[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 59 (Wednesday, March 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14705-14707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7299]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Competitive Financial Assistance for the Office of 
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Competitive Financial Assistance Solicitation.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces a competitive 
solicitation for applications for grants and cooperative agreements for 
information dissemination, public outreach, training, and related 
technical analysis and technical assistance activities involving 
renewable energy and energy efficiency. It is estimated that funding of 
approximately $1.2 million will be available for renewable energy 
programs and an additional $3 million will be available for energy 
efficiency programs for awards under this solicitation in fiscal year 
2002. Areas of interest involving renewable energy include wind, 
hydrogen and geothermal technologies. Energy efficiency areas of 
interest include energy efficiency in the transportation, buildings, 
and industrial sectors. The awards may be for a period of six months to 
three years. Proposals will be subject to the objective merit review 
procedures for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 
(EERE). Eligible applicants for this solicitation are profit 
organizations, non-profit institutions and organizations, state and 
local governments, universities, individuals, Native American 
organizations, and Alaskan Native Corporations.

ADDRESSES: The formal solicitation document, which will include greater 
detail about specific program areas of interest, application 
instructions, and evaluation criteria, is expected to be issued in the 
beginning of April 2002. The solicitation will include specific funding 
totals for each program area of interest. Applications will be due for 
the various program areas in mid-May 2002. The formal solicitation will 
be disseminated electronically as solicitation number DE-PS01-02EE10846 
through DOE's e-Center Web site and Industry Interactive Procurement 
System (IIPS) located at http://e-center.doe.gov. You can get more 
information about IIPS or register your organization to use IIPS on the 
e-center home page. Registration is a prerequisite to the submission of 
an application and applicants are encouraged to register as soon as 
possible. A users' manual for IIIPS can be found under the help button 
on the main e-Center page. Assistance for IIPS related problems is 
available through the IIPS help desk from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday through 
Friday, at 1-800-683-0751.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact the U.S. Department of Energy, 
Office of Headquarters Procurement Services, Attention ME-642.1 (Larry 
Lansing or Tova Stein, EERE-2002), 1000 Independence Ave., SW., 
Washington, DC 20585, e-mail: [email protected]. Questions or 
comments should be categorized as administrative or financial 
assistance related. Administrative questions or comments relate only to 
the operation of IIPS. All questions or comments should be directed to 
the attention of Mr. Lansing (for program Areas of Interest 1 and 4) or 
Ms. Stein (for Program Areas of Interest 2, 3 and 8)). The preferred 
method of submitting questions and/or comments is through e-mail. Only 
questions and comments coordinated

[[Page 14706]]

