View Information Collection Request (ICR) Package

OMB Control No: 0572-0158	ICR Reference No: 202305-0572-001
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No:
Agency/Subagency: USDA/RUS	Agency Tracking No:
Title: Empowering Rural America Program
Type of Information Collection: New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Emergency	Approval Requested By: 05/16/2023
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 06/16/2023
	Date Received in OIRA: 05/11/2023
Terms of Clearance: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for six months.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	12/31/2023	6 Months From Approved
Responses	5,824	0	0
Time Burden (Hours)	185,514	0	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Abstract: On August 16, 2022, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 (Pub. L. 117-169). Subtitle C, Section 22004 of IRA amended Section 9003 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8103) by adding subjection (j). Through the passing of IRA, the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program was established with the goal of providing financial assistance to electric cooperatives to achieve the greatest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through the cooperatives’ voluntary transformation of rural electric systems in a way that promotes resiliency and reliability of rural electric systems and affordability for their members. The New ERA Program will be administered by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), that provides, mortgage loans and loan guarantees to electric systems to provide and improve electric service in rural areas pursuant to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, as amended (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq., RE Act). Section 22004 of IRA provided the Agency with $9,700,000,000 in Budget Authority (BA), to remain available until September 30, 2031. With this BA, the Agency, through the New ERA Program, will provide financial assistance in the form of loans, loan and grant combinations, loan refinancing and modifications and other financial assistance.

Emergency Justfication: The Rural Utilities Service of the Rural Development (RD) Mission Area (Agency) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is requesting emergency review and approval of a new information collection for the collection of information associated with the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program. The implementation of this new program is a priority of the Biden-Harris Administration and the Secretary of Agriculture. The Agency is requesting emergency approval by May 16, 2023. The program authorized under Section 22004 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Public Law 117-169, will be launched on May 16, 2023, using a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that will be published in the Federal Register. The NOFO will announce the requirements for eligible applicants to submit applications and the Agency will begin accepting applications upon publication. The goal of the New ERA Program is to support clean, affordable energy growth across America. The IRA contains many transformative provisions. Importantly, it makes the largest investment in clean energy in history, allowing communities that have previously been left out of the transition to access affordable, reliable, and clean energy. The IRA also marks the largest investment in rural electrification since the 1930s, providing unique opportunities to advance economic development and quality of life in rural communities. The Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized these initiatives, elevating the role of infrastructure and the needs of rural America in its policies and their implementation. In order to expedite the obligation of funds, it is necessary to launch the program and begin collecting applications on July 31, 2023, as directed by OMB and the White House Clean Energy and Climate Team. An emergency approval is necessary in order to meet the timeline to announce the application window. Demand is anticipated to be extremely high for this new program as construction of approved renewable energy infrastructure projects will take multiple years to complete and disbursement of funds may not extend past September 30, 3031. In compliance with OMB regulations (5 CFR Part 1320), which implements the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13), the information collection and recordkeeping requirements that may be imposed by this section are submitted to OMB for emergency review and approval. Attached are the supporting statement and burden worksheet for the collection.

Authorizing Statute(s): PL: Pub.L. 117 - 169 Subtitle C, Section 22004 Name of Law: Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 1

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Empowering Rural America Program

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate
Annual Number of Responses	5,824	5,824
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	185,514	185,514
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: This is a new package which requests a new collection. Therefore, there has not been any program changes or adjustments to explain.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $6,642,736

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

Agency Contact: Pamela Bennett 202 720-9639 pamela.bennett@usda.gov

View ICR - OIRA Conclusion