[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13514-13515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-5433]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Energy Technology Laboratory


Notice of Intent To Issue a Financial Assistance Solicitation 
(PS)

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Issue a Financial Assistance Solicitation 
(PS).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the intent to issue Financial 
Assistance Solicitation No. DE-PS26-01NT40868 entitled ``Gas Storage 
Program Solicitation.'' The general goal of this research and 
development effort is to support further development of the innovative 
gas storage concepts that are required to meet the needs of the natural 
gas industry and end-use customers of the U.S. through the year 2015. 
The Gas Storage Program's ``Advanced Storage Concepts (ASC)'' projects 
have been exploring alternatives to service the need for new storage 
development and expansion in close proximity to areas of growing 
residential natural gas use and existing and planned industrial and 
power generation facilities without conventional storage options.

DATES: The solicitation will be available on the DOE/NETL's Internet 
address at http://www.netl.doe.gov/business on or about March 16, 2001. 
Based on the information contained herein, prospective Applicants are 
encouraged to begin defining their requirements and potential teaming 
arrangements prior to release of the solicitation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly A. McDonald, Contract 
Specialist, MS I07, U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy 
Technology Laboratory, 3610 Collins Ferry Road, P.O. Box 880, 
Morgantown, WV 26507-0880, E-mail Address: [email protected], 
Telephone Number: (304) 285-4113.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: It is anticipated that this action will 
consist of a single solicitation with three (3) multiple needs areas 
that specifically address: (1) Proof-of-concept studies or 
demonstrations aimed at establishing the potential for full-scale field 
deployment and commercialization of previously developed technologies 
such as Lined Rock Cavern, Refrigerated-Mined Rock Cavern, Gas Storage 
as Hydrates, or Gas Storage in Basalt (a CD-ROM publication titled 
``Advanced Gas Storage Concepts: Technologies for the Future,'' which 
contains the final reports of the Lined Rock Cavern, Refrigerated-Mined 
Rock Cavern, and Gas Storage as Hydrates concepts, is available through 
the CD-ROM Ordering System at the NETL website http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications); (2) development of new ideas for innovative storage 
alternatives; or (3) development of technological innovations in salt 
brine disposal to overcome the dominant barrier to developing salt 
cavern storage in areas remote to ocean disposal. Proposed approaches 
are anticipated that will include teaming arrangements and can 
encompass any combination of theory, laboratory validation of concepts, 
field validation of concepts, proof-of-concept demonstration, or 
commercial technology demonstration. The overall goal of this 
solicitation shall be to work toward a demonstration of the storage 
concept at a commercially scalable size. It is anticipated that the 
work performed under this action will consist of three (3) phases 
similar to the following:
    Phase I--Concept Definition and Research, Development and Testing 
(RD&T) Planning;
    Phase II--Research, Development and Testing; and,
    Phase III--Preliminary Engineering Design of the Storage 
Technology.
    The maximum period of performance for all three (3) phases is 
estimated at forty-eight (48) months. The goal of this procurement is 
to encourage private sector firms to proceed with detailed engineering 
design and obtain private sector funding for the construction and 
operation of an advanced natural gas storage technology. It is 
recognized that each Applicant may propose varying scopes of effort for 
one or more of the three (3) phases, and consequently, an Applicant is 
not required to perform all Phase I activities if significant work on 
Phase I type activities has previously been completed. If the Applicant 
proposes to initially proceed to Phase II or III efforts, information 
must be included in their application which demonstrates the merit of 
the previous research and reference to the results. For successful 
Applicants proposing to Phase II or III, the cost of work performed by 
the Recipient to satisfy the Phase I or II requirements prior to the 
execution of the resulting agreement will not be considered when 
calculating cost-share. Due to the nature and objective of this 
solicitation, it is anticipated that a mixture of proposals will be 
accepted with staggered beginning dates, and it is therefore 
anticipated that any Applicant selected for award shall proceed on it's 
own schedule, independent of any other application. The schedule will 
be based on the best estimate of the time it will take the team to 
complete the three (3)-phase effort, address the objective of the 
advanced natural gas storage program, and meet the government's target 
date for completion of the Preliminary Engineering Design.
    DOE anticipates multiple cooperative agreement awards under each 
area of interest resulting from this solicitation, and no fee or profit 
will be paid to a Recipient or Subrecipient under the awards. This 
particular program is covered by section 3001 and 3002 of the Energy 
Policy Act (EPAct), 42 U.S.C. 13542 for financial assistance awards. 
EPAct 3002 requires a cost-share commitment of at least twenty (20) 
percent from non-Federal sources for research and development projects 
and at least fifty (50) percent for demonstration and commercial 
projects. Depending on the phase and maturation stage of the agreement, 
cost-share expectations will range from 20 to 50 percent. The 
particular program is also covered by section 2306 of EPAct, 42 U.S.C. 
13525 for financial assistance awards. In order for a company to be 
eligible for an award under this solicitation, the Applicant must be a 
United States-owned company. If the Applicant is not a United States-
owned company, it must be incorporated or organized in a foreign 
country that

[[Page 13515]]

affords treatment to United States-owned companies that is comparable 
to treatment the United States affords foreign-owned companies. This 
eligibility requirement also applies to all companies participating in 
any joint venture, ``team'' arrangement, or as a major subcontractor. 
The solicitation will contain as part of the application package the 
applicable EPAct representation form(s). At current planning levels, 
and subject to the availability of funds, DOE expects to provide up to 
approximately $4,000,000 to support work under this solicitation. 
Applications which include performance of Federal agencies and agents 
(i.e. Management and Operations (M&O) contractors and/or National 
Laboratories) as a subcontractor will be acceptable under this 
solicitation if the proposed use of any such entities is specifically 
authorized by the executive Federal agency managing the M&O or National 
Laboratory, and the work is not otherwise available from the private 
sector. Such work, if approved, would be accomplished through a direct 
transfer of funding from the NETL to the M&O contractor and/or National 
Laboratory. Even though participation of an M&O and/or National 
Laboratory may be appropriate, their participation cannot exceed fifty 
(50) percent of the Applicant's total estimated project cost.
    Telephone requests, written requests, E-mail requests, or facsimile 
requests for a copy of the solicitation package will not be accepted 
and/or honored. Applications must be prepared and submitted in 
accordance with the instructions and forms contained in the 
solicitation. The actual solicitation document will allow for requests 
for explanation and/or interpretation.

    Issued in Morgantown, WV, on February 20, 2001.
Randolph L. Kesling,
Director, Acquisition and Assistance Division.
[FR Doc. 01-5433 Filed 3-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P