Notice2024-18395
Request for Information Regarding Interregional and Offshore Wind Transmission
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
August 19, 2024
Issuing agencies
Energy Department
Abstract
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides funding to the Secretary of Energy (Secretary) to support convening relevant stakeholders to address the development of interregional electricity transmission and transmission of electricity that is generated by offshore wind, and to conduct planning, modeling, and analysis regarding interregional electricity transmission and transmission of electricity generated by offshore wind. Transmission development is an important priority to address reliability issues within the national electrical grid and to improve the flow of new energy generation, including offshore wind, both between regions and within regions to meet national clean energy goals. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office (GDO) is issuing this RFI to seek input from all parties regarding issues related to the planning and development of electric transmission facilities to service offshore wind power generating stations on the U.S. West Coast.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 160 (Monday, August 19, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 160 (Monday, August 19, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67075-67077]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-18395]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Request for Information Regarding Interregional and Offshore Wind
Transmission
AGENCY: Grid Deployment Office, U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Request for information (RFI).
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SUMMARY: The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides funding to the
Secretary of Energy (Secretary) to support convening relevant
stakeholders to address the development of interregional electricity
transmission and transmission of electricity that is generated by
offshore wind, and to conduct planning, modeling, and analysis
regarding interregional electricity transmission and transmission of
electricity generated by offshore wind. Transmission development is an
important priority to address reliability issues within the national
electrical grid and to improve the flow of new energy generation,
including offshore wind, both between regions and within regions to
meet national clean energy goals. The U.S.
[[Page 67076]]
Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office (GDO) is issuing this
RFI to seek input from all parties regarding issues related to the
planning and development of electric transmission facilities to service
offshore wind power generating stations on the U.S. West Coast.
DATES: Written comments and information are requested on or before
October 3, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit comments to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#82cdd1d5d6f0e3ecf1efebf1f1ebedecc2eaf3ace6ede7ace5edf4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7639252122041718051b1f05051f1918361e075812191358111900">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
may be sent to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#aee1fdf9fadccfc0ddc3c7ddddc7c1c0eec6df80cac1cb80c9c1d8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0f405c585b7d6e617c62667c7c6660614f677e216b606a21686079">[email protected]</span></a>. Questions about the RFI may
be addressed to Katherine Segal, (301) 820-2892;
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bdf2eeeae9cfdcd3ced0d4ceced4d2d3fdd5cc93d9d2d893dad2cb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ffb0aca8ab8d9e918c92968c8c969091bf978ed19b909ad1989089">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction
Act (IRA).\1\ The IRA makes the single largest investment in climate
and energy in American history, enabling America to tackle the climate
crisis and putting the United States on a pathway to achieving the
Biden-Harris Administration's climate goals, including a net-zero
economy by 2050. Within section 50153, the IRA provides funding for the
Department to support convening ``relevant stakeholders to address the
development of interregional electricity transmission and transmission
of electricity that is generated by offshore wind,'' and to ``conduct
planning, modeling, and analysis regarding interregional electricity
transmission and transmission of electricity generated by offshore
wind.'' \2\
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\1\ Inflation Reduction Act, Public Law 117-169 (August 16,
2022).
\2\ Inflation Reduction Act, Public Law 117-169 (August 16,
2022).
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II. Purpose
The purpose of this RFI is to gather information about siting
offshore wind electricity transmission infrastructure from recreational
and commercial ocean users, offshore wind or maritime industries,
government entities (Tribal, Federal, State, county, or local
government agencies), and the public. As part of this RFI, DOE is
primarily interested in feedback on the transmission infrastructure
associated with offshore wind and not the offshore wind generation
turbines themselves. Transmission infrastructure includes electrical
cables, cable corridors, substations, transformers, converters, and
other associated equipment located both offshore and onshore.
Information provided as part of this RFI will be used by GDO and
the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), U.S. Department of the
Interior, as part of the West Coast Offshore Wind Transmission
Convening Series. Feedback gathered through this RFI, and the Convening
Series will support GDO and BOEM in the development of West Coast
offshore wind transmission recommendations. These recommendations will
not include any regulatory actions or siting decisions. For examples of
the types of recommendations that DOE and BOEM might develop for the
West Coast, please see An Action Plan for Offshore Wind Transmission
Development in the U.S. Atlantic Region (<a href="http://www.energy.gov/gdo/atlantic-offshore-wind-transmission-action-plan">www.energy.gov/gdo/atlantic-offshore-wind-transmission-action-plan</a>).
III. Request for Information
Planning and siting transmission infrastructure for offshore wind
energy involves several authorities (e.g., BOEM, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC), independent system operators and regional
transmission organizations, public utility commissions, State
departments of energy, State departments of fish and wildlife, etc.)
tasked with planning, locating, designing, and approving new or
upgraded electric transmission facilities. Transmission associated with
offshore wind energy generation will need to be sited both offshore and
onshore. Understanding the constraints related to the shared use of new
or existing transmission rights-of-way will allow transmission planning
entities and siting authorities to make decisions using the best
available information and science. DOE is considering recommendations
to support planning entities and siting authorities in the decision-
making process. In particular, DOE seeks to understand transmission
siting constraints both offshore and onshore, environmental and energy
justice priorities, community impacts, information gaps, and technical
assistance needs through the following questions:
1. What considerations need to be accounted for when siting
transmission for offshore wind energy generation in offshore locations
on the West Coast?
a. For the considerations identified, what information is currently
available?
b. For the considerations identified, do any lack existing data
sources to rely on? If no data sources are available, are there
existing methods to collect, survey, or otherwise measure the
characteristics?
2. What considerations need to be accounted for when siting
transmission for offshore wind energy generation in onshore locations
on the West Coast?
a. For the considerations identified, what information is currently
available?
b. For the considerations identified, do any lack existing data
sources to rely on? If no data sources are available, are there
existing methods to collect, survey, or otherwise measure the
characteristics?
