This lesson provides an overview of the eligibility requirements for electrical systems. It identifies the specific requirements for reconductoring and reasons why projects are commonly deemed ineligible.

At the end of this lesson, participants will be able to:

• Identify the eligibility requirements for electrical systems
• Identify common reasons why electrical system projects are deemed ineligible for Public Assistance Program funding

State and Territorial governments, including the District of Columbia, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are eligible Applicants.

Federally recognized Tribal Governments, including Alaska Native Villages and organizations (hereinafter referred to as "Tribal Governments"), are eligible Applicants.

Alaska Native corporations are not eligible as they are privately owned, for-profit company

The following types of local governments are eligible Applicants:

• Counties and parishes
• Municipalities, cities, towns, boroughs, and townships
• Local public authorities
• School districts
• Intrastate districts
• Councils of governments (regardless of whether incorporated as nonprofit corporations under State law)
• Regional and interstate government entities
• Agencies or instrumentalities of local governments
• State-recognized Tribes
• Special districts established under State law
• Community Development Districts are special districts that finance, plan, establish, acquire, construct or reconstruct, operate, and maintain systems, facilities, and basic infrastructure within their respective jurisdictions. To be eligible, a Community Development District must be legally responsible for ownership, maintenance, and operation of an eligible facility that is accessible to the general public.

An example of a system that qualifies as a facility is an electrical power system. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and other systems that are components of a facility in which they operate are considered part of that facility.

A natural feature is improved and maintained if it meets all of the following conditions:

• The natural feature has a designed and constructed improvement to its natural characteristics, such as a terraced slope or realigned channel
• The constructed improvement enhances the function of the unimproved natural feature
• The Applicant maintains the improvement on a regular schedule to ensure that the improvement performs as designed

An eligible Private Nonprofit facility is one that provides educational, utility, emergency, medical, or custodial care, including for the aged or disabled, and other essential governmental-type services to the general public.

If a Private Nonprofit operates multiple facilities, or a single facility composed of more than one building, FEMA must evaluate each building independently, even if all are located on the same grounds. Buildings that are part of a complex that includes outdoor facilities (e.g., swimming pools, athletic fields, tennis courts) are not evaluated separately from the rest of the complex when determining eligibility of the building.

For example, an outdoor pool usually has a building for bathrooms and controlling entry. In such cases, FEMA does not evaluate the building for eligibility separately because it is an intrinsic part of the pool complex.

Three types of mutual aid are eligible:

• Emergency Work
• Emergency utility restoration (regardless of whether it is deemed Category B or F)
• Grant management

Mutual Aid work is subject to the same eligibility criteria as contract work.

Costs to transport the Providing Entity's equipment and personnel to the declared area are eligible.

FEMA may reimburse an eligible applicant for mutual aid costs associated with restoration of an electrical power system, regardless of whether or not the restoration is temporary or permanent, in accordance with the mutual aid agreement

The final component evaluated for eligibility are the costs claimed by the Applicant. Not all costs incurred as a result of the incident are eligible.

To be eligible, costs must be:

• Directly tied to the performance of eligible work
• Adequately documented
• Reduced by all applicable credits, such as insurance proceeds and salvage values
• Authorized and not prohibited under Federal, State, Territorial, Tribal, or local government laws or regulations
• Consistent with the Applicant's internal policies, regulations, and procedures that apply uniformly to both Federal awards and other activities of the Applicant
• Necessary and reasonable to accomplish the work properly and efficiently

A cost is reasonable if, in its nature and amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the Applicant makes the decision to incur the cost.

As a direct result of the event, a conductor is only eligible for replacement (reconductoring) when the Applicant cannot effectively repair it because one of the following exists within a line section:

• Twenty-five percent or more of the conductor spans have visible damage, such as broken strands, splices, or sleeves (installed as a result of the event) or severe pitting, burns, or kinks

• Thirty percent or more of the line spans are visually stretched (out of sag), or do not meet clearance requirements such as conductor-to-conductor or conductor-to-ground clearance

• Forty percent or more of the supporting poles need to be replaced or plumbed (straightened). A pole is considered to be in need of straightening if it is leaning such that it is unsafe to climb.

• Forty percent or more of the supporting structures (other than poles) have damage such as broken cross-arms, braces, ties, insulators, guys, pulled anchors, or bent pins. If more than one element of the support structure is damaged, it still only counts as one damaged support structure. If a pole is counted under the previous bullet, FEMA does not count the supporting structure under this criterion.

• Sixty-five percent or more of any combination of the damage described in the bullets above

• Evidence provided by a licensed Professional Engineer that demonstrates the conductor is damaged beyond repair

If the Applicant provides sufficient documentation establishing the pre-disaster condition and a line section of its system meets one of the six criteria above, that line section is eligible to be reconductored.

The use of #2 Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced is considered a lower cost alternative to replacing conductor with equal or lesser amperage capacity such as copper weld conductor, hard and soft drawn copper wire, smaller Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced , and Amerductor.

Therefore, if a conductor with equal or lesser amperage capacity to #2 Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced is eligible for reconductoring, the line section is eligible to be replaced with #2 Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced .

When the Applicant replaces conductor with #2 Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced , adjustments to other components of the electric distribution and transmission systems to accommodate #2 Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced , including, but not limited to, adjusting span lengths between utility poles and increasing pole heights and standards to meet appropriate design requirements are eligible.

The Applicant does not need to cite a codes and standards for this additional work even though the appropriate design requirements may come from Federal, State, Territorial, Tribal, or local codes or standards, including National Electrical Safety Code or Rural Utilities Service standards.

If the Applicant prefers to reconductor a line with conductor of lesser amperage capacity than #2 Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced , such as #4 Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced (including associated adjustments in span lengths and pole heights), FEMA will provide Public Assistance funding for the work as long as the cost is less than the cost of reconductoring with #2 Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced (including associated adjustments in span lengths and pole heights).

If the Applicant plans to upgrade its conductor to an amperage capacity above #2 Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced, and there is no code or standard requiring the upgrade that meets the eligibility requirements discussed in Chapter 2:VII.B of the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide, the additional upgrades are not eligible and the Applicant must request an Improved Project.

If the damage does not meet the criteria for replacement, only the repair of the damaged line section(s) is eligible.

This includes:

• Revenue lost due to shutdown of a utility
• Increased operating costs, such as increased costs for obtaining an alternative source of power because of the shutdown of a power generation plant
• General post-disaster surveys, inspections, and assessments

To be eligible, work must be located in the designated area defined in the declaration (with the exception of sheltering and evacuation activities).

Emergency Work or Permanent Work performed on a facility located outside of the designated area is not eligible.

For example: There are significant damages in county A, B, and C. Generation plant is located in county E. Conductors have to pass through county D. Some of the line damages and a few towers spans throughout the various county lines. Only damages within the designated counties would be considered eligible for Public Assistance.

To be eligible, work must be the legal responsibility of the Applicant requesting assistance.

To determine legal responsibility for Emergency Work, FEMA evaluates whether the Applicant requesting the assistance either had jurisdiction over the area or the legal authority to conduct the work related to the request at the time of the incident.

This lesson is complete.

Participants can now:

• Identify the eligibility requirements for electrical systems
• Identify common reasons why electrical system projects are deemed ineligible for Public Assistance Program funding

The next lesson will explain how to document disaster-related damage for electrical systems.

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