Notice2021-25326
Inviting Applications for the Rural Energy for America Program; Amendment
Primary source
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Published
November 22, 2021
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentRural Business-Cooperative Service
Abstract
The Rural-Business Cooperative Service (the Agency) published a notice of solicitation of applications (NOSA) in the Federal Register on July 26, 2021, entitled "Inviting Applications for the Rural Energy for America Program," to allow potential applicants time to submit applications for financial assistance under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) for fiscal year (FY) 2022 and allow the Agency time to process applications within the current FY. This notice amends scoring provisions found in Section V.A. to notify stakeholders of how the Agency intends to utilize State Director and Administrator priority points for FY 2022.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 222 (Monday, November 22, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 222 (Monday, November 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 66273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25326]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
[Docket No. RBS-21-BUSINESS-0024]
Inviting Applications for the Rural Energy for America Program;
Amendment
AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; amendment.
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SUMMARY: The Rural-Business Cooperative Service (the Agency) published
a notice of solicitation of applications (NOSA) in the Federal Register
on July 26, 2021, entitled ``Inviting Applications for the Rural Energy
for America Program,'' to allow potential applicants time to submit
applications for financial assistance under the Rural Energy for
America Program (REAP) for fiscal year (FY) 2022 and allow the Agency
time to process applications within the current FY. This notice amends
scoring provisions found in Section V.A. to notify stakeholders of how
the Agency intends to utilize State Director and Administrator priority
points for FY 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact Deb
Yocum, Program Management Division, Rural Business-Cooperative Service,
United States Department of Agriculture, 2920 East Court Street, Suite
3, Beatrice, NE 68310, 402-499-1198 or email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a3e0f3c4d1c2cdd7d0e3d6d0c7c28dc4ccd5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="074457607566697374477274636629606871">[email protected]</span></a>.
For project specific information or to file an application contact
the applicable USDA Rural Development Energy Coordinator in your
respective state, as identified via the following link: <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/RBS_StateEnergyCoordinators.pdf">https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/RBS_StateEnergyCoordinators.pdf</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Amendment
In FR Doc. 2021-15785 of July 26, 2021 (86 FR 40000), the following
amendment to provide additional guidance on priority points is being
made:
On page 40003, in column 1, under Section V. ``Application Review
Information,'' subsection A. ``Scoring,'' at the end, add the following
paragraphs to read as follows:
State Director and Administrator priority points can be awarded to
applications which help further a Presidential initiative, or a
Secretary of Agriculture priority as found in 7 CFR 4280.121 (h)(4) for
REAP Renewable Energy Systems (RES) and Energy Efficiency Improvement
(EEI) grants and 7 CFR 5001.319 (g)(4) for REAP RES and EEI and Energy
Efficient Equipment and Systems guaranteed loans. For FY 2022, 10 State
Director and Administrator priority points will be automatically
awarded for applications, which based on location, meet any one of the
key priorities as follows: (1) Assisting rural communities to recover
economically from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly
disadvantaged communities; (2) Ensuring all rural residents have
equitable access to RD programs and benefits from RD funded projects;
and (3) Supporting economic investments in distressed communities. Data
sources for the key priorities are found at: <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points">https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points</a> and at <a href="https://ruraldevelopment.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=06a26a91d074426d944d22715a90311e">https://ruraldevelopment.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=06a26a91d074426d944d22715a90311e</a> for
distressed communities.
The State Director or Administrator at their discretion may award
up to 5 priority points maximum for projects which meet any of the
following criteria if a project does not qualify for the 10 priority
points under the Administration's priorities or as a distressed
community as described above: (1) The application is for an under-
represented technology; (2) selecting the application helps achieve
geographic diversity, which may include points based upon the size of
the funding request; (3) the applicant is a member of an unserved or
under-served population described as follows: (i) Owned by a veteran,
including but not limited to individuals as sole proprietors, members,
partners, stockholders, etc., of not less than 20 percent. In order to
receive points, applicants must provide a statement in their
application to indicate that owners of the project have veteran status;
or (ii) owned by a member of a socially disadvantaged group, which are
groups whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender
prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without
regard to their individual qualities. In order to receive points, the
application must include a statement to indicate that the owners of the
project are members of a socially disadvantaged group; (4) the proposed
project is located in a Federally declared major disaster area.
Declarations must be within the last 2 calendar years; (5) the proposed
project is located in an area where 20 percent or more of its
population is living in poverty over the last 30 years, as defined by
the United States Census Bureau, underserved community(ies) or has
experienced long-term population decline, or loss of employment. Except
for veteran and socially disadvantaged group status, all other priority
points are based upon project location specific criteria which will be
documented automatically by the Agency. State Director or Administrator
priority points for a REAP application cannot exceed 10 points total.
Karama Neal,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-25326 Filed 11-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P
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