3. What environmental justice and energy justice issues should
inform how transmission is sited and implemented on the West Coast for
offshore wind?
4. What specific topics about offshore wind transmission siting,
technology, and benefits are not well understood by yourself or your
organization?
a. What types of educational materials or research products, if
any, would improve your understanding and awareness of these topics?
b. What format should these resources be distributed in (e.g.,
written, webinar, meetings, website content, technical report, etc.)?
c. How should information from ocean co-users \3\ be integrated
into educational materials or research products?
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\3\ Ocean co-users include, but are not limited to, fishing
organizations, maritime shipping industry, or other commercial and
recreational ocean users.
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d. What specific data or information can be provided by ocean co-
users for the purpose of filling knowledge gaps? How should information
from ocean co-users be disseminated or shared?
5. What forms of assistance (technical assistance or otherwise)
would support efficient and equitable siting and development of
offshore wind transmission infrastructure?
6. Do you have any additional information or thoughts you want to
provide about transmission infrastructure related to offshore wind
energy?
IV. Response Guidelines
Responses to the RFI must be provided in writing and submitted
electronically to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7639252122041718051b1f05051f1918361e075812191358111900"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2d627e7a795f4c435e40445e5e4442436d455c03494248034a425b">[email protected]</span></a> no later than 5:00 p.m.
EDT on October 3, 2024. Include ``RFI for Offshore Wind Transmission''
in the subject line of the email. Responses must be provided as a
Microsoft Word (.docx) or PDF attachment to the email, and no more than
10 pages in length, 12-point font, 1-inch margins. It is recommended
that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e.,
zipped) to ensure message delivery. Please do not feel obligated to
submit long, formal responses. If you or your
[[Page 67077]]
organization are resource-constrained (time, staff, etc.) and only have
the capacity to share short or informal notes or thoughts, DOE still
wants to hear from you.
For ease of replying and to aid categorization of your responses,
please copy and paste the RFI questions, including the question
numbering, and use them as a template for your response. Respondents
may answer as many or as few questions as they wish. DOE will not
respond to individual submissions. A response to this RFI will not be
viewed as a binding commitment to develop or pursue the project or
ideas discussed.
Respondents are requested to provide the following information at
the start of their response to this RFI:
<bullet> Company/institution/agency/person name.
<bullet> Company/institution/agency/person contact information.
This RFI is solely a request for information and is not a grant
announcement. DOE is not accepting applications, nor will DOE reimburse
any of respondents' costs in preparing a response. Any information
obtained as a result of this RFI is intended to be used by the Federal
Government on a non-attribution basis for planning and strategy
development; this RFI does not constitute a formal announcement for
applications or abstracts. Your response to this notice will be treated
as information only. DOE will review and consider all responses in its
formulation of program strategies for the identified materials of
interest that are the subject of this request. Respondents are advised
that DOE is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the
information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to
any information submitted under this RFI. Responses to this RFI do not
bind DOE to any further actions related to these topics.
Sensitive Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Information
The intent of this RFI is not to solicit any sensitive information
about cultural, traditional, sacred resources, or Traditional
Indigenous Knowledge that is not already in the public domain.
Therefore, respondents are strongly advised NOT to include any
sensitive information about cultural, traditional, or sacred resources
or Traditional Indigenous Knowledge that respondents would not want
publicly released. Tribal Nations should be aware that responses to
this RFI can be subject to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request
and may result in the disclosure of information to the public. If a
Tribal Nation chooses to provide information that the Tribal Nation
believes to be confidential and exempt by law from public disclosure,
the Tribal Nation should submit via email two well marked copies: one
marked ``information exempt from disclosure'' and one marked
``information subject to disclosure'' as described in the section
below. If a Tribal Nation wants to discuss, among other topics related
to this RFI, concerns about sensitive resources, the Tribal Nation is
encouraged to request tribal consultation. Tribal Nations can find an
explanation on the scope of Federal agencies' authorities to limit the
disclosure of information about Tribal resources to the public on pages
25 to 29 of the ``Best Practices Guide for Federal Agencies Regarding
Tribal and Native Hawaiian Sacred Sites.'' \4\
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\4\ <a href="https://www.bia.gov/sites/default/files/media_document/sacred_sites_guide_508_2023-1205.pdf">https://www.bia.gov/sites/default/files/media_document/sacred_sites_guide_508_2023-1205.pdf</a>.
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Confidential Business Information
Because information received in response to this RFI may be used to
inform future programs and/or otherwise be made available to the
public, respondents are strongly advised NOT to include any information
in their responses that might be considered confidential business
information pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11.
Any person submitting information believed 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
Information'' 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. DOE will make
its own determination about the confidential status of the information
and treat it according to its determination. The copy containing
confidential information must include a cover sheet marked as follows:
identifying the specific pages containing confidential, proprietary, or
privileged information: ``Notice of Restriction on Disclosure and Use
of Data: Pages [list applicable pages] of this response may contain
confidential, commercial, or financial information that is exempt from
public disclosure.'' The Government may use or disclose any information
that is not appropriately marked or otherwise restricted, regardless of
source. In addition, (1) the header and footer of every page that
contains confidential, proprietary, or privileged information must be
marked as follows: ``Contains Confidential, Commercial, or Financial
Information Exempt from Public Disclosure''; and (2) every line and
paragraph containing proprietary, privileged, or trade secret
information must be clearly marked with [[double brackets]] or
highlighting.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on August 7,
2024, by Maria D. Robinson, Director, 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. The administrative process in no way
alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the
Federal Register.
Signed in Washington, DC, on August 13, 2024.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024-18395 Filed 8-16-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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