[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 72 (Friday, April 14, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19612-19614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-3606]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration Federal Register Notice


National Fuel Cell Bus Technology Development Program

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability; competitive solicitation for 
funding through the National Fuel Cell Bus Technology Development 
Program.

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SUMMARY: This competitive solicitation is for fiscal year 2006-2009 
funding, subject to congressional appropriations action, for the new 
National Fuel Cell Bus Technology Development Program (NFCBP), 
administered by the Federal Transit Administration. The purpose of the 
program is to facilitate the development of commercially viable fuel 
cell bus technology and related infrastructure. FTA intends to enter 
into grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements with no more than 3 
geographically diverse nonprofit organizations and recipients under 
chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, to conduct fuel cell bus 
technology and infrastructure projects under the program. Regional 
consortia in partnership with transit agencies are encouraged to apply. 
The Federal share of the cost of a project carried out under this 
Program shall not exceed 50 percent of such cost.

DATES: White papers must be received by FTA by the close of business 
May 10, 2006. Full proposals for the selected papers must be received 
by FTA by the close of business July 14, 2006. Close of business for 
FTA is 5:30 p.m. eastern time zone.

ADDRESSES: White papers and full proposals for the selected white 
papers must be submitted to Shang Hsiung, Office of Research, 
Demonstrations and Innovation, Mail Code: TRI-10, Federal Transit 
Administration, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590. Phone: 
202-366-0241, or e-mail: [email protected]. The Solicitation 
Guidelines including the submission requirements are available at 
http://www.fta.dot.gov/. Submissions must be received by the deadline.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Shang Hsiung, Office of 
Research, Demonstration and Innovation, Federal Transit Administration, 
400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590, 202-366-0241, e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

1. General Program Information
2. Solicitation Guidelines
3. Solicitation Schedule
4. Additional Program Information

I. General Program Information

A. Authority

    Section 3045 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for Users of 2005 (SAFETEA-LU) 
establishes a new program called the National Fuel Cell Bus Technology 
Development Program (49 U.S.C. 5308, note). SAFETEA-LU authorizes $49 
million in funding for the program for fiscal years 2006 through 2009. 
For fiscal year 2006, Congress appropriated $11,138,000 for the NFCBP.

B. Background

    Transit continues to be in the forefront of the research, 
development, demonstration, and deployment of clean and energy 
efficient vehicle technologies. Factors that have made transit buses 
the vanguard for alternative fuels and hybrid electric systems are just 
as applicable in helping

[[Page 19613]]

lead the introduction of fuel cell vehicle technologies into 
transportation applications. Bus weight and volume packaging 
constraints are less rigorous than cars. Unlike personal automobiles 
where we expect to turn the key and to immediately drive away, buses 
undergo a check-out procedure prior to the driver starting his or her 
run. Transit buses are centrally fueled and stored at discrete 
locations, whereas we all expect to be able to fill up our cars 
anywhere and everywhere. The fleet operation aspect of transit buses 
creates a more manageable and finite re-fueling infrastructure 
requirement, and can assist in the development of the overall 
transportation re-fueling infrastructure required. Transit buses are 
driven and maintained by professionals, easing the introduction of a 
new power plant. Perhaps most importantly, transit buses operate in the 
most densely populated corridors of our urban areas. Fuel cell buses 
could provide greater public exposure to the safe operation of zero 
emission vehicles leading to broader acceptance of this technology. The 
operational and maintenance experience gained from the early 
introduction of fuel cell vehicle technologies into buses could enhance 
its successful application in trucks and cars.
    The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit 
Administration (FTA) played an instrumental role in spurring the 
adoption of natural gas buses into routine revenue service operations. 
It is playing a similar role in helping to accelerate the adoption of 
electric drive technologies--battery electric, hybrid electric, and 
hydrogen fuel cell buses. The President's FreedomCAR and Hydrogen Fuel 
Initiative which are focused on light-duty vehicles have set forth bold 
visions for tackling our Nation's goals of energy independence and 
cleaner air without sacrificing personal mobility. FTA's expertise and 
experience in alternative fuels and hybrid electric systems for transit 
buses and its proven track record of successfully moving clean, fuel 
efficient buses from the drawing board to the street, make FTA the 
ideal agency to lead and implement a program to complement and support 
the Presidential Initiatives.

C. Eligible Applicants

    Section 3045(b) directs the Secretary of Transportation to conduct 
a national solicitation for applications under the NFCBP. Recipients 
shall be selected on a competitive basis. The Secretary may enter into 
a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement with no more than three 
regionally diverse non-profit organizations and recipients (i.e., 
transit agencies eligible to receive FTA financial assistance). For-
profit private entities or non-recipients of FTA funds are encouraged 
to partner with eligible non-profit organizations or recipients. Since 
the goal of the NCFBP is to facilitate the development of commercially 
viable fuel cell bus technology and related infrastructure, regional, 
multi-state advanced transportation technology consortia in partnership 
with transit agencies are specifically encouraged to apply. Section 
3045(d) also directs that priority consideration be given to applicants 
that have successfully managed advanced transportation technology 
projects, including projects related to hydrogen and fuel cell public 
transportation operations for a period of not less than five years. The 
Federal share of the cost of a project carried out under this Program 
shall not exceed 50 percent of such cost.

