[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