[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 199 (Tuesday, October 17, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71528-71529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22839]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

[Docket No. RUS-23-Telecom-0012]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Electric System 
Emergency Restoration Plan; OMB Control No.: 0572-0140

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Utilities Service 
(RUS) announces its' intention to request an extension of a currently 
approved information collection and invites comments on this 
information collection.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by December 18, 2023 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by the Federal eRulemaking Portal: 
Go to http://www.regulations.gov and, in the ``Search Field'' box, 
labeled ``Search for dockets and documents on agency actions,'' enter 
the following docket number: (RUS-23-Telecom-0012), and click 
``Search.'' To submit public comments, select the ``Comment'' button. 
Before inputting your comments, you may also review the ``Commenter's 
Checklist'' (optional).

[[Page 71529]]

Insert your comments under the ``Comment'' title, click ``Browse'' to 
attach files (if applicable). Input your email address and select an 
identity category then click ``Submit Comment.'' 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 ``FAQ'' link.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Crystal Pemberton, Management Analyst, 
Branch 1, Rural Development Innovation Center--Regulations Management 
Division, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW, South Building, Washington, DC 20250-1522. Telephone: (202) 
260-8621. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
regulation (5 CFR part 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 the following information collection 
that RUS is submitting to OMB as extension to an existing collection 
with Agency adjustment.
    Title: Electric System Emergency Restoration Plan.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0140.
    Expiration Date of Approval: March 31, 2024.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average .5 hour per response.
    Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 41.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 20.5 hours.
    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 seq., 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 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 applicant provides RUS with a written 
self-certification letter form that an ERP exists for the system and 
that an initial VRA has been performed as part of the application 
process.
    Comments are invited on:
    (a) Whether the 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. All responses to this notice 
will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All 
comments will become a matter of public record.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Crystal 
Pemberton, Rural Development Innovation Center--Regulations Management 
Division, at (202) 260-8621. Email: [email protected].
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

Andrew Berke,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-22839 Filed 10-16-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P