[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 157 (Wednesday, August 16, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38899-38901]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-17255]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Information Collection 
Extension

AGENCY: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of 
Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: EIA, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, intends 
to extend (with changes) for three years with the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) Form OE-417 Electric Emergency Incident and 
Disturbance Report, OMB Control Number 1901-0288. Form OE-417 enables 
the U.S. Department of Energy

[[Page 38900]]

(DOE) to monitor emergencies and significant incidents that affect U.S. 
electric power systems. The information gathered allows DOE to conduct 
post-incident reviews examining significant interruptions of electric 
power or threats to the national electric system.

DATES: Comments regarding this proposed information collection must be 
received on or before October 16, 2017. If you anticipate difficulty in 
submitting comments within that period, contact the person listed in 
ADDRESSES as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent to OE-417 Recertification, C/O 
Matthew Tarduogno, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20585 or by fax at 202-586-2623, or by email at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Matthew Tarduogno, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, or by phone at 202-586-
2892, or by email at [email protected]. Additional 
information may also be found at: https://www.oe.netl.doe.gov/oe417.aspx.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 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 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    This information collection request contains:
    (1) OMB No. 1901-0288.
    (2) Information Collection Request Title: Electric Emergency 
Incident and Disturbance Report.
    (3) Type of Request: Renewal.
    (4) Purpose: The U.S Department of Energy uses Form OE-417 
Emergency Incident and Disturbance Report to monitor emergencies and 
incidents that affect U.S. electric power systems. The information 
gathered allows DOE to conduct post-incident reviews examining 
significant interruptions, or potential interruptions, of electric 
power or threats to the national electric system. Form OE-417 enables 
DOE to meet the Department's national security responsibilities and 
requirements as the lead agency for Emergency Support Function (ESF) 
#12--Energy under the National Response Framework and the Sector-
Specific Agency for energy under Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 21 
and PPD 41. The information may also be shared with other non-
regulatory federal agencies assisting in emergency response and 
recovery operations, or investigating the causes of an incident or 
disturbance to the national electric system. Public summaries are 
posted to the DOE Form OE-417 Web site on a monthly basis to keep the 
public informed.
    (4a) Proposed Changes to Information Collection: The main proposed 
change to Form OE-417 is to incorporate questions that are or will be 
included in the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) 
EOP-004 Reliability Standard Event Reporting Form. Currently if an 
entity submits a Form OE-417 and elects to have it submitted to NERC, 
the entity does not need to file an EOP-004 Event Reporting Form; 
however there were some questions on EOP-004 Event Reporting Form that 
are not covered by Form OE-417. By incorporating these additional 
questions, and aligning language, entities will only be required to 
submit Form OE-417. This will reduce the reporting burden for the 
electric power industry. Additional changes to Form OE-417 clarify and 
improve the flow of questions.
    1. The instructions will include a note that ``NERC has determined 
that, for U.S. NERC reporting entities, the proposed revised Form OE-
417 meets NERC's submittal requirements'' (i.e. Form EOP-004).
    2. Alternative methods of filing Form OE-417 are added to allow the 
use of email submissions; however, online submissions remain the 
preferred method.
    3. Under ``Criteria for Filing,'' three categories of submission 
will be shown: ``Emergency Alert; Normal Report; System Report'' to 
provide better clarity and easy reference.
    4. Minor edits were made to the Alert criteria 5 and 6 to align 
with EOP-004 Reliability Standard terminology.
    5. Under ``Criteria for Filing'' section: 12 new data elements are 
added to collect the additional information that NERC collects or will 
collect on under the EOP-004 Reliability Standard. The additional 
questions are in a new category of submission called ``System Report'' 
and include:
    a. Damage or destruction of a Facility within its Reliability 
Coordinator Area, Balancing Authority Area or Transmission Operator 
Area that results in action(s) to avoid a Bulk Electric System 
Emergency;
    b. Damage or destruction of its Facility that results from actual 
or suspected intentional human action;
    c. Physical threat to its Facility excluding weather or natural 
disaster related threats, which has the potential to degrade the normal 
operation of the Facility. Or suspicious device or activity at its 
Facility;
    d. Physical threat to its Bulk Electric System control center, 
excluding weather or natural disaster related threats, which has the 
potential to degrade the normal operation of the control center. OR 
suspicious device or activity at its Bulk Electric System control 
center;
    e. Bulk Electric System Emergency resulting in voltage deviation on 
a Facility; a voltage deviation of equal to or greater than 10% of 
nominal voltage sustained for greater than or equal to 15 continuous 
minutes;
    f. Uncontrolled loss of 200 Megawatts or more of firm system loads 
for 15 minutes or more from a single incident for entities with 
previous year's peak demand less than or equal to 3,000 Megawatts;
    g. Total generation loss, within one minute of: Greater than or 
equal to 2,000 Megawatts in the Eastern or Western Interconnection or 
greater than or equal to 1,400 Megawatts in the ERCOT Interconnection;
    h. Complete loss of off-site power (LOOP) affecting a nuclear 
generating station per the Nuclear Plant Interface Requirements;
    i. Unexpected Transmission loss within its area, contrary to 
design, of three or more Bulk Electric System Facilities caused by a 
common disturbance (excluding successful automatic reclosing);
    j. Unplanned evacuation from its Bulk Electric System control 
center facility for 30 continuous minutes or more;
    k. Complete loss of Interpersonal Communication and Alternative 
Interpersonal Communication capability affecting its staffed Bulk 
Electric System control center for 30 continuous minutes or more;
    l. Complete loss of monitoring or control capability at its staffed 
Bulk Electric System control center for 30 continuous minutes or more.
    6. Re-labeled line numbers 1 through 20 to line numbers A through T 
to

