[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 48 (Friday, March 10, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12977-12978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5946]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


National Energy Technology Laboratory; Notice of Availability of 
a Financial Assistance Solicitation

AGENCY: National Energy Technology Laboratory, Department of Energy 
(DOE).

[[Page 12978]]


ACTION: Notice of restricted eligibility of a financial assistance 
solicitation.

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

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the intent to issue Financial 
Assistance Solicitation No. DE-PS26-00NT40767 entitled ``Recovery and 
Utilization of Coal Mine Methane: Pilot Scale Demonstration Phase. 
Pursuant to 10 CFR 600.6(b), DOE has determined that issuance of this 
financial assistance solicitation on a restricted eligibility basis is 
necessary and appropriate. Accordingly, the eligibility of recipients 
for DOE financial assistance awards under this solicitation is limited 
to the following firms:

Jim Walter Resources, Inc., PO Box 133, Brookwood, AL 35444, Contact: 
Randall Mills. FuelCell Energy, Inc., 3 Great Pasture Road, PO Box 
1305, Danbury, CT 06813-1305, Contact: Michelle Reichert.
West Virginia University Research Corporation On Behalf of West 
Virginia University/Appalachian Pacific, PO Box 6845, 886 Chestnut 
Ridge Road, Morgantown, WV 26506-6845, Contact: William W. Reeves.
Noumenon Corporation, 95 Ringold Lane, Morgantown, WV 26508, Contact: 
Linda Rizer. Northwest Fuel Development, Inc., 4064 Orchard Drive, Lake 
Oswego OR 97035, Contact: Peet Soot.

    Industry partners will be required to cost share a minimum of 50 
percent of the project activities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Crystal A. Sharp, U.S. Department of 
Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, PO Box 880,3610 Collins 
Ferry Road, Morgantown, WV 26507-0880, E-mail Address: 
[email protected], Telephone Number: (304) 285-4442

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1995, a competitive solicitation was 
issued requesting feasibility studies to determine existing, evolving, 
and novel technologies which may be applicable for capturing and 
utilizing coal mine methane emissions generated from active and 
inactive coal mining operations in the U.S. Ten offerors were selected 
for the Phase I feasibility effort. Based on the results reported from 
the Phase I effort, DOE down selected from the initial 10 awardees to 
the five awardees identified above to continue with Phase II, 
engineering design preparation. Phase II required each awardee to 
provide at a minimum 20 percent cost share. These five DOE-industry 
sponsored projects (which are partnerships with industry: coal, gas, 
electric, and engine companies) are the only efforts which are ongoing 
under this specific aspect of DOE's Climate Challenge Program which 
began in 1993 as a result of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Since the 
initial issuance of the fully competitive solicitation in 1995 focused 
on recovering coal mine methane emissions, the remaining five DOE-
industry sponsored partnerships (following prior down selects) are in a 
singularly unique position, from both a technical and government cost 
effectiveness basis, to continue with the follow-on detailed 
engineering designs of those technologies solicited under this 
procurement action which can be reliably demonstrated in the field for 
timely verification of the cost-effective recovery and utilization of 
coal mine methane emissions.

Randolph L. Kesling,
Director, Acquisition and Assistance Division.
[FR Doc. 00-5946 Filed 3-9-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P