Notice2021-13985
Notice of Intent To Announce Financial Assistance for Weatherization Enhancement and Innovation
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 30, 2021
Issuing agencies
Energy Department
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE), Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Weatherization Enhancement and Innovation. Congress has directed DOE WAP in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, signed December 27, 2020, to implement Financial Assistance for Weatherization Enhancement and Innovation.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 123 (Wednesday, June 30, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34730-34731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13985]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Intent To Announce Financial Assistance for
Weatherization Enhancement and Innovation
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S.
Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE), Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE), Weatherization Assistance
Program (WAP) intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement for
Weatherization Enhancement and Innovation. Congress has directed DOE
WAP in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, signed December 27,
2020, to implement Financial Assistance for Weatherization Enhancement
and Innovation.
DATES: Written comments and information on this NOI are requested and
will be accepted on or before July 30, 2021. The tentative release date
for the funding opportunity announcement is planned for Fall 2021, with
concept papers to be submitted in October 2021 and Full Applications to
be submitted in December 2021. This FOA timeline is subject to change.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments by
email to the following address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4d0f3f2439392c2334631d3f242e280d282863292228632a223b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="317343584545505f481f61435852547154541f555e541f565e47">[email protected]</span></a> with the
subject line ``Announce Financial Assistance for Weatherization
Enhancement and Innovation'' included in the message. Submit electronic
comments in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or ASCII file format, and
avoid the use of special characters or any form of encryption. No
telefacsimiles (faxes) will be accepted. For detailed instructions on
submitting comments, see section III (Submission of Comments) of this
document.
Although DOE has routinely accepted public comment submissions
through a variety of mechanisms, including postal mail and hand
delivery/courier, the Department has found it necessary to make
temporary modifications to the comment submission process in light of
the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. DOE is currently accepting only
electronic submissions at this time. If a commenter finds that this
change poses an undue hardship, please contact the DOE staff person
listed in this notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions may be directed to Brittany
Price, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, EE-5W, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20585-0121. Telephone: (240) 306-7252. Email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#783a0a110c0c19160156280a111b1d381d1d561c171d561f170e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3577475c4141545b4c1b65475c56507550501b515a501b525a43">[email protected]</span></a>.
[[Page 34731]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE),
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE),
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) intends to issue a Funding
Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to implement Financial Assistance for
Weatherization Enhancement and Innovation, as directed by section
1011(e) of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Public Law 116-
260.
The purpose of this future FOA is to (1) expand the number of
dwelling units that are occupied by low-income persons that receive
weatherization assistance by making such dwelling units weatherization-
ready; (2) promote the deployment of renewable energy in dwelling units
that are occupied by low-income persons; (3) ensure healthy indoor
environments by enhancing or expanding health and safety measures and
resources available to dwellings that are occupied by low-income
persons; (4) disseminate new methods and best practices among entities
providing weatherization assistance, including enhanced client
education; quality control of work performed; program monitoring; labor
training; planning and administration; (5) encourage entities providing
weatherization assistance to hire and retain employees who are
individuals (A) from the community in which the assistance is provided;
and (B) from communities or groups that are underrepresented in the
home energy performance workforce, including religious and ethnic
minorities, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and
individuals who are socioeconomically disadvantaged; and (6) for such
other activities as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. In
2021, WAP has reserved $18.6 million for award through a competitive
process. WAP is developing the award scope and criteria with the intent
to release the FOA in the Fall 2021. This notice is not the FOA.
It is anticipated that financial assistance for Weatherization
Enhancement and Innovation will be made available each year through
2025, depending on appropriated funds from Congress. Funding is not to
exceed 2 percent of WAP's allocation, if such amount is $225,000,000 or
more but less than $260,000,000; 4 percent if such amount is
$260,000,000 or more but less than $300,000,000; or 6 percent if such
amount is $300,000,000 or more. Current WAP Grantees, Subgrantees and
other nonprofit entities will be eligible to apply for awards, with a
$2 million maximum award and three-year performance period. Listening
Sessions were held in March 2021 to solicit input from WAP stakeholders
regarding areas of interest and award factors to help inform the FOA
development.
DOE welcomes written comments from the public on any subject within
the scope of this NOI.
Public Participation
A. Submission of Comments
DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding this
notice no later than the date provided in the DATES section at the
beginning of this notice. Interested parties may submit comments using
any of the methods described in the ADDRESSES section at the beginning
of this document.
Submitting comments via email. Comments and documents submitted via
email will be posted to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. If you do not want
your personal contact information to be publicly viewable, do not
include it in your comment or any accompanying documents. Instead,
provide your contact information in a cover letter. Include your first
and last names, email address, telephone number, and optional mailing
address. The cover letter will not be publicly viewable as long as it
does not include any comments.
Include contact information each time you submit comments, data,
documents, and other information to DOE. No telefacsimiles (faxes) will
be accepted.
Comments, data, and other information submitted to DOE
electronically should be provided in PDF (preferred), Microsoft Word or
Excel, WordPerfect, or text (ASCII) file format. Provide documents that
are not secured, written in English, and free of any defects or
viruses. Documents should not contain special characters or any form of
encryption, and, if possible, they should carry the electronic
signature of the author.
Campaign form letters. Please submit campaign form letters by the
originating organization in batches of between 50 to 500 form letters
per PDF or as one form letter with a list of supporters' names compiled
into one or more PDFs. This reduces comment processing and posting
time.
Confidential Business Information. Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any
person submitting information that he or she believes to be
confidential and exempt by law from public disclosure should submit via
email two well-marked copies: One copy of the document marked
``confidential'' including all the information believed to be
confidential, and one copy of the document marked ``non-confidential''
with the information believed to be confidential deleted. Submit these
documents via email. DOE will make its own determination about the
confidential status of the information and treat it according to its
determination.
It is DOE's policy that all comments may be included in the public
docket, without change and as received, including any personal
information provided in the comments (except information deemed to be
exempt from public disclosure).
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on June 25,
2021, by Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
and Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy, pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy.
That document with the original signature and date is maintained by
DOE. For administrative purposes only, and in compliance with
requirements of the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE
Federal Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit
the document in electronic format for publication, as an official
document of the Department of Energy. This administrative process in no
way alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the
Federal Register.
Signed in Washington, DC, on June 25, 2021.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2021-13985 Filed 6-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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