with Mr. Lansing or Ms. Stein will be considered.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EERE supports DOE's strategic objectives of 
increasing the efficiency and productivity of energy use, while 
limiting environmental impacts; reducing the vulnerability of the U.S. 
economy to disruptions in energy supplies; ensuring that a competitive 
electric utility industry is in place that can deliver adequate and 
affordable supplies with reduced environmental impacts; supporting U.S. 
energy, environmental, and economic interests in markets; and 
delivering leading-edge technologies. A key component of this program 
is the support of information dissemination, public outreach, training 
and related technical analysis and technical assistance activities to: 
(1) Stimulate increased energy efficiency in transportation, buildings, 
and industry and increased use of renewable energy; (2) accelerate the 
adoption of new technologies to increase energy efficiency and the use 
of renewable energy; (3) disseminate information to states, local 
governments and the public on EERE programs and technologies; and (4) 
address barriers to markets for EERE technologies. The purpose of this 
solicitation is to further these objectives through financial 
assistance in the following areas:
    Office of Power Technologies (OPT)--The primary mission of this 
Office is: (1) To enable U.S. industry to complete the research, 
testing and field verification needed to fully develop advanced wind 
energy technologies that lead the world in cost effectiveness and 
reliability; (2) dramatically reduce dependence on foreign oil by 
developing a next generation hydrogen energy system to meet the 
President's National Energy Policy goal of reliable, affordable and 
environmentally sound energy for America's future; (3) provide unbiased 
technical assessments and information to federal, regional, and state 
decision makers on the benefits and costs of electric utility 
restructuring issues related to renewable energy and energy efficiency; 
(4) setting goals for the President's energy vision as part of the 
National Energy Policy and the Strategic Program Review; (5) develop 
renewable energy generation technologies capable of economically 
increasing the deployment of non-hydroelectric renewable generation 
capacity to a total of at least 25,000 megawatts by 2010; and (6) work 
in partnership with U.S. industry to establish geothermal energy as an 
economically competitive contributor to the U.S. energy supply. 
Financial assistance applications will be requested for information 
dissemination, public outreach, and related technical analysis 
activities involving several specific renewable technologies such as 
wind, hydrogen and geothermal technologies. Also, applications will be 
requested to perform information dissemination, public outreach and 
related technical assistance for: the co-sponsorship of conferences 
involving the Power Technologies sector; Power Technologies analysis 
collaborative incentives analysis, information dissemination and 
outreach; and electricity restructuring.
    Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT)--The mission of this Office 
of Industrial Technologies (OIT) is to improve energy efficiency, 
environmental performance, and productivity of materials and process 
industries by developing and delivering advanced science and technology 
options that will: (1) Lower raw material and depletable energy use per 
unit output; (2) improve labor and capital productivity; and (3) reduce 
the generation of wastes and pollutants. OIT accomplishes its mission 
through its Industries: aluminum, steel, metal casting, glass, forest 
and paper products, chemicals, petroleum refining, agriculture-biobased 
products, and mining. At the national level, OIT has successfully 
facilitated the development of industry visions and technology roadmaps 
with these nine industries that are called the ``vision industries.'' 
Financial assistance applications will be requested to support 
information dissemination and outreach to facilitate multi-States 
implementation of the Industries of the Future program.
    Office of Transportation Technologies (OTT)--The primary mission of 
this Office operates several programs to help promote the introduction 
of alternative fuel and advanced fuel and advance vehicle technology 
(fuels, vehicles, infrastructure) into the domestic transportation 
system in a safe, economical, and businesslike manner. OTT also 
supports the deployment of technologies, providing needed support at 
critical points in the transition of technologies from the laboratory 
to the marketplace. In addition, OTT implements many activities related 
to the alternative fuel provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 
(EPAct), including the Clean Cities program, federal fleet programs, 
analytical work, testing and evaluation, and regulatory efforts. 
Financial assistance applications will be requested to support 
information, dissemination and outreach activities for: co-sponsorship 
of conferences and events; training for local clean cities coalitions; 
and information dissemination and public outreach for niche markets.
    Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs (BTS)--
The mission of this Office is to develop, promote, and integrate energy 
technologies and practices to make buildings more efficient and 
affordable and communities more livable. Financial assistance 
applications will be requested to support information dissemination, 
public outreach, and related technical analysis activities for the 
following BTS priorities: Addressing the efficient and renewable energy 
technology information deficit among commercial building constructors, 
owners, and managers; promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy 
utilization as a public value for residential builders and home buyers; 
increasing the availability of energy efficient school design, retrofit 
and technical resource information for school board members and school 
administrators; preparing the building trades, building operators, and 
building managers for the new generation of efficient and renewable 
energy technologies; promoting the widespread installation of dedicated 
compact fluorescent lamp fixtures; and strengthening the Rebuild 
America Program through outreach activities with stakeholder 
organizations representing facility managers, business officials and 
policy makers at colleges and universities, State and Local 
governments, elementary and secondary schools, and public and other 
low-income housing.
    Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)--The mission of the 
Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) is to reduce the cost and 
environmental impact of government resource use by advancing energy 
efficiency and water conservation, promoting the use of renewable 
energy and managing utility costs in Federal buildings, facilities and 
operations. This program supports the Department's priority to lead by 
example through the government's own actions. FEMP accomplishes this 
mission, in part, by providing guidance on the use of effective energy 
saving technologies. Lighting systems consume approximately 40% of 
total building electricity, on a national average, and represent the 
largest single opportunity for reducing the energy use of Federal 
facilities. This work will provide certification of lighting 
professionals to help ensure that new and retrofit lighting projects 
exhibit the highest degree of energy efficiency and effectiveness to 
meet the President's National Energy Policy goal of reducing

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the cost of government by reducing energy use in federal facilities. 
FEMP also promotes Federal leadership in energy management and 
increasing awareness and energy management expertise in the Federal 
sector by providing technical assistance to senior FEMP management and 
federal facility energy managers which requires technology transfer and 
information dissemination to broad audiences. Financial assistance will 
be requested to support several specific program areas such as a 
national lighting certification program for lighting professionals.
    Additional information about the programs of the Office of EERE can 
be obtained at the Office's Internet site at http://www.eren.doe.gov/ee.html.

    Issued in Washington, DC on March 21, 2002.
Beth Tomasoni,
Acting Director, Operations Division B, Office of Headquarters 
Procurement Services.
[FR Doc. 02-7299 Filed 3-26-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P