[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 115 (Monday, June 16, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34280-34282]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14048]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business--Cooperative Service
Notice of Funding Availability for the Repowering Assistance
Program
AGENCY: Rural Business--Cooperative Service and Rural Utilities
Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Notice announces the availability of up to $12 million to
make payments to eligible biorefineries in fiscal year (FY) 2014. This
Notice announces the acceptance of applications for payments to
eligible biorefineries to encourage the use of renewable biomass as a
replacement fuel source for fossil fuels used to provide process heat
or power in the operation of these eligible biorefineries. To be
eligible for payments, biorefineries must have been in existence on or
before June 18, 2008.
DATES: Applications for participating in this program for FY 2014 will
be accepted from June 16, 2014 through September 15, 2014. Applications
received after September 15, 2014, regardless of their postmark, will
not be considered for (FY) 2014 payments. If the actual deadline falls
on a weekend or a federally-observed holiday, the deadline is the next
Federal business day.
ADDRESSES: Application materials may be obtained by contacting USDA,
Rural Development--Energy Division, Technology Branch, Attention:
Repowering Assistance Program, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Stop 3225,
Washington, DC 20250-3225.
Submit applications to USDA, Rural Development--Energy Division,
Technology Branch, Attention: Repowering Assistance Program, 1400
Independence Avenue SW., Stop 3225, Washington, DC 20250-3225.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on this
payment program, please contact Fred Petok, USDA, Rural Development,
Business Programs Energy Division, Technology Branch, 1400 Independence
Avenue
[[Page 34281]]
SW., Room 6870, STOP 3225, Washington, DC 20250-3225. Telephone: 202-
690-0784. Email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
information collection requirements associated with the Section 9004
Repowering Assistance Program, as covered in this Notice, have been
approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control
Number 0570-0066.
Overview
Federal Agency Name: Rural Business--Cooperative Service (an agency
of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the Rural
Development mission area).
Payment Proposal Title: Repowering Assistance Program.
Announcement Type: Initial announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number. The CFDA
number for this Notice is 10.866.
Dates: The Repowering Assistance Program application period for FY
2014 is June 16, 2014 to September 15, 2014.
Availability of Notice and Rule. This Notice and the interim rule
for the Repowering Assistance Program are available on the USDA Rural
Development Web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_RepoweringAssistance.html. The interim rule can also be found at 7 CFR
4288 subpart A.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Purpose of the Program
The purpose of this program is to provide financial incentives to
biorefineries in existence on or before June 18, 2008, the date of the
enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008
Farm Bill) (Pub. L. 110-246), to replace the use of fossil fuels used
to produce heat or power at their facilities by installing new systems
that use renewable biomass, or to produce new energy from renewable
biomass.
B. Statutory Authority
This program is authorized under 7 U.S.C. 8104.
C. Definition of Terms
The definitions applicable to this Notice are published at 7 CFR
4288.2.
II. Award Information
A. Available Funds
The Agency is authorizing up to $12 million for this program in FY
2014.
B. Number of Payments
The number of payments will depend on the number of participating
biorefineries.
C. Amount of Payments
The Agency will determine the amount of payments to be made to a
biorefinery in accordance with its regulations at 7 CFR part 4288
subpart A which take into consideration the percentage reduction in
fossil fuel used by the biorefinery (including the quantity of fossil
fuels a renewable biomass system is replacing) and the cost and cost-
effectiveness of the renewable biomass system.
D. Payment Limitations
There is no minimum payment amount that an individual biorefinery
can receive. The maximum amount an individual biorefinery can receive
under this Notice is 50 percent of total eligible project costs up to a
maximum of $3 million.
E. Project Costs
Eligible project costs will be only for project related
construction costs for repowering improvements associated with the
equipment, installation, engineering, design, site plans, associated
professional fees, permits and financing fees. Any project costs
incurred by the applicant prior to application for payment assistance
under this Notice will be ineligible for payment assistance.
F. Type of Instrument
Payment agreement.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Program requirements are found in 7 CFR 4288.10. Among other
things, to be eligible for this program, an applicant must be a
biorefinery that has been in existence on or before June 18, 2008, and
will utilize renewable biomass to replace fossil fuel for repowering
the biorefinery.
B. Ineligible Projects
A project is not eligible under this Notice if it is using
feedstocks for repowering that are feed grain commodities that received
benefits under Title I of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008. Projects that do not score minimum points for cost-effectiveness
and percentage of reduction of fossil fuel used will be deemed
ineligible.
IV. Multiple Submissions
Corporations and entities with more than one biorefinery can submit
an application for only one of their biorefineries. However, if a
corporation or entity has multiple biorefineries located at the same
location, the entity may submit an application that covers such
biorefineries provided the heat and power used in the multiple
biorefineries are centrally produced.
V. Scoring Advice
A. Cost Effectiveness
To be eligible and meet the minimum scoring criteria, the project
must have a simple payback period of no more than 10 years (i.e., must
be awarded at least five points for cost-effectiveness under 7 CFR
4288.21(b)(1)).
B. Percentage of Reduction of Fossil Fuel Used
To be eligible and meet the minimum scoring criteria, the applicant
must demonstrate that the repowering project has an anticipated annual
reduction in fossil fuel use of at least 40 percent (i.e., the
application must be awarded at least five points for percentage of
reduction of fossil fuel used under 7 CFR 4288.21(b)(2)).
VI. Project Financing
The applicant must demonstrate that it has sufficient funds or has
