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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Utilities Service Bulletin 1730B-2


UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service

Bulletin 1730B-2


SUBJECT: Guide for Electric System Emergency Restoration Plan

TO: RUS Electric Borrowers and RUS Electric Staff

EFFECTIVE DATE: Date of Approval

OFFICE OF PRIMARY INTEREST: Electric Staff Division, Electric Program

FILING INSTRUCTIONS: This is a new bulletin and file with 7 CFR Part 1730.

AVAILABILITY: This bulletin is available on the RUS electric website at:
http://www.usda.gov/rus/electric/bulletins.htm.

PURPOSE: This guide bulletin contains information to assist RUS electric borrowers in the
development of a vulnerability and risk assessment (VRA) and an Emergency Restoration Plan
(ERP). This guide bulletin provides references to existing resources and suggested practices
with respect to security of critical electric infrastructure.















January 7, 2005
___________________________________ _________________
James R. Newby
Date
Assistant Administrator, Electric Program RUS Bulletin 1730B-2
Page 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 GENERAL...............................................................................................................5
2 BACKGROUND .....................................................................................................5
3
VULNERABILITY AND RISK ASSESSMENT (VRA).....................................12
4
EMERGENCY RESTORATION PLAN (ERP) ...................................................16
5
REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF VULNERABILITY AND RISK
ASSESSMENTS AND ERP BY RUS ..................................................................19
Exhibits
Exhibit A Federal Emergency Response Telephone and Contact Information
Exhibit B Tables of Probability and Impacts
Exhibit C FEMAs Sample Guide for Creating and ERP

INDEX:

Emergency Restoration Plan (ERP)

Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (VRA)

ABBREVIATIONS

CIPC
Critical Infrastructure Protection Committee
DHS
Department of Homeland Security
DOE
U.S. Department of Energy
ERP
Emergency Restoration Plan
ES
Electric Sector
ESISAC
Electric Sector Information Sharing and Analysis Center
FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
FERC
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
G&T
Generation and Transmission Cooperative
GFR
General Field Representative
HLS
Homeland Security
HSPD
Homeland Security Presidential Directive
IAIP
Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection
IOU
Investor Owned Utility
ISAC
Information Sharing and Analysis Center
NERC
North American Electric Reliability Council
NIPC
National Infrastructure Protection Center
NRC
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
NRECA
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
O&M
Operations and Maintenance
PDD
Presidential Decision Directive
POC
Point of Contact
PSD
Power Supply Division
REA
Rural Electrification Administration
RUS
Rural Utilities Service
SCADA
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems
VRA
Vulnerability and Risk Assessment RUS Bulletin 1730B-2
Page 3
DEFINITIONS

Bulk transmission facilities: Are the transmission facilities connecting power supply facilities
to subtransmission facilities, including both the high and low voltage sides of the transformers
used to connect to the subtransmission facilities, as well as the supervisory control and data
acquisition systems (SCADA).

Cyber-based systems: Electronic, radio-frequency, or computer-based information,
communication, or control components or assets of a business.

Disaster: A sudden calamitous event bringing damage, loss, or destruction. The term "disaster"
lends itself to a preconceived notion of a large-scale event, usually a "natural disaster." In fact,
however, each event must be addressed within the context of the impact it has on the utility and
the consumer. What might constitute a nuisance to a large utility or consumer could be a
"disaster" to a small utility or consumer.

Distribution facilities: Includes all electrical lines and related facilities beginning at a
consumers meter base and continuing back to and including the distribution substation.

Emergency Management: Emergency Management is the process of preparing for, mitigating,
responding to and recovering from an emergency. Emergency management is a dynamic
process. Planning, though critical, is not the only component of the process. Training,
conducting exercises and drills, testing equipment and coordinating activities are other important
emergency management process functions.

Emergency: An emergency is any unplanned event that can involve deaths or significant
injuries to employees, customers or the public, or that can shut down a business, disrupt
operations, cause physical or environmental damage, or threaten a business financial standing or
public image. Numerous events can be "emergencies," including: winter storms, hurricanes,
tornados, floods, earthquakes, fires, hazardous materials incidents, losses of key suppliers or
customers, communications failures, chemical or radiological accidents and civil disturbances.

Generation facilities: Includes the electricity production plant and related facilities, including
the building containing generation facilities, all fuel handling facilities, the step-up substation
used to convert the generator voltage to transmission voltage, as well as related energy
management (dispatching) systems.

Likelihood of occurrence: Defined in terms of the ease or difficulty of an action to happen in
relationship to the probability of discovery or denial of action along with the time to achieve the
desired results.

North America: Includes the United States, Canada and Mexico
RUS Bulletin 1730B-2
Page 4

Physical and financial loss: With respect to RUS borrowers, physical and financial loss is
defined in terms of loss of life, risk to public health, impact to the ability to serve a large portion
of customers for an extended period of time, impact to the reliability or operability of the energy
grid, or impact to the continuity of business to the point where the repayment of RUS loan funds
is jeopardized.

Private Sector: Individuals and business organizations that are not affiliated with Federal, state
or local Government entities.

Subtransmission facilities: Includes the transmission facilities that connect the high voltage
side of the distribution substation to the low voltage side of the bulk transmission or generating
facilities, as well as related SCADA facilities.

Tabletop Exercise: A hypothetical emergency response scenario in which participants get
together around a table and identify the policy, communications, resources, data, coordination,
and organizational elements associated with an emergency response.

Transmission facilities: Includes all electrical lines and related facilities, including certain
substations, used to connect distribution facilities to generation facilities. Transmission facilities
include bulk transmission and subtransmission facilities.


FORMS

RUS Form 300, Review Rating Summary RUS Bulletin 1730B-2
Page 5
1 GENERAL

This guide bulletin is to assist Rural Utilities Service (RUS) borrowers in understanding
the purpose and aid in the development of a Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (VRA)
and an Emergency Restoration Plan (ERP). The underlying principle of possessing an
ERP is to assure the security of RUS loan funds as well the security of the electric
infrastructure in rural America. The electric infrastructure covered in this guide bulletin
includes the generation of energy and transmission and distribution of electric power to
Rural Electrification Act (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) beneficiaries. This guide bulletin
references and contains general methodologies, practices and planning related to
procedures which support the protection of electric systems and support homeland
security in the protection of the electric infrastructure. This guide bulletin outlines RUS
minimal requirements and suggested practices with respect to instituting security
measures.

This guide bulletin identifies KEY provisions that should be incorporated in an ERP and
provides references to assist utilities in the development of an ERP through the use of a
VRA. Utilities may determine that additional provisions beyond what is discussed in this
guide bulletin may be required for their system.

Making the "Case" for Emergency Management

Emergency management requires upper management support if it is to be successful. The
tone is set by the chief executive by authorizing planning to take place and directing the
involvement of senior management. Avoid dwelling on the negative effects of an
emergency (e.g., deaths, fines, criminal prosecution,) when presenting the "case" for
emergency management, and emphasize the positive aspects of preparedness, prudent
utility practice and RUS requirements (when applicable). Emergency management helps
companies fulfill their moral responsibil