[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 103 (Friday, May 28, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29993-29994]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12982]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Department of Commerce: Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee 
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Strategy To Support the 
National Export Initiative

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In order to support President Obama's National Export 
Initiative (NEI), the interagency Trade Promotion Coordinating 
Committee's (TPCC) Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Working Group 
is developing a U.S. Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export 
Strategy (the Strategy) to guide U.S. government programs supporting 
U.S. renewable energy and energy efficiency companies wishing to 
compete for sales abroad. The Strategy focuses on increasing exports of 
goods and services related to renewable energy and energy efficiency. 
Not included in this initiative are all goods and services that relate 
to the transport sector, including biofuels and biofuel feedstock.
    The TPCC Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Working Group seeks 
input from private businesses, trade associations, academia, labor 
organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other interested 
parties regarding foreign or domestic policies or conditions of 
competition that impede exports faced by exporters of the relevant 
goods and services; effectiveness or ineffectiveness of Federal 
government programs supporting U.S. exports of renewable energy and 
energy efficiency technology, including specific experiences with such 
Federal government programs; specific ways in which the Federal 
government can improve its programs to support exports of U.S. goods 
and services related to renewable energy and energy efficiency; Federal 
activities and programs that would benefit from increased interagency 
cooperation; and generally how the Federal government can better help 
U.S. businesses export more renewable energy and energy efficiency 
technologies.
    This input will be used to help guide the TPCC in its formulation 
of the strategy that will support the NEI, with the goal of doubling 
U.S. exports by 2015.

DATES: Comments must be received by 11:59 p.m. on July 10, 2010, to be 
considered.

ADDRESSES: To provide input to the TPCC Renewable Energy and Energy 
Efficiency Working Group, please send comments by post, e-mail or fax 
to the attention of Julius Svoboda, Office of Energy & Environmental 
Industries, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Ave., NW., Room 4053, Washington, DC 20230; 
202-482-4152; e-mail [email protected]; fax 202-482-5665. Electronic 
responses should be submitted in Microsoft Word format. Information 
identified as confidential will be protected to the extent permitted by 
law.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 11, 2010, President Obama issued 
Executive Order 13534, which created the NEI in order to enhance and 
coordinate Federal efforts to facilitate the creation of jobs in the 
United States through the promotion of exports and to ensure the 
effective use of Federal resources in support of these goals, The 
Executive Order created the Export Promotion Cabinet, which coordinates 
with the TPCC, to provide the President a comprehensive plan within 180 
days to carry out the goals of the NEI. In response to Executive Order 
13534, and with a view to increasing the amount of U.S. exports related 
to Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, the TPCC Working Group on 
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency has agreed to prepare, in 
conjunction with other relevant TPCC Working Groups, a National 
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Strategy for 
consideration by the Export Promotion Cabinet for inclusion in the NEI 
implementation plan. The Strategy will entail: (1) An evaluation of the 
current global renewable energy and energy efficiency energy market; 
(2) an analysis of overlaps and gaps in Federal government programs 
designed to boost exports related to renewable energy and

[[Page 29994]]

energy efficiency; and (3) goals of the TPCC Working Group on Renewable 
Energy and Energy Efficiency supporting the sector. The Strategy will 
be completed in September 2010 to coincide with the release of the 
first NEI report to the President.
    The Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee--The TPCC is an 
interagency committee that coordinates the development of U.S. 
Government trade promotion policies and programs. The TPCC is composed 
of representatives from 20 Federal agencies. The Department of Commerce 
and the Department of Energy co-chair the TPCC Renewable Energy and 
Energy Efficiency Working Group. Other Working Group agencies include 
the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, 
the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the Small Business 
Administration, the Departments of Agriculture, State, and Labor, and 
the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
    The TPCC Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Working Group--The 
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Working Group is a sub-group of 
the TPCC focused on the coordination and development of government-wide 
export assistance to goods and services related to renewable energy and 
energy efficiency. The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Working 
Group held its first meeting on January 22, 2010.
    The National Export Initiative--NEI is an Obama Administration 
initiative to improve conditions that directly affect the private 
sector's ability to export. The NEI is intended to meet the 
Administration's goal of doubling exports over the next 5 years by 
working to remove export barriers, by helping firms--especially small 
businesses--overcome the hurdles to entering new export markets, 
assisting with financing, and in general by pursuing a government-wide 
approach to export advocacy abroad, among other steps.

Edward A. O'Malley,
Director, Office of Energy and Environmental Industries, International 
Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. 2010-12982 Filed 5-27-10; 8:45 am]
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