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prevent confusion between line numbers and alert criteria.
    7. Added an Alert status category ``system report,'' which shall be 
filed by the later of 24 hours after the recognition of the incident OR 
by the end of the next business day. This change aligns with the EOP-
004 Reliability Standard. 4:00 p.m. local time will be definition for 
the end of the business day.
    8. Under Electric Emergency Incident and Disturbance Report 
section, lines J, K, L were reorganized into ``Cause, Impact, and 
Action Taken'' for clarity and ease of use and additional items were 
added to align with NERC's EOP-004 Reliability Standard.
    9. The burden per response for completing Form OE-417 is reduced 
from 2.16 hours to 1.8 hours based on findings from the results from 
cognitive research conducted by the U.S. Energy Information 
Administration.
    EIA also proposes to amend its data protection policy for 
information reported on Schedule 2 of Form OE-417. Currently this 
information is protected from public release to the extent that it 
satisfies the criteria for exemption under the Freedom of Information 
Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552, the DOE regulations, 10 CFR 1004.11 
implementing FOIA, and the Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S.C. 1905. EIA 
proposes to use the Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII) 
regulations as set forth by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to 
implement the requirements of the Fixing America's Surface 
Transportation (FAST) Act, Public Law 114-94, pursuant to section 
215A(d) of the Federal Power Act, as amended, to protect information 
reported on Schedule 2 in addition to continuing to apply FOIA 
exemptions and using the Trade Secrets Act. This change will strengthen 
DOE's ability to protect information reported on Schedule 2 of Form OE-
417 and authorize DOE to withhold company identifiable information from 
public release.
    The new data protection provision for Form OE-417 will be as 
follows: The information reported on Schedule 1 will be considered 
``public information'' and may be publicly released in company or 
individually identifiable form.
    Information on Schedule 2 of Form OE-417 will not be disclosed to 
the public to the extent that it satisfies the criteria for exemption 
under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552, the DOE 
regulations, 10 CFR 1004.11, implementing the FOIA, the Trade Secrets 
Act, 18 U.S.C. 1905 and Critical Energy Infrastructure Information 
regulations as defined by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
pursuant to section 215A(d) of the Federal Power Act, as amended.
    In accordance with the Federal Energy Administration Act, the DOE 
provides company-specific protected data to other Federal agencies when 
requested for official use. The information reported on this form may 
also be made available, upon request, to another component of DOE; to 
any Committee of Congress, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, 
or other Federal agencies authorized by law to receive such 
information. A court of competent jurisdiction may obtain this 
information in response to an order. The information may be used for 
any non-statistical purposes such as administrative, regulatory, law 
enforcement, or adjudicatory purposes.
    The data collected on Form OE-417, Electric Emergency Incident and 
disturbance Report, will be used by DOE to meet its overall national 
security and National Response Framework responsibilities.
    (5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,395.
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 300.
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 5,315.
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: 
$391,503.

    Statutory Authority:  Section 13(b) of the Federal Energy 
Administration Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93-275, codified as 15 U.S.C. 
772(b) and the DOE Organization Act of 1977, Pub. L. 95-91, codified 
at 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq. In addition, 15 U.S.C. 772(b); 764(a); 
764(b); and 790a, of the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 
(FEA Act), Pub. L. 93-275, as well as the Public Utility Regulatory 
Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2601, Pub. L. 93-275.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 2, 2017.
Devon Streit,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Infrastructure Security and Energy 
Restoration, Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability, U.S. 
Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2017-17255 Filed 8-15-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P