(a) An ongoing, integrated planning system is needed by borrowers to determine their short-term and long-term needs for plant additions, improvements, replacements, and retirements. The primary components of the system consist of long-range engineering plans, construction work plans (CWPs), CWP amendments, and special engineering and cost studies. Long range engineering plans identify plant investments required over a period of 10-20 years or more. CWPs specify and document plant requirements for the short-term, usually 4 years, and special engineering and cost studies are used to support CWPs and to identify and document requirements for specific items or purposes, such as load management equipment, System Control and Data Acquisition equipment, sectionalizing investments, and additions of generation capacity and associated transmission plant.

(b) A long range engineering plan specifies and supports the major system additions, improvements, replacements, and retirements needed for an orderly transition from the existing system to the system required 10 or more years in the future. The planned future system should be based on the most technically and economically sound means of serving the borrower's long-range loads in a reliable and environmentally acceptable manner, and it should ensure that planned facilities will not become obsolete prematurely.

(c) A CWP shall include investment cost estimates and supporting engineering and cost studies to demonstrate the need for each proposed facility or activity and the reasonableness of the investment projections and the engineering assumptions used in sizing the facilities. The CWP must be consistent with the borrower's long range engineering plan and both documents must be consistent with the borrower's RUS-approved power requirements study.

(d) Applications for a loan or loan guarantee from RUS (new loans or budget reclassifications) must be supported by a current CWP approved by RUS. RUS approval of these plans relates only to the facilities, equipment, and other purposes to be financed by RUS, and means that the plans provide an adequate basis from a planning and engineering standpoint to support RUS financing. RUS approval of the plans does not mean that RUS approves of the facilities, equipment, or other purposes for which the borrower is not seeking RUS financing. If RUS disagrees with a borrower's estimate of the cost of one or more facilities for which RUS financing is sought, RUS may adjust the estimate after consulting with the borrower and explaining the reasons for the adjustment.

(e) Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section, to be eligible for RUS financing, the facilities, including equipment and other items, included in a CWP must be approved by RUS and receive Environmental Clearance before the start of construction. This requirement also applies to any amendments to a CWP required to add facilities to a CWP or to make significant physical changes in the facilities already included in a CWP. Provision for funding of “minor projects” under an RUS loan guarantee is permitted on the same basis as that discussed for insured loan funds in 7 CFR part 1721, Post-Loan Policies and Procedures for Insured Electric Loans.

(f) In the case of damage caused by storms, natural catastrophes, sabotage, willful attacks, accidents, or acts of force majeure, a borrower may proceed with emergency repair work before a CWP or CWP amendment is prepared by the borrower and approved by RUS, without losing eligibility for RUS financing of the repairs. The borrower must notify RUS in writing after the incident, of its preliminary estimates of damages and repair costs. Not later than 120 days after the incident, the borrower must submit to RUS for approval, a CWP or CWP amendment detailing the repairs.

(g) A CWP may be amended or augmented when the borrower can demonstrate the need for the changes.

(h) A borrower's CWP or special engineering studies must be supported by the appropriate level of environmental review documentation, in accordance with 7 CFR part 1970.

(i) All engineering activities required by this subpart must be performed by qualified engineers, who may be staff employees of the borrower or outside consultants. All engineering services must be reviewed by a licensed professional engineer.

(j) Upon written request from a borrower, RUS may waive in writing certain requirements with respect to long-range engineering plans and CWPs if RUS determines that such requirements impose a substantial burden on the borrower and that waiving the requirements will not significantly affect the accomplishment of the objectives of this subpart. For example, if a borrower's load is forecast to remain constant or decline during the planning period, RUS may waive those portions of the plans that relate to load growth.

(a) All distribution borrowers must maintain a current CWP covering all new construction, improvements, replacements, and retirements of distribution and transmission plant, and improvements replacements, and retirements of any generation plant. Construction of new generation capacity need not be included in a CWP but must be specified and supported by specific engineering and cost studies. (See § 1710.253.)

(b) A distribution borrower's CWP shall typically cover a construction period of 4 years and includes all facilities to be constructed which are eligible for RUS financing, whether or not RUS financial assistance will be sought or be available for certain facilities. Any RUS financing provided for the facilities will be limited to a 4 year loan period. The construction period covered by a CWP in support of a loan application shall not be shorter than the loan period requested for financing of the facilities.

