[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 25 (Thursday, February 6, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6131-6132]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2910]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


State Energy Program (SEP) Special Projects

AGENCY: Golden Field Office, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of issuance of the 2003 State Energy Program Special 
Projects Solicitation.

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

SUMMARY: The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the 
Department of Energy (DOE) is anticipating the availability of 
financial assistance to the States for a group of special project 
activities. Funding is being provided by a number of programs in the 
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. States may apply to 
undertake any of the projects being offered by these programs. 
Financial Assistance will be awarded to the States separately for each 
special project, with activities to be carried out in conjunction with 
their efforts under SEP. The special projects' funding and activities 
are tracked separately so that the DOE Program Offices may follow the 
progress of individual projects.

DATES: The program solicitation is anticipated to be posted on the 
Industry Interactive Procurement System (IIPS) Web site in mid-
February, 2003. Applications will be due in early to mid-May, 2003.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the solicitation, interested parties 
should access the DOE Golden Field Office Home Page at http://www.golden.doe.gov/businessopportunities.html, and click on the 
``Solicitations'' button. The Golden Home Page will provide a link to 
the Solicitation in the IIPS Web site and provide instructions on using 
IIPS. The Solicitation can also be obtained directly through IIPS at 
http://e-center.doe.gov by browsing opportunities by Contract Activity, 
for those solicitations issued by the Golden Field Office. DOE will not 
issue paper copies of the solicitation.
    IIPS provides the medium for disseminating solicitations, receiving 
financial assistance applications, and evaluating the applications in a 
paperless environment. The application must be submitted to IIPS by an 
eligible State applicant. For questions regarding the operation of 
IIPS, contact the IIPS Help Desk at center.doe.gov">IIPS_HelpDesk@e-center.doe.gov or 
at (800) 683-0751.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrea Lucero, DOE Golden Field 
Office, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401-3393 or via facsimile to 
Andrea Lucero at (303) 275-4788, or electronically to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The projects must meet the relevant 
requirements of the program providing the funding, as well as of the 
SEP as specified in the 2003 State Energy Program Special Projects 
Solicitation. The goals of the special projects activities are to 
assist States accelerate deployment of energy efficiency and renewable 
energy technologies; facilitate the acceptance of emerging and 
underutilized energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies; and 
increase the responsiveness of Federally funded technology development 
efforts to private sector needs.
    Fiscal Year 2003 is the eighth year special project activities have 
been funded in conjunction with the State Energy Program (10 CFR part 
420). Most of these special projects are related to or based on similar 
efforts that have been funded by other DOE programs.

Availability of Fiscal Year 2003 Funds

    With this publication, DOE is anticipating the availability of an 
estimated $16.3 million in new financial assistance awards from Fiscal 
Year 2003 appropriations. DOE's obligation for performance of this 
Solicitation is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds 
from which financial assistance awards can be made.
    The awards will be made through a competitive process. The programs 
that are participating in the State Energy Program Special Projects for 
Fiscal Year 2003, with the estimated amount of funding available for 
each, are as follows:
    [sbull] Clean Cities: The program will provide funds to support the 
deployment of alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) in 
the following four categories: (1) Projects that promote acquisition of 
commercially-available AFVs that maximize alternative fuel use, 
especially when those vehicles support an AFV niche market activity 
center or niche deployment strategy; (2) projects that promote AFV 
infrastructure development; (3) Projects that promote the acquisition 
of AFV school buses; (4) Projects that support coalition activities 
($5,000,000).
    [sbull] Industrial Technology Program: The objective is to broaden 
the impact of investments in advanced industrial technologies and 
practices geared toward energy savings and waste reduction. This will 
be done through

