Terms of the
previous clearance remain in effect. FERC is resubmitting this
information collection associated with this proposed rule (RM13-5)
due to an administrative change with the OMB ICR submission system.
The agency previously submitted this proposed rule ICR and OMB
concluded review on 7/16/2013 as "comment filed on proposed rule
and continue," ICR #201304-1902-001. By resubmitting this proposed
rule ICR, the agency will be able to resubmit the final rule ICR
for OMB review.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
06/30/2015
36 Months From Approved
06/30/2015
1,501
0
1,501
848,730
0
848,730
5,444
0
5,444
FERC is resubmitting this proposed
rule for administrative purposes only. The original submission was
decided on by OMB on 7/16/2013 (ICR #201304-1902-001). On August 8,
2005, The Electricity Modernization Act of 2005, which is Title XII
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), was enacted into
law. EPAct 2005 added a new section 215 to the Federal Power Act
(FPA), which requires a Commission-certified Electric Reliability
Organization (ERO) to develop mandatory and enforceable Reliability
Standards, which are subject to Commission review and approval.
Once approved the Reliability Standards may be enforced by the ERO,
subject to Commission oversight. On January 18, 2008, the
Commission issued Order No. 706, which approved the CIP version 1
Standards to address cyber security of the Bulk-Power System. In
Order No. 706, the Commission approved eight CIP Reliability
Standards (CIP-002-1 through CIP-009-1). While approving the CIP
version 1 Standards, the Commission also directed NERC to develop
modifications to the CIP version 1 Standards, intended to enhance
the protection provided by the CIP Reliability Standards.
Subsequently, NERC filed the CIP version 2 and CIP version 3
Standards in partial compliance with Order No. 706. The Commission
approved these standards in September 2009 and March 2010,
respectively. On April 19, 2012, the Commission issued Order No.
761, which approved the CIP version 4 Standards (CIP-002-4 through
CIP-009-4). Reliability Standard CIP-002-4 (Critical Cyber Asset
Identification) sets forth 17 uniform bright line criteria for
identifying Critical Assets. The Commission also accepted NERC's
proposed implementation schedule for the CIP version 4 Standards,
which are scheduled for full implementation and enforceability
beginning April 2014. In its petition to the Commission to approve
the CIP version 5 standards, NERC states that it took into
consideration 4 years of experience since the first CIP standards
were implemented, as well as FERC directives developed the proposed
CIP Version 5 standards to better protect the reliability of the
nation's Bulk Electric System (BES) from cyber-attacks. The
information collection requirements in the CIP Version 5 standards
apply to the following functional entities: balancing authorities,
distribution providers, generator operators, generator owners,
interchange coordinators (or interchange authorities), reliability
coordinators, transmission operators, and transmission owners.
Based on the NERC registry, FERC estimates there are 1,475 entities
registered for at least one of the functions listed above. The
cyber security policy, process, and procedure documentation
required by the CIP standards are the principal components of a
cyber-security program. The main use for the information generated
is to achieve and maintain a cyber-secure operational state, a
process which requires vigilant monitoring of activity against
documented policies and procedures. Similarly, the applicable
compliance enforcement authority (regional entity or NERC) uses the
information to measure an entity's compliance with a given
requirement. If the information collection requirements did not
exist then it would be difficult to monitor and enforce compliance
with the standards, which could lead entities to relax their
compliance with the requirements. Also, creating and maintaining
documentation is integral to the task of performing cyber security,
as reflected in the fact that some of the reliability standards'
requirements actually require an entity to create a document (as
opposed to documenting compliance with a requirement). Without such
information collection an entity may fail to perform actions that
may affect the reliability and security of the grid.
US Code:
18
USC 824o Name of Law: Federal Power Act
FERC is averaging the estimated
burden hours across the first three years in to create an annual
figure to provide to OMB. This annual figure is 780,107 hrs
[(418,048 hrs + 1,162,788 hrs + 757,948 hrs)/3 = 779,595 hrs].
After the first three years, entities will have completed
implementation of CIP version 5 and the total burden will be
reduced by 383,543 hours/year. FERC proposes to add the annual
hours from the NOPR, 779,595 hours, to an adjusted baseline of
burden hours under the existing CIP standards. FERC is adjusting
the existing hours based upon careful review of the assumptions. In
particular, one of the assumptions was that entities would incur
the full burden of preparing for an audit each year instead of
every 3-5 years. A small fraction of entities may be responsible
for multiple functions and be audited on a more frequent basis. We
account for that in the adjusted figure. Also, the assumptions did
not include some of the yearly burden required to keep documents up
to date for future audits. Finally, there are 26 fewer entities now
than there were the last time OMB approved this collection (a
reduction from 1,501 to 1,475), but 61 unique distribution
providers are required to comply for the first time. The adjustment
in entities is -87. The general reason for the reduction in
entities is caused by some entities merging and some entities
dropping from the market. FERC does not consider there to be any
additional non-labor costs for CIP version 5. The adjustment in the
annual cost burden is due to fewer applicable entities.
$2,250
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Jan Bargen 2025026333
jan.bargen@ferc.gov
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.