Notice2023-05759
Notice of Availability of Guidance and Application for 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
March 22, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy Department
Abstract
The Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office (GDO) gives notice of availability of guidance for the Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives as authorized through the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), as amended by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021, and the opening of the 2023 application period. The guidance describes the hydroelectric efficiency improvement incentives payment requirements, including application requirements, that qualified hydroelectric facilities must provide DOE when applying for hydroelectric efficiency improvement incentives.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17200-17201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05759]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Availability of Guidance and Application for
Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives
AGENCY: Grid Deployment Office, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of availability of guidance and open application period.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office (GDO)
gives notice of availability of guidance for the Hydroelectric
Efficiency Improvement Incentives as authorized through the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), as amended by the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021, and the opening of the 2023
application period. The guidance describes the hydroelectric efficiency
improvement incentives payment requirements, including application
requirements, that qualified hydroelectric facilities must provide DOE
when applying for hydroelectric efficiency improvement incentives.
DATES: DOE is currently accepting applications from March 22, 2023
through 5:00 p.m. ET, June 20, 2023. Applications must be submitted to
the Clean Energy Infrastructure Funding Opportunity eXCHANGE located at
<a href="https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/">https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/</a> by 5:00 p.m. ET, June 20,
2023, or they will not be considered timely filed for calendar year
2023 incentive payments.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties are to submit applications electronically
to the Clean Energy Infrastructure Funding Opportunity eXCHANGE,
located at <a href="https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/">https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/</a>. The guidance is
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#f39b8a97819c969f969087819a909a9d90969d879a859680b39b82dd979c96dd949c85"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="660e1f021409030a030512140f050f08050308120f100315260e174802090348010910">[email protected]</span></a>. Further instruction can be found
in the Guidance posted 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>. Electronic
[[Page 17201]]
communications are recommended for correspondence.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Grid Deployment Office provides notice
of availability of guidance and the opening of the 2023 application
period pertaining to section 243 of EPAct 2005, Hydroelectric
Efficiency Improvement Incentives, as amended by section 40332 IIJA of
2021, Public Law 117-58.\1\ As initially announced in the February 2023
notice of intent, the guidance sets out the 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.\2\
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\1\ Public Law 117-58, div. D, title III, Sec. 40332(a).
\2\ 88 FR 8837 (Feb. 10, 2023).
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The guidance document describes the application process and the
information necessary for the Secretary of Energy to make incentive
payments to the 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.\3\
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\3\ 42 U.S.C. 15882(a).
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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); no more than one
incentive payment may be made to a single qualified hydroelectric
facility in any fiscal year; and that shall not exceed $5,000,000.\4\
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\4\ 42 U.S.C. 15882(b).
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The guidance is 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>. Each
application will be reviewed based on the guidance. Interested parties
are to submit applications electronically to the Clean Energy
Infrastructure Funding Opportunity eXCHANGE, located at <a href="https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/">https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/</a>.
When submitting an application to DOE for section 243 of EPAct
2005, Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives, it is
recommended that applicants carefully read and review the completed
contents of the guidance for this process. When reviewing applications,
DOE may corroborate the information provided with information that DOE
finds through FERC e-filings and other due diligence measures carried
out by reviewing officials. DOE may require the applicant to conduct
and submit an independent audit at its own expense, or DOE may conduct
an audit to verify efficiency improvements claimed by the qualified
hydroelectric facility.
A public webinar will be held in the coming weeks 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>.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on March 16,
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 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 March 16, 2023.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2023-05759 Filed 3-21-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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