[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17888-17889]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9947]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Energy-Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office


Energy-Efficient Product Commercialization Study

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, DOE.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) is investigating the potential 
use of the purchasing power of the Federal government to promote the 
commercialization of energy-efficient products that incorporate new, 
value-added technologies for federal buyers. The Energy Policy Act 
directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study to identify energy-
efficient, renewable energy, and water conserving products for which 
there is a high potential for federal purchasing power to substantially 
promote their development and commercialization, and to identify 
barriers to federal procurement of such products. The principal product 
focus of the study is on those which are beyond the prototype stage, 
but are not commercially available or in widespread use. These products 
must also be potentially cost-effective to federal and non-federal 
buyers, with increased production and sales volume. DOE is soliciting 
information from interested parties concerning products which offer 
this potential, recommendations on how federal procurement actions 
could facilitate product commercialization, and existing barriers to 
such procurement actions.

DATES: Written information on products which meet the criteria listed 
below, barriers to federal procurement of such products, and 
recommended federal procurement actions and programs to promote 
commercialization of such products (1 copy) must be received on or 
before May 13, 1996, to be included for consideration in this study. A 
public meeting will be held on June 5, 1996; requests to present 
information at this public meeting on recommended federal actions and 
programs must be received by May 13, 1996.

ADDRESSES: All written comments (1 copy), as well as requests to speak 
at the public meeting, are to be submitted to: U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, EE-90, 
Energy-Efficient Product Commercialization Study, 1000 Independence 
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121, 202-586-8287. FAXed comments may 
be sent to 202-586-3000. The public meeting will be held at the U.S. 
Department of Energy, Main Auditorium, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick Klimkos, EE-90, U.S. Department 
of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121, 
202-586-8287.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal government is the largest 
customer in the world for many energy-related products. The Department 
of Energy (DOE) is investigating the potential use of the purchasing 
power of the Federal government to promote the development and 
commercialization of energy-efficient products that incorporate new, 
value-added technologies for federal buyers. The objective of this 
study is to identify energy-efficient, renewable energy, and water 
conserving products for which there is a high potential for federal 
purchasing power to substantially

[[Page 17889]]

promote their commercialization, and to identify barriers to federal 
procurement of such products. It is anticipated that Government 
procurement of energy efficient products will stimulate industry to 
introduce energy-efficient products which enhance national 
competitiveness both domestically and internationally, to achieve a 
production scale which improves the cost-effectiveness of new 
technologies to government and non-government purchasers, and create 
new job opportunities throughout these industries. This notice requests 
information from interested parties on how the government can most 
effectively use its buying power to create or expand the market for 
energy-efficient products.
    Section 152(h) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Pub. L. 102-486) 
amends the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA) by inserting 
section 549, subsection (e). This section directs the Secretary of 
Energy to conduct this study, which is the responsibility of the 
Federal Energy Management Programs Office within the DOE Office of 
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. DOE is soliciting information 
from interested parties to identify and recommend energy-saving, 
renewable energy, and water-conserving products which offer high 
potential for federal purchasing power to substantially promote their 
commercialization.
    The product component of this study is focused on products which 
meet certain criteria for technical and commercial viability and which 
are, or could be, purchased in significant quantities by federal 
agencies. These criteria include products:
     Which meet applicable performance, safety, and reliability 
requirements;
     For which the prototype development stage has been 
completed or is near completion;
     Which offer the potential for minimizing life-cycle cost 
for the application;
     For which commercial production is practical and 
economically feasible;
     For which initial market analysis has demonstrated a 
sufficiently large potential market to warrant commercial production 
and sales; and
     Which are not yet in production at commercial levels or 
which have just reached commercial availability.
    These criteria do not include products at earlier stages of 
development--ranging from concept development through engineering 
prototype testing and field demonstrations--for which the technical and 
economic feasibility of commercial production have not yet been 
established. For products, technologies, or concepts in these earlier 
stages, programs such as the DOE/National Institute for Standards and 
Technology (NIST) Energy-Related Inventions Program (ERIP) and the DOE 
Innovative Concepts Program (InnCon) are available. For information 
concerning the ERIP program, contact the Office of Technology 
Evaluation and Assessment, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899. For information concerning the 
InnCon program contact Mr. E. Levine, U.S., Department of Energy, 
Forrestal Building, EE-521, 1000 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 
20585-0121, 202-586-1605.
    Interested parties are requested to submit information to DOE on 
products which meet the above criteria for commercial viability and 
relevance to the federal market, on federal procurement actions which 
could promote commercialization of these products, and on potential 
barriers to such procurement actions, including:
     The product's energy efficiency and other performance 
characteristics;
     The product's current state of commercial development, 
including manufacturing capacity and sales;
     Results of market analyses which indicate the potential 
market--both within the federal government and the non-federal market, 
domestically and internationally;
     The potential for energy and dollar savings, both per unit 
and for potential total sales to federal and non-federal customers;
     Assessment of the life-cycle cost of the product, 
including projected capital cost and operating and maintenance costs, 
based upon projected costs at commercially viable levels of production,
     The total level of sales, including federal and non-
federal sectors, considered necessary to justify undertaking commercial 
production;
     Concepts for federal policies and programs which would 
facilitate commercialization of energy-efficient products;
     Concepts for federal procurement actions which, combined 
with other market opportunities, could be used to implement these 
policies and programs;
     Barriers to the rapid penetration of products in federal, 
other governmental, and commercial markets (e.g. sole-source, lowest 
first-cost, no history of performance); and
     Recommendations for actions which DOE, other federal 
agencies, or Congress could take to reduce or eliminate these barriers.
    An information packet which provides further definition of the 
types of information desired, outlines preliminary concepts being 
considered for such federal policies and programs, and provides 
information on the March public meeting will be sent to those 
responding to this Notice.
    Only non-proprietary technical or market information should be 
submitted in response to this request. DOE reserves the right to 
publish or use any information submitted.
    The Federal Energy Management Programs Office will conduct the 
public meeting on June 5, 1996, to solicit public comment on how 
federal procurement actions and related information programs, 
technology demonstrations, or other actions could facilitate 
commercialization of products meeting the criteria of this study. 
Responses may be in written form and/or may be presented verbally at 
the meeting. Verbal presentations must be limited to no more than five 
minutes. Verbal presentations will be limited to comments on barriers, 
opportunities, and recommended policies and programs; information on 
specific products will not be accepted in verbal comments at the 
hearings but should be submitted in writing.

    Issued in Washington, DC on April 16, 1996.
Christine A. Ervin,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 96-9947 Filed 4-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P