Notice2023-02854
Notice of Intent Regarding the Future Release of Guidance and Application for the Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives
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
February 10, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy Department
Abstract
The Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office (GDO) intends to release the final guidance and open the 2023 application period for the Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives as authorized through the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) and amended by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021, in the second quarter of calendar year 2023. This notice provides preliminary information regarding the GDO's Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives Program, including application requirements and processes that will be further described in the guidance accompanying the upcoming solicitation. All the information contained in this notice is subject to change.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 28 (Friday, February 10, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8837-8838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-02854]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Intent Regarding the Future Release of Guidance and
Application for the Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives
AGENCY: Grid Deployment Office, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI).
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office (GDO)
intends to release the final guidance and open the 2023 application
period for the Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives as
authorized through the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) and
amended by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021,
in the second quarter of calendar year 2023. This notice provides
preliminary information regarding the GDO's Hydroelectric Efficiency
Improvement Incentives Program, including application requirements and
processes that will be further described in the guidance accompanying
the upcoming solicitation. All the information contained in this notice
is subject to change.
ADDRESSES: The future application period announcement will be published
in the Federal Register and guidance will be made available via the GDO
website <a href="https://www.energy.gov/gdo/section-243-hydroelectric-efficiency-improvement-incentives-program">https://www.energy.gov/gdo/section-243-hydroelectric-efficiency-improvement-incentives-program</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions may be addressed to Ms.
Luciana Ciocci, U.S. Department of Energy, Grid Deployment Office, 1000
Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC, 20585, (202) 480-5768 or by email
at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dcb4a5b8aeb3b9b0b9bfa8aeb5bfb5b2bfb9b2a8b5aab9af9cb4adf2b8b3b9f2bbb3aa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="21495845534e444d444255534842484f42444f55485744526149500f454e440f464e57">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the coming weeks, the Grid Deployment
Office intends to open the 2023 application period for section 243 of
EPAct 2005, Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives, as amended
by section 40332 IIJA of 2021, Public Law 117-58.\1\ At that time, GDO
will also make available an accompanying guidance document that will
describe the application process and the information necessary for the
Secretary of Energy to make incentive payments to owners and authorized
operators of qualified hydroelectric facilities at existing dams to be
used to make capital improvements in the facilities that are directly
related to improving the efficiency of such facilities by at least
three percent pursuant to section 243 of EPAct 2005.\2\ GDO previously
released a request for information (RFI) and held a public webinar
related to section 243 incentive. See 87 FR 40515 (Jul. 7, 2022). The
information gathered through the RFI and webinar were used to support
the development of the guidance.
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\1\ Public Law 117-58, div. D, title III, Sec. 40332(a).
\2\ 42 U.S.C. 15882(a).
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The guidance will describe the application process and the
information necessary for the Secretary of Energy to make incentive
payments to owners and authorized operators of qualified hydroelectric
facilities pursuant to section 243 of EPAct 2005, Hydroelectric
Efficiency Improvement Incentives. Topics include, eligibility
requirements, general application requirements and process, procedures
for processing applications, allocation of funding for eligible
projects in the event of oversubscription, and funding restrictions.
Under the statute, the incentive payments include the following
limitations: an incentive payment shall not exceed 30 percent of the
costs of the applicable capital improvement(s); and no more than one
incentive payment may be made to a single qualified hydroelectric
facility in any fiscal year that shall not exceed $5,000,000.\3\
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\3\ 42 U.S.C. 15882(b).
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GDO intends to open the 2023 application period by publishing a
notice in the Federal Register, in the coming weeks, and releasing the
guidance online, which will be located at <a href="https://www.energy.gov/gdo/section-243-hydroelectric-efficiency-improvement-incentives-program">https://www.energy.gov/gdo/section-243-hydroelectric-efficiency-improvement-incentives-program</a>.
GDO anticipates utilizing the Clean Energy Infrastructure Funding
Opportunity eXCHANGE for submission of applications once the
application period is opened. The Clean Energy Infrastructure Funding
Opportunity eXCHANGE is located at <a href="https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/">https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/</a>.
A public webinar will be held in the weeks following the release of
the guidance and 2023 solicitation to provide clarity on the guidance
document, as necessary. The webinar will be held in a question and
answer format with registration details available at <a href="https://www.energy.gov/gdo/section-243-hydroelectric-efficiency-improvement-incentives-program">https://www.energy.gov/gdo/section-243-hydroelectric-efficiency-improvement-incentives-program</a> in the near future.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on February 6,
2023, by Maria Duaime Robinson, Director of the Grid Deployment Office,
pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy. That
document with the original signature and date is
[[Page 8838]]
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 February 7, 2023.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2023-02854 Filed 2-9-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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