D. Eligibility Criteria

    Section 3045(c) establishes the statutory criteria for evaluating 
eligible applications. The criteria are the following:
    1. ability to contribute significantly to furthering fuel cell 
technology as it relates to transit bus operations, including hydrogen 
production, energy storage, fuel cell technologies, vehicle systems 
integration, and power electronics technologies;
    2. financing plan and cost share potential;
    3. fuel cell technology to ensure that the program advances 
different fuel cell technologies, including hydrogen-fueled and 
methanol-powered liquid-fueled fuel cell technologies, that may be 
viable for public transportation systems; and
    4. other criteria that the Secretary determines are necessary to 
carry out the program.
    FTA believes that the first three criteria provide a sufficient 
basis on which to evaluate applications; thus, FTA has determined that 
additional criteria under paragraph 4 are unnecessary. If warranted, 
however, criteria and application procedures may be reassessed for 
subsequent years, and FTA will provide adequate notice and an 
opportunity to comment on any proposed changes.

E. Application Evaluation Criteria

    Consistent with the criteria identified in Section 3045(c), 
applications will be evaluated based on the following elements:
     Ability to contribute significantly to furthering fuel 
cell technology as it relates to transit bus operations, including 
hydrogen production, energy storage, fuel cell technologies, vehicle 
systems integration, and power electronics technologies;
     Financing plan and cost share potential; and
     Fuel cell technology to ensure that the program advances 
different fuel cell technologies, including hydrogen-fueled and 
methanol-powered liquid-fueled fuel cell technologies, that may be 
viable for public transportation systems.
    Section 3045(d) also states that priority consideration will be 
given to applicants that have successfully managed advanced 
transportation technology projects, including projects related to 
hydrogen and fuel cell public transportation operations for a period of 
not less than five years.

II. Solicitation Guidelines

    The competitive solicitation process including the submission 
requirements for the National Fuel Cell Bus Technology Development 
Program are available at http://www.fta.dot.gov. Click on the 
navigational tab for Grant Programs on the right hand side, then click 
on the Grant Programs link, and then click on the link for the National 
Fuel Cell Bus Technology Development Program. To receive the 
Solicitation Guidelines by e-mail, please send an e-mail to 
[email protected]. A synopsis of this announcement will also be 
posted in the FIND module of the government-wide electronic grants Web 
site at http://www.grants.gov.
    Projects requiring multi-year funding may be submitted. Note that 
funding in future fiscal years is not guaranteed and will be contingent 
upon the annual appropriation process.
    In order to minimize the effort required for proposal preparation 
and review, the selection will take place in two phases. First, non-
profit organizations and recipients will prepare white papers for FTA 
to review, comment and select. The non-profit organizations and 
recipients will then prepare full proposals based on the best efforts 
selected by FTA.

III. Solicitation Schedule

    The following is the timeline for the competitive solicitation 
under the NFCBP:
     May 10, 2006--White Papers due.
     June 9, 2006--FTA selects White Papers and notifies all 
applicants.
     July 14--Full Proposals based on White Papers selected 
due.
     August 14, 2006--FTA announces awards.

Details are contained in the Solicitation Guidelines available at 
http://

[[Page 19614]]

www.fta.dot.gov. All deadline times are 5:30 p.m. eastern time zone.

IV. Additional Program Information

A. Funds Administration and Oversight

    Section 3045(f) of SAFETEA-LU directs the Secretary to apply the 
requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5309 (Capital Investment Grants) to the 
projects awarded under this program and ``such other terms and 
conditions as are determined by the Secretary.'' FTA has reviewed the 
terms of its Capital Investment Grant program and does not believe 
additional terms and conditions are necessary. The NFCBP is inherently 
a research, development, and demonstration program; and such project 
activities to facilitate the development of commercially viable fuel 
cell bus technology and related infrastructure is allowed.
    Recipients of federal funds under 49 USC 5309 must comply with the 
general federal guidelines governing the management of federal funds, 
which are outlined in FTA's Master Agreement, available on FTA's Web 
site (http://www.fta.dot.gov). To this point, FTA will conduct reviews 
to ensure that projects under the NFCBP meet the basic statutory, 
administrative, and regulatory requirements as stipulated by the 
conditions for accepting Federal funds.

B. Performance Measures

    Participants may be asked to collect and report data to FTA for use 
in measuring program performance.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 7th day of April, 2006.
Sandra K. Bushue,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 06-3606 Filed 4-13-06; 8:45 am]
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