operations;
    Criterion #2--Cyber event that causes interruptions of electrical 
system operations;
    Criterion #9--Physical attack that could potentially impact 
electric power system adequacy or reliability; or vandalism which 
targets components of any security systems;
    Criterion #10--Cyber event that could potentially impact electric 
power system adequacy or reliability.
    The Final Reporting deadline is proposed to be extended from 48 
hours to 72 hours. In Lines 5 and 6, ``Date/Time Incident Began'' and 
``Date/Time Incident Ended'' the inclusion of Time Zone check boxes is 
being considered. OE is also considering deleting Line 10 ``Internal 
Organizational Tracking Number.''
    In the renumbered Lines 10, 11, and 12 (the numbering has changed 
due to the deletion of the old Line 10) the ``Type of Emergency,'' 
``Causes of Incident,'' and ``Actions Taken'' a comments box to provide 
additional information for each of those lines is being considered for 
inclusion. This line would be entitled ``Additional Information/
Comments'' and would be an open space in which respondents can give 
further explanation for each of the categories specified in Lines 10, 
11, and 12. The information included in the ``Additional Information/
Comments'' boxes would be in Schedule 1 and therefore be public 
information and be different from the information included in the 
``Narrative'' in Schedule 2 which is Protected. In Line 11, ``Cause of 
Incident'', the check box labeled ``Actual or Suspected Attack'' would 
be changed to ``Actual or Suspected Attack/Event'' and underneath it 
``Cyber/Computer/Telecom'' would be changed to ``Cyber''. In Line 12 
``Actions Taken,'' an additional checkbox entitled ``Mitigation(s) 
Implemented'' would be added as well.
    OE has instituted an online filing option where respondents can 
file the form on OE's Web site. While the online form is now considered 
the preferred method of notification, respondents can still submit 
forms through e-mail, fax and telephone to the DOE Emergency Operations 
Center (EOC). The EOC operates 24 hours daily, 7 days a week.
    OE is considering improving its online filing capabilities to allow 
respondents to sign-on to a secure Web site in order to submit their 
forms. This secure Web site would allow respondents to review, 
download, and update past submissions. The Web site would also allow 
respondents to e-mail the submitted forms to entities such as the North 
American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).

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, 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 and disseminated?

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 72 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 http://www.oe.netl.doe.gov/oe417.aspx for copies of 
the the proposed forms as well as mock-ups of the proposed Web site for 
online submissions. Refer to the proposed Instructions, also available 
on this site, 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

[[Page 35869]]

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 collection of 
the information on refinery disruptions and incidents. They also will 
become a matter of public record.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains: (1) OMB No. 1901-0288; (2) Information Collection Request 
Title: Electric Emergency Incident and Disturbance Report; (3) Type of 
Review: Renewal; (4) Purpose: Form OE-417 collects information on 
electric emergency incidents and disturbances for DOE's use in 
fulfilling its overall national security and other energy management 
responsibilities. The information will also be used by DOE for 
analytical purposes; (5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,269; 
(6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 300; (7) Annual 
Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 3,919; and (8) Annual Estimated 
Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: 0.

    Statutory Authority: Section 13 of the Federal Energy 
Administration Act of 1974, codified at 15 U.S.C. 772.

    Issued in Washington, DC on June 3, 2011.
Patricia A. Hoffman,
Assistant Secretary of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and 
Energy Reliability.
[FR Doc. 2011-15279 Filed 6-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P