[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 208 (Monday, October 28, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64197-64198]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-25411]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Renewable Energy Policy Business Roundtable in Livermore, CA

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)'s International Trade 
Administration (ITA) is seeking representatives from 20 qualified U.S. 
companies to join Japanese industry counterparts for a U.S.-Japan 
Renewable Energy Policy Business Roundtable on Wednesday, December 11, 
2013 in Livermore, California. Senior level officials from DOC, the 
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and Japanese Ministry of Economy, 
Trade and Industry (METI) will attend the Roundtable to provide policy 
updates, as well as to ensure that the exchange of views among the 
companies will be taken into consideration in the U.S-Japan Clean 
Energy Policy Dialogue (Dialogue) that will be held during the same 
week and in other bilateral meetings throughout the year.
    The Roundtable supports ITA's commitments contained in the 
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RE&EE) Export Initiative, which 
aims to significantly increase U.S. RE&EE exports under the National 
Export Initiative.

DATES: The roundtable will be held on December 11, 2013.
    Participants must apply no later than November 15, 2013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cora Dickson, Industry and Analysis, 
Office of Energy and Environmental Industries; Phone: 202-482-6083; 
Fax: 202-482-5665; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background:
    In December 2012, agencies of the Governments of the United States 
and Japan--DOE, DOC, and METI--convened the first bilateral Renewable 
Energy Policy Business Roundtable in Tokyo. Held in conjunction with 
the Dialogue, the Roundtable allowed the private sector to explore 
areas of mutual concern and share with government officials their 
experiences with the policy landscape of renewable energy and energy 
efficiency. Both governments agreed to hold a follow-up Roundtable in 
the United States. It should also be noted that the American Chamber of 
Commerce in Japan held a renewable energy financing workshop in 
February 2013 in Tokyo to further address issues highlighted by the 
Roundtable.
    Goals of Participation:
     Gain a deeper understanding of the changing Japanese 
policy and regulatory landscape with respect to RE&EE
     Interact with Japanese policymakers and private sector 
representatives active in the RE&EE sector;
     Provide perspectives on how to increase U.S.-Japan 
business partnerships in the RE&EE sector; and
     Enhance the bilateral Dialogue by identifying key policy 
issues and sharing best practices.
    Roundtable Structure:

[[Page 64198]]

    The Roundtable will be a daylong event. The morning plenary session 
will be held at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the 
afternoon breakout sessions will be held at the Livermore Valley Open 
Campus.
     Lunch will be provided.
     Interpretation will be provided.
     All participants are invited to a reception hosted by METI 
in the evening immediately after the Roundtable.
     All participants are also invited to optional, no-host 
events in Livermore the evening of December 10 with the Japanese 
delegation.
     Lodging costs will not be covered, but accommodations for 
the Roundtable participants will be offered at a hotel in Livermore at 
a group rate.
    Topics to be covered:

 Renewable energy financing
 Rooftop solar deployment
 Transmission capacity and storage
 Smart grid deployment
 Distributed generation
 Energy efficiency for residential and commercial buildings

    Participation Requirements:
    All parties interested in participating in the Roundtable must 
complete and submit an application package for consideration by ITA. 
All applicants will be evaluated based on their ability to meet certain 
conditions and best satisfy the selection criteria as outlined below. A 
minimum of 15 and maximum of 20 companies will be selected to 
participate in the Roundtable from the applicant pool. U.S. companies 
already doing business in Japan as well as U.S. companies seeking to 
enter the Japanese market for the first time may apply. Applications 
will be reviewed on a rolling basis in the order they are received.
    Selected companies will be contacted with information about the 
final agenda and payment of the fees. Due to space limitations, only 
one participant per company can attend the Roundtable. Each participant 
may invite one (1) additional person to the Reception. Participants in 
the Roundtable are required to be pre-cleared for access to the 
facility. Additional clearance procedures are required for foreign 
visitors.
    Fees:
    After a company has been selected to participate in the Roundtable, 
a participation fee of $500 is required. The Roundtable and related 
events may be cancelled at any time by the Department of Commerce and 
all contributions refunded. If, for any reason, a participant cancels 
their participation prior to the Roundtable, the Department of 
Commerce, at its sole discretion, and upon its determination that it 
would be consistent with its authorities, may allow a partial refund of 
the contributed fee.
    Exclusions & Expenses:
    The Roundtable participation fee does not include any personal 
travel expenses such as lodging, most meals, incidentals, local ground 
transportation, and air transportation to/from the event location.
    Conditions for Participation:
    An applicant must send an email to [email protected] with the 
following information.

 Name of Applicant
 Company Name
 Company Description
 Company Location
 Business Phone Number
    In addition, the applicant must address how he/she satisfies the 
four selection criteria listed below:
    (1) Whether the applicant represents a U.S. company that fits one 
of the following profiles:
     Companies that manufacture technology or provide services 
in the renewable energy sector (particularly solar);
     Developers of renewable energy projects with global 
experience;
     Local utilities who are willing to share their experience 
with domestic policies; and
     Companies active in the smart grid and energy efficiency 
industries.
    (2) The applicant's interest in the Japanese RE&EE sector;
    (3) The applicant's ability to identify and discuss policy issues 
relevant to U.S. competitiveness in the renewable energy or smart grid 
sectors;
    (4) Consistency of the applicant's experiences and background with 
the stated scope of the event (see ``Topics to be Covered'').
    Diversity of company size and location may also be considered 
during the selection process. Referrals from political organizations 
and any documents containing references to partisan political 
activities (including political contributions) will be removed from an 
applicant's submission and not considered during the selection process.

Timeline for Recruitment and Applications

    Recruitment for the Roundtable will begin immediately and conclude 
no later than November 15, 2013. The U.S. Department of Commerce will 
review applications and make selection decisions on a rolling basis 
beginning on or about October 28, 2013. Applications received after 
November 15, 2013 will be considered only if space and scheduling 
constraints permit.

    Dated: October 23, 2013.
Edward A. O'Malley,
Director, Office of Energy and Environmental Industries.
[FR Doc. 2013-25411 Filed 10-25-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P