[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40132-40135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-15967]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Wave Energy Converter Prize Administration Webinar

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), U.S. 
Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of a webinar and request for information.

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SUMMARY: The Wind and Water Power Technologies Office (WWPTO) is 
considering releasing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), 
tentatively titled, ``Wave Energy Converter Prize Administration''. The 
Office is planning a webinar in advance of any potential FOA to seek 
input from the public regarding possible approaches to structuring a 
prize competition related to wave energy converters. The WWPTO 
anticipates a multi-stage challenge that would culminate in the 
demonstration of Wave Energy Converter (WEC) devices in a wave tank 
test. The WWTPO anticipates that the top prize would be awarded to

[[Page 40133]]

the entity capable of exceeding predetermined operational performance 
thresholds. Moreover, WWPTO is considering the competition to be 
administered by a third-party that may have involvement in defining, 
developing, and advertising the competitive challenge, as well as 
involvement in the awarding of any prizes.

DATES: The WWPTO will hold a webinar on Thursday, July 18, 2013 from 
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST. Written comments will be accepted through 
Thursday, July 25, 2013.

ADDRESSES: The webinar can be accessed at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/123267576.
    You may submit written comments by any of the following methods:
     E-Mail: [email protected].
     Postal Mail: Alison LaBonte, Marine and Hydrokinetic 
Energy Technology Development Manager, Wind and Water Power 
Technologies Office EE-2B, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585. Please submit one signed paper 
original. Due to the potential delays in DOE's receipt and processing 
of mail sent through the U.S. Postal Service, DOE encourages 
respondents to submit comments electronically to ensure timely receipt.
    Minutes and video recorded proceedings of the webinar will be made 
available for public review on the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy (EERE) Web site at: http://water.energy.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alison LaBonte, Marine and 
Hydrokinetic Energy Technology Development Manager, Wind and Water 
Power Technologies Office EE-2B, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Webinar Purpose

    Purpose: The purpose of this notice is to gain public input 
regarding the development and implementation of a prize challenge for 
wave energy converters. The information collected by the webinar and 
this notice will be used for internal DOE planning including the 
potential development of a FOA. The webinar is open to all interested 
parties. All interested parties are encouraged to submit written 
comments. Parties interested in participating in the webinar and 
interested in providing comments might include, but are not limited to 
(1) Non-profit organizations, companies, and universities involved in 
the development of wave energy converters, (2) entities with experience 
in testing wave energy converters in tank test facilities, and (3) 
entities with experience in developing and administering technical 
competitions.

Wave Energy Converter Prize Background

    In principle, challenges set a high technical bar for competitors 
to be eligible for a prize, and offer an attractive prize purse to the 
winner, thus facilitating rapid advancements through technical 
innovation at a relatively low cost to the sponsoring agency. A 
successful challenge strategy is one that quickly yields a number of 
viable solutions to increase the performance of WEC technologies above 
an aggressive but achievable performance threshold.
    It is intended that a WEC Prize could spur game changing 
innovations for next generation WEC technologies to drastically 
increase WEC performance.
    Intellectual property rights will be retained by the competitors. 
The prize competition will be conducted in accordance with the prize 
authority established in the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 
2010 (15 U.S.C. 3719).

Challenge Stage Gates and Criteria for Evaluation

    The WWTPO anticipates that there could be many ways to formulate 
the challenge structure (i.e. number of stages and stage gates) for the 
WEC Prize. However, to engage in a more robust dialogue during the 
webinar, an example strategy is provided below. The WWPTO encourages 
commenters to provide alternative strategies and approaches for the 
prize administration.
    A multi stage-gate challenge structure requires competitors to pass 
through a series of stage gates based on various criteria. Generally, 
the criteria are designed to ensure that the prize winner holds the 
most commercially viable technology and has the highest potential for 
success in the actual open-ocean wave energy harvesting environment. 
The quantitative performance threshold for the final tank test is 
anticipated to be a function of absorbed energy; characteristic mass; 
surface area; and/or power take-off force criteria.
    Example challenge structure stages and stage-gates might include:
    Full Proposal Submission Stage: WEC prize competitors would 
initially submit full applications with proposed design concepts which 
would be evaluated against WEC prize performance goals. The 
applications would provide supporting evidence such as numerical 
simulation performance calculations, levelized cost of energy 
calculations demonstrating techno-economic viability of the concept at 
a commercial stage, and engineering justification to support concept 
design reliability and survivability at commercial scale.
    First Stage-gate: A judging panel would evaluate and select 
proposals based on pre-published criteria. Selected proposals would 
advance to a detailed design phase.
    Design Stage: Proposals selected to advance to the design stage 
would develop a detailed design demonstrating proof-of-concept via 
prototype bench top testing; WEC numerical modeling, validation, and 
refinement; and any design stage wave tank testing results.
    Second Stage-gate: A judging panel would conduct a critical design 
review and select up to 10 competitors to advance to the ``build 
stage.'' Those selected at this stage would receive a monetary award 
(e.g., $350,000) intended to be used to support scaled prototype 
fabrication.
    Build Stage: The selected competitors would proceed to the build 
stage and would be responsible for the procurement and construction of 
a scaled prototype WEC device ready for tank testing.
    Test and Evaluate Stage: The selected competitors would test their 
scaled prototype in a wave tank to quantitatively measure performance 
of the WEC device against performance criteria.
    Final Stage-gate: The judging panel would evaluate the tank test 
performance results and the overall device design against pre-
determined performance criteria to select one winner to receive the 
prize purse. The WWPTO is considering a purse prize value of $1 
million.