(c) The facilities, equipment and other items included in a distribution borrower's CWP may include:

(1) Line extensions required to connect consumers, improve service reliability or improve voltage conditions;

(2) Distribution tie lines to improve reliability of service and voltage regulation;

(3) Line conversions and changes required to improve existing services or provide additional capacity for new consumers;

(4) New substation facilities or additions to existing substations;

(5) Transmission and substation facilities required to support the distribution system;

(6) Distribution equipment required to serve new consumers or to provide adequate and dependable service to existing consumers, including replacement of existing plant facilities;

(7) Outdoor lights;

(8) Communications equipment and meters;

(9) Headquarters facilities;

(10) Improvements, replacements, and retirements of generation facilities;

(11) Load management equipment, automatic sectionalizing facilities, and centralized System Control and Data Acquisition equipment. Load management equipment eligible for financing, including the related costs of installation, is limited to capital equipment designed to influence the time and manner of consumer use of electricity, which includes peak clipping and load shifting. To be eligible for financing, such equipment must be owned by the borrower, although it may be located inside or outside a consumer's premises;

(12) The cost of engineering, architectural, environmental, and other studies and plans needed to support the construction of facilities, when such cost is capitalized as part of the cost of the facilities; and

(13) Other items that are specifically determined by RUS as being eligible for financing prior to inclusion in the CWP.

(a) All power supply borrowers must maintain a current CWP covering all new construction, improvements, replacements, and retirements of distribution and transmission plant, and improvements, replacements, and retirements of generation plant. Applications for RUS financial assistance for such facilities must be supported by a current, RUS-approved CWP. Construction of new generation capacity need not be included in a CWP but must be specified and supported by specific engineering and cost studies.

(b) Typically a power supply borrower's CWP shall cover a period of 4 years. While comprehensive CWP's are desired, if there are extenuating circumstances RUS may accept a single-purpose transmission or generation CWP in support of a loan application or budget reclassification. The construction period covered by a CWP in support of a loan application shall not be shorter than the loan period requested for financing of the facilities.

(c) Facilities, equipment, and other items included in a power supply borrower's CWP may include:

(1) Distribution and related facilities as set forth in § 1710.251(c);

(2) Transmission facilities required to deliver the power needed to serve the existing and planned new loads of the borrower and its members, and to improve service reliability, including tie lines for improved reliability of service, line conversions, improvements and replacements, new substations and substation improvements and replacements, and Systems Control and Data Acquisition equipment, including communications, dispatching and sectionalizing equipment, and load management equipment;

(3) The borrower's proportionate share of transmission facilities required to tie together the operating systems of supporting power pools and to connect with adjacent power suppliers;

(4) Improvements and replacements of generation facilities; and

(5) The cost of engineering, architectural, environmental and other studies and plans needed to support the construction of facilities, when such cost is capitalized as part of the cost of the facilities.

(d) A CWP for transmission facilities shall normally include studies of load flows, voltage regulation, and stability characteristics to demonstrate system performance and needs.

(a) The construction or purchase of additional generation capacity and associated transmission facilities by a power supply or distribution borrower, including the replacement of existing capacity, shall be supported by comprehensive project-specific engineering and cost studies as specified by RUS. The studies shall cover a period from the beginning of the project to at least 10 years after the start of commercial operation of the facilities.

(b) The studies must include comprehensive economic present-value analyses of the costs and revenues of the available self-generation, load management, energy conservation, and purchased-power options, including assessments of service reliability and financing requirements and risks. An analysis of purchased power options, including an analysis of available alternate sources of power shall be included. The analysis should include the terms and conditions of any requests for proposals and responses to such requests.

(c) Generally, studies of self-generation, load management, and energy conservation options shall include, as appropriate, analyses of:

(1) Capital and operating costs;

(2) Financing requirements and risks;

(3) System reliability;

(4) Alternative unit sizes;

(5) Alternative types of generation;

(6) Fuel alternatives;

(7) System stability;

(8) Load flows; and

(9) System dispatching.

(d) At the request of a borrower, RUS, in its sole discretion, may waive specific requirements of this section if such requirements imposed a substantial burden on the borrower and if such waiver will not significantly affect the accomplishment of the objectives of this subpart.

(a) All energy efficiency borrowers must maintain a current EEWP covering in aggregate all new construction, improvements, replacements, and retirements of energy efficiency related equipment and activities;

(b) An energy efficiency borrower's EEWP shall cover a period of between 2 and 4 years, and include all facilities to be constructed or improved which are eligible for RUS financing, whether or not RUS financial assistance will be sought or be available for certain facilities. The construction period covered by an EEWP in support of a loan application shall not be shorter than the loan period requested for financing of the facilities;

(c) The borrower's EEWP may only include facilities, equipment and other activities that have been approved by RUS as a part of an Eligible Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program pursuant to subpart H of this part;

(d) The borrower's EEWP must be consistent with the documentation provided as part of the current RUS approved EE Program as outlined in § 1710.410(c); and

(e) The borrower's EEWP must include an estimated schedule for the implementation of included projects.