[[Page 6132]]

increased partnerships composed of State agencies, universities and 
local small and mid-sized manufacturing entities ($2,000,000).
    [sbull] Building Codes and Standards: Support States' actions to 
adopt, update, implement, enforce and evaluate the effectiveness of 
their residential and commercial building energy codes ($1,650,000).
    [sbull] Rebuild America: Support Rebuild America State Programs 
which are consistent with the Rebuild America Strategic Plan that 
identifies specific and measurable building and related energy saving 
projects. The goal is for 50% of the partnerships to have completed at 
least one major building renovation project by 2005. The partnerships 
must define a program and process that would show a significant 
opportunity for completion of building projects ($3,000,000).
    [sbull] Building America: Applications should include research that 
coordinates with Building America's goal of creating building system 
performance packages that make new houses 40% to 70% more energy 
efficient than those built to local building code standards. Existing 
houses should be 30% more energy efficient than the local building code 
($300,000).
    [sbull] Federal Energy Management Program: Applications should 
promote and facilitate sustainable design and construction, energy 
efficient operations and maintenance, distributed and renewable energy, 
renewable energy purchases, siting of renewable power on Federal sites, 
and assessment and implementation of load and energy reduction 
techniques ($500,000).
    [sbull] Solar Technology Program: To determine if islanding is a 
reasonable concern for distributed energy resources, grants are 
available to utilities to conduct measurements of the actual watts, 
Volt-Amp Reactives (VARs), and harmonics present on 12 distribution 
lines ($250,000).
    [sbull] State Wind Energy Support: Applications are sought for (1) 
State outreach and technical assistance, and (2) regional consortia on 
transmissions ($400,000).
    [sbull] Distributed Energy and Electric Reliability--Transmission 
Reliability, Energy Storage, and Interconnection: Applications are 
sought for (1) Energy Storage, Renewable Generation Dispatch, and 
Transmission Stability, and (2) Electrical Interconnection Regulatory 
Education and Outreach ($205,000).
    [sbull] Distributed Energy and Electric Reliability--Regional 
Combined Cooling Heating and Power Applications Centers: The objectives 
of the Regional Application Centers will be to provide essential and 
appropriate applied research and development support, focused on the 
technology transfer and deployment of advanced Combined Heat and Power 
(CHP) technologies. The Regional Application Centers will achieve this 
objective through targeted education and outreach programs as well as 
project assistance ($1,200,000).
    [sbull] Distributed Energy and Electric Reliability--High 
Temperature Superconductivity, State Outreach Centers: Project requests 
are for the development and facilitation of State meetings and 
workshops designed to disseminate information on the technical, 
economic, environmental feasibility, and effectiveness of High 
Temperature Superconductivity (HTS) technologies and their systems 
integration approach ($400,000).
    [sbull] Geothermal Outreach: Program funding will be provided for 
outreach and information sharing with State-based agricultural/rural 
sectors in States with direct use geothermal resources. Additional 
funding will be provided for projects that update the inventory of 
geothermal resources in a given State (300,000).
    [sbull] Biomass: To foster significant penetration of biomass-based 
technologies and products, cost-shared proposals are sought under two 
broad categories (1) outreach and information transfer to consumers, 
farmers, and industry; or (2) Development of innovative State or local 
incentives that facilitate increased market penetration of bio-based 
products and biomass-based technologies ($600,000).
    [sbull] Residential Deployment: The goal of this solicitation is to 
develop self-sustaining energy efficiency programs for the existing 
home market that incorporate marketing efforts, builder training/
certification, home inspections, and quality assurance of contractor 
work ($500,000).

Restricted Eligibility

    Eligible Applicants under this solicitation are limited to the 50 
States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern 
Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U. S. Virgin Islands. 
Applications must be submitted by the State Energy Office or other 
agency responsible for administering the State Energy Program pursuant 
to 10 CFR part 420, although States may work in collaboration with non-
State partners. For convenience, the term ``State'' in this 
solicitation refers to all eligible Applicants.
    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number assigned to the 
State Energy Program Special Projects is 81.119.
    Requirements for cost sharing contributions are addressed in each 
category. Cost sharing contributions beyond any required percentage is 
desirable.

Evaluation Review and Criteria

    A first tier review for compliance will occur at the appropriate 
DOE Regional Office. Applications found to be in compliance will 
undergo a merit review process by panels comprised of members 
representing the participating programs at DOE's Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The program offices recommend projects 
to the Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program Manager 
who is the designated selecting official. DOE reserves the right to 
fund, in whole or in part, any, all or none of the applications 
submitted in response to this notice.

    Issued in Golden, Colorado, on January 29, 2003.
Jerry L. Zimmer,
 Director, Office of Acquisition and Financial Assistance.
[FR Doc. 03-2910 Filed 2-5-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P