Administration Implementation

    The WWPTO is considering having the WEC Prize challenge 
administered by a single awardee of the anticipated ``Wave Energy 
Converter Prize Administration'' FOA. In addition to being responsible 
for the overall implementation of the challenge the awardee would 
potentially administer the prize purse (including seed funding) to the 
selected competitors. The WWTPO plans to separately arrange for a tank 
testing facility to be used in the challenge competition and technical 
experts to assist the administration entity with the development of 
quantitative performance threshold and other criteria the competitors 
will be

[[Page 40134]]

evaluated against throughout the various stages of challenge.
    The anticipated scope for the administrative entity may include, 
but may not be limited to, the following:
    1. Work with the WWPTO to refine WEC Prize and to develop challenge 
strategy, including rule development, structure, planning, judging and 
evaluations, to meet those objectives.
    2. Collaborate with the technical expert as identified by the WWPTO 
to finalize testing and evaluation criteria for rule development.
    3. Coordinate with the tank test facility identified by the WWPTO 
for planning, scheduling, and executing the test and evaluate stage of 
the challenge.
    4. Promote the challenge to attract competitors to apply.
    5. Publish challenge rules and implement the challenge strategy to 
accomplish the objectives.
    6. Increase the awareness of MHK technology through the WEC Prize 
challenge with marketing and public relations.
    7. Provide the necessary qualified personnel, facilities, 
equipment, supplies, services, subcontractors, and related 
administrative and information technology support to accomplish the 
objectives.
    8. Coordinate and compensate judging panels, as applicable.
    9. Provide on-site coordination and logistics for judging panels 
and tank testing.
    10. Ensure the tank testing is in accordance to the rules of the 
prize.
    11. Provide the WWPTO access to the observation of all test and 
evaluation activities.
    12. Allow WWPTO access to records, files, and other data derived 
from this work.
    13. Provide winners with seed funding and prize award.
    Outside of the anticipated ``Wave Energy Converter Prize 
Administration'' FOA, the WWPTO anticipates that technical experts will 
assist the administrator with the following:
     Assist the administration entity with the development of 
quantitative performance threshold and other criteria the competitors 
will be evaluated against throughout the various stages of the 
challenge
     Collaborate with the tank test facility operators to 
determine tank test conditions for the testing and evaluation phase to 
ensure the conditions are consistent for WEC device competitors
     Provide technical direction to the administrative entity 
developing the challenge rules
     Provide technical direction to the administrative entity 
in selecting experts for judging panels
     Development of the tank test instrumentation and data 
acquisition interface (in conjunction with the tank test facility)
    For the tank test facility in the final Test and Evaluate Stage, 
the WWPTO is considering arranging an agreement with the Naval Surface 
Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Maneuvering and Seakeeping Basin in 
West Bethesda, Maryland. The indoor freshwater basin is anticipated to 
be online in 2013 with 216 independently controlled wave paddles 
capable of producing model sea state spectra of any distribution. The 
basin overall length is 110 m (360 ft), overall width is 73 m (240 ft), 
and depth of 6.1 (20 ft) and it includes a 10.7 m (35 ft) deep by 15.2 
m (50 ft) wide trench parallel to the long side of the south side.

