Document ID: FERC-2021-1593-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Guidance: Final Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 18-Level 2 Risk Analysis
Posted Date: 2021-12-23T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 244 (Thursday, December 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72945-72946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27779]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. AD20-23-000]

Notice of Availability of Final Engineering Guidelines for the 
Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 18--Level 2 Risk Analysis

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) has prepared a final ``Chapter 18--Level 2 Risk Analysis'' 
of its Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects 
(Guidelines). This chapter is one of four new chapters of the 
Guidelines intended to provide additional guidance related to 18 CFR 
part 12, Safety of Water Power Projects and Project Works, Docket No. 
RM20-9-000, Order No 880, issued by the Commission on December 16, 
2021.
    On July 16, 2020, the Commission issued a Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (NOPR) to revise its part 12 regulations. On the same day, 
the Commission solicited public review and comment on four new draft 
chapters of its Guidelines. Draft Chapter 18 was part of that issuance.
    The Commission received nine comment letters in response to draft 
Chapter 18. Most of the comments were submitted by licensees and 
individuals through trade associations, including National Hydropower 
Association, Dam Safety Interest Group of CEATI International, and US 
Society on Dams, as well as the US Army Corps of Engineers. Comments 
were also received from individual licensees, corporations, and 
individuals, including McMillen Jacobs Associates, David L. Mathews, 
City of North Little Rock Electric, Central Nebraska Public Power and 
Irrigation District, and Upper Peninsular Power Company.
    In all, the nine comment letters consisted of over 250 discrete 
comments. The comments received were varied and ranged from requesting 
clarification of the overall need and approach to a risk analysis 
process to questions regarding implementation and execution of the risk 
analysis process. Commenters requested clarification of procedural 
aspects of performing a risk analysis and recommended improvements to 
the risk analysis process and methodology. Commenters asked the 
Commission to:
     Consider that there is a limited availability of qualified 
individuals and consultants with the requisite experience and training 
to perform a semi-quantitative risk analysis;
     Consider that the risk analysis process will increase the 
cost of conducting a Part 12D report;
     Provide additional guidance on conducting hydrologic 
hazard analyses and consequence estimates;
     Clarify whether training will be available from FERC or 
others for risk analysis facilitators and others conducting risk 
analyses; and
     Provide additional guidance on the screening of potential 
failure modes prior to conducting the risk analysis.
    Commission staff has considered all comments in finalizing Chapter 
18 of the Engineering Guidelines. Based on the comments received, 
Chapter 18 has been revised to:
     Clarify the qualifications and role of the risk analysis 
facilitator(s) and team members;
     Clarify the identification and screening of potential 
failure modes;

[[Page 72946]]

     Provide additional discussion and examples of the critical 
load method to estimate the likelihood of failure;
     Provide clarification and additional guidance on 
estimating consequences (e.g., life safety consequences, economic 
consequences, financial consequences for damage state potential failure 
modes, and environmental and other non-monetary consequences);
     Add a risk analysis matrix for incremental financial/
damage state consequences; and
     Include background information on developing hydrologic 
hazard curves for semi-quantitative risk analyses.
    All information related to ``Chapter 18--Level 2 Risk Analysis,'' 
including the draft chapter, all submitted comments, and the final 
chapter, can be found on the FERC website (www.ferc.gov) using the 
eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' 
and enter the docket number, excluding the last three digits in the 
Docket Number field (i.e., AD20-23). Be sure you have selected an 
appropriate date range. The Commission also offers a free service 
called eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal 
issuances and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the 
amount of time you spend researching proceedings by automatically 
providing you with electronic notification of these filings and direct 
links to the documents. Go to the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov), 
select the FERC Online option from the left-hand column, and click on 
eSubscription. Users must be registered in order to use eSubscription.
    The final version of Chapter 18 is also available on the 
Commission's Division of Dam Safety and Inspections website at: 
Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects [bond] 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (ferc.gov).

Information Collection Statement

    Chapter 18 includes information collection activities for which the 
Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521, requires approval by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The Commission has included the 
burden and cost estimates for information collection activities related 
to this chapter in the rulemaking document (Docket No. RM20-9-000, 
Order No. 880). The Commission has designated the information 
collection activities in the rule as FERC-517. Upon final approval of 
FERC-517, OMB will assign an OMB Control Number and expiration date.
    Send written comments on FERC-517 to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) through www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, Attention: 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the 
OMB control number (1902-TBD) in the subject line. Your comments should 
be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register. OMB submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance 
with submission guidelines at www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Using 
the search function under the ``Currently Under Review field,'' select 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; click ``submit'' and select 
``comment'' to the right of the subject collection.
    For assistance with any of the Commission's online systems, please 
contact FERC Online Support at ferc.gov">[email protected]ferc.gov or toll free 
at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8258.

    Dated: December 16, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-27779 Filed 12-22-21; 8:45 am]
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