[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 19 (Friday, January 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 4643]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2177]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Golden Field Office; Notice of Solicitation for Financial 
Assistance Applications; Million Solar Roofs Initiative Small Grant 
Program for State and Community Partnerships

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Solicitation for Financial Assistance Applications 
Number DE-PS36-99GO10419.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), pursuant to the DOE 
Financial Assistance Rules, 10 CFR 600.8, is announcing its intention 
to solicit applications for Million Solar Roofs Program for State and 
Community Partnerships. The selected applicant's will receive financial 
assistance under a grant with DOE.

DATES: The solicitation will be issued on or about January 22, 1999.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the Solicitation once it is issued, 
interested parties must access the Golden Field Office Application, 
Award and Solicitation page at http://www.eren.doe.gov/golden/
solicit.htm, click on ``solicitations'' and then locate the 
solicitation number identified above. DOE does not intend to issue 
written copies of the solicitation.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE's Million Solar Roofs (MSR) Initiative 
is an initiative to install solar energy systems on one million U.S. 
buildings by 2010. It was announced by President Clinton on June 26, 
1997 in his speech before the United Nations Session on Environment and 
Development. This effort includes two types of solar energy 
technology--photovoltaics that produce electricity from sunlight and 
solar thermal panels that produce heat for domestic hot water, space 
heating or heating swimming pools. A key strategy of the Initiative is 
to catalyze market demand in local areas through the establishment of 
State and Community MSR Partnerships. The Congressional language in 
Public Law 105-245 authorizing these funds specifically directs DOE to 
use these funds to eliminate barriers to the use of solar energy 
systems and to support partnerships. The overall goal of this 
solicitation is to assist State and Community Partnerships in 
contributing to the installation of one million solar energy systems on 
U.S. rooftops by the year 2010. This solicitation is only open to both 
existing and new MSR State and Community Partnerships. These 
Partnerships bring together business, government and community 
organizations at the regional level with a commitment to install a pre-
determined number of solar energy systems. There were nine such 
existing partnerships under the MSR Initiative, as of October 1, 1998. 
They received their MSR Partnership designation by writing a letter of 
commitment to DOE with their goal for actual installations by 2010. In 
return, DOE provides access to a variety of financing options; training 
and technical assistance from DOE's existing infrastructure; 
recognition and support; and a link to solar energy businesses, 
associations and related industries that can provide assistance. New 
MSR Partnerships can declare their intent to join the Initiative by 
including such a letter with their application for this solicitation. A 
complete description of partnerships and their representative 
activities can be found in Appendix A and on the MSR website at http//
www.MillionSolarRoofs.org.
    DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy will only 
consider proposals from interested State and Community Partnerships to 
help fund their MSR program development and implementation activities. 
Projects will be managed by the DOE Regional Support Offices. DOE 
intends to allocate a portion of total available funding to each of the 
six DOE regions based on a formula that considers existing partnerships 
and the potential for new partnerships to be established. Applicants 
will only be competing against other partnerships in their DOE region.
    The project or activity must be conducted in a designated MSR 
partnership community. Any member of a State or Community Partnership, 
except industry associations, can apply on behalf of the Partnership, 
including builders, energy service providers, utilities, non-
governmental organizations, local governments, state governments, or 
Federal government agencies. The different organizations/offices 
involved in a State or Community Partnership are encouraged to 
collaborate on their response to this solicitation. There is no cost-
sharing requirement for these grants although cost-sharing will be 
considered in the selection process. Subject to the availability of 
funds, multiple Awards for a total of $600,000 (DOE funding) in Fiscal 
Year (FY) 1999 are anticipated as a result of this Solicitation 
(approximately 12 to 30 small grants, $10,000 to $50,000 in size) will 
be awarded. Solicitation number DE-PS36-99GO10419 will include complete 
information on the program including technical aspects, funding, 
application preparation instructions, application evaluation criteria, 
and other factors that will be considered when selecting applications 
for funding. No pre-application conference is planned. Issuance of the 
solicitation is planned on or about January 22 , 1999, with responses 
due on February 19, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ruth Adams, Contracting Officer, at 
303-275-4722, e-mail [email protected], or Robert Martin, Project 
Officer, at 303-275-4763, e-mail [email protected].

    Issued in Golden, Colorado, on January 21, 1999.
Ruth E. Adams,
Chief, Procurement, GO.
[FR Doc. 99-2177 Filed 1-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P