Webinar Discussion Topics and Requested Information

    The questions below request information on both the structure of a 
potential prize competition as well as the technical criteria that may 
be considered in the evaluation of such a competition. Interest parties 
are encouraged to provide responses to the following questions or other 
topics relevant to a WEC Prize.
     What administrative resources are required to design, 
promote, and implement a prize challenge?
     How could a challenge be structured to efficiently, 
timely, and adequately allow comparison of the various technologies and 
techniques that may be applied to WEC?
     How can a judging panel be secured for multiple phases?
     Is the sample challenge structure, with multiple stages, 
too lengthy or complex that some potential competitors may not 
participate? Does offering seed funding at an early stage incentivize 
competitors where they otherwise would not compete?
     What distribution of funding is appropriate for 
administrative costs, seed funding, and prize? Should seed funding be 
given, or should there instead be a larger winning prize, or first, 
second and third place prizes?
     What criteria should be used to evaluate proposed WEC 
designs and WEC performance?

Public Participation

    Webinar and Comments Instructions: The webinar will be held on 
Thursday, July 18, 2013 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST. Webinar 
attendees are encouraged to RSVP to [email protected] by 
Monday, July 15, 2013. In addition, entities are welcomed to provide an 
additional written response to [email protected] by 5:00 p.m. 
EST on Thursday, July 25, 2013. Written responses may be submitted 
electronically or by postal mail and must be five pages or less in 
length. Electronic responses must be provided as attachments (in 
Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format). The subject line should read 
``Wave Energy Converter Prize Administration (insert name-
organization)''. One inch margins and 12 point font should be used. Any 
entity providing a written response is requested to include the 
following information: Company/institutional name; individual contact 
information (mailing address, phone number, email address); facility 
location(s) (zip code); and area of expertise/interest.
    Disclaimer and Important Notes: The notice is issued solely for 
information and FOA planning purposes; the notice and webinar do not 
constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts. Your 
response to this notice and responses provided through the webinar will 
be treated as information only. In accordance with the Federal 
Acquisition Regulations, 48 C.F.R. 15.201(e), responses to this notice 
including those provided through the webinar are not offers and cannot 
be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. DOE will not 
provide reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to this notice. 
Any of the information contained in this notice is subject to change. 
Any amounts proposed for funding are subject to the availability of 
Congressional appropriations.
    DOE may or may not decide at a later date to issue a FOA or other 
type of solicitation based on consideration of the input received from 
this notice or the webinar, and there is no guarantee that future 
funding opportunities or other activities will be undertaken as a 
result of this notice or the webinar. Because information received in 
response to this notice and during the webinar may be used to structure 
future funding opportunities and/or may otherwise be made available to 
the public, respondents are strongly advised to not include any 
information in their responses that might be considered business-
sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise confidential. If, however, a 
respondent chooses to submit business-sensitive, proprietary, or 
otherwise confidential information, it must be clearly and 
conspicuously marked as such in the response pursuant to the 
instructions below.
    In order to avoid any possible conflict with future funding 
opportunities, DOE will not reply to any respondent questions or 
comments received after

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the closure of the submission period specified in the DATES section. 
Respondents are advised that DOE is under no obligation to acknowledge 
receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents 
with respect to any information submitted under this notice or through 
the webinar. Responses to this notice do not bind DOE to any further 
actions related to this topic. The DOE thanks you for your assistance 
and input.
    Confidential Business Information: Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any 
person submitting information that he or she believes to be 
confidential and exempt by law from public disclosure should submit via 
email, postal mail, or hand delivery/courier two well-marked copies: 
One copy of the document marked ``confidential'' including all the 
information believed to be confidential, and one copy of the document 
marked ``non-confidential'' with the information believed to be 
confidential deleted. Submit these documents via email or postal mail. 
DOE will make its own determination about the confidential status of 
the information and treat it according to its determination.
    Factors of interest to DOE when evaluating requests to treat 
submitted information as confidential include: (1) A description of the 
items; (2) whether and why such items are customarily treated as 
confidential within the industry; (3) whether the information is 
generally known by or available from other sources; (4) whether the 
information has previously been made available to others without 
obligation concerning its confidentiality; (5) an explanation of the 
competitive injury to the submitting person which would result from 
public disclosure; (6) when such information might lose its 
confidential character due to the passage of time; and (7) why 
disclosure of the information would be contrary to the public interest.
    It is DOE's policy that all comments may be included in a public 
docket, without change and as received, including any personal 
information provided in the comments (except information deemed to be 
exempt from public disclosure).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2013.
Jose Zayas,
Director, Wind and Water Power Technologies Office, Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2013-15967 Filed 7-2-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P