[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 164 (Wednesday, August 23, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51303-51304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21503]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Sources Sought for Superconductivity Program for Electric Power 
Systems

AGENCY: Golden Field Office; Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
Energy; Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of Financial Assistance Solicitation--DOE 
Superconductivity Partnership Initiative (SPI) Program.

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SUMMARY: The DOE Office of Power Technologies intends to issue a 
solicitation for proposals under which several competitive financial 
assistance awards will be made in support of the DOE SPI Program in 
Fiscal Year 2001. Expression of interest in this solicitation is 
requested at this time. In addition, it is requested that interested 
parties comment regarding the approach to be followed in the 
anticipated solicitation as described below.

DATES: DOE is requesting expressions of interest and comments in 
responding to the contemplated solicitation by August 31, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S. Department of Energy, Golden 
Field Office, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401. The Project 
Engineer is Russell Eaton, at (303) 275-4740 or e-mail at 
[email protected]. The Contract Specialist is James McDermott, at 
FAX: (303) 275-4788 or e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The office of Power Technologies of the DOE 
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to 
issue a solicitation in early Fiscal Year 2001 for SPI. DOE, as part of 
its Superconductivity Program for Electric Power Systems, is currently 
pursuing the development of electric power equipment incorporating High 
Temperature Superconductors (HTS) through its SPI. The purpose of the 
SPI is to accelerate the time for the initial commercialization of 
energy-saving HTS electric power equipment. DOE intends to share the 
costs of the projects to be

[[Page 51304]]

awarded under this new solicitation with industry partners' 
contributions being at least half of a project's costs (statutory 
requirement). DOE intends that its industry partners will be vertically 
integrated teams composed of equipment manufacturers, HTS wire and coil 
suppliers, component suppliers, and end users (primarily utilities). 
Each partnership may, at its option, utilize via a Cooperative Research 
and Development Agreement (CRADA) with any of the DOE's national 
laboratories. The laboratory could contribute specialized capabilities, 
facilities, or equipment to the project that would complement the 
partnership's needs. These teams carry out the multi-year technology 
developmental efforts, consisting of design, construction, installation 
and testing phases. The DOE currently has seven SPI projects for the 
following equipment: flywheel energy storage system, magnetic separator 
unit, motors, transformers, and underground AC cables. DOE is eager to 
increase the diversity of its portfolio of HTS power system 
applications.
    DOE is contemplating issuing a solicitation early in FY2001 in 
response to the continuing interest in the SPI by its industrial 
stakeholders and due to the impressive technical progress by the 
participating industry teams involved in current SPI activities with 
DOE. DOE anticipates that awards will be made to teams for projects 
ranging in size from hundreds of thousands of dollars to several 
million dollars per year and for project periods of up to four years. 
Subject to the availability of funds, it is anticipated that the DOE 
funding for the contemplated solicitation will be no more than $7 
million in the first year, and no more than $9 million for each of the 
following 3 years. The SPI awards will be cost-shared cooperative 
agreements between DOE and the prime of the industry-led team. The 
anticipated solicitation intends to combine the requirement of earlier 
SPI solicitations for the development of full-scale, pre-commercial 
power applications, utilizing essentially available HTS conductors, 
e.g., BSCCO multi-filamentary tapes and forms. The solicitation also 
intends to assess the potential impacts of replacing available HTS 
conductors with promising coated HTS conductors, currently under 
development, into the proposed power application. DOE also expects the 
solicitation will require that the application include an energy and 
economic benefits analysis, technical performance expectations, product 
or system design studies, and a business plan for product introduction.
    Respondents to this notice should notify DOE of their interest in 
submitting a proposal to the anticipated solicitation. In addition, 
information or comments to assist in drafting the solicitation will be 
appreciated.

    Issued in Golden, Colorado, on August 15, 2000.
Matthew A. Barron,
Contracting Officer, Golden Field Office.
[FR Doc. 00-21503 Filed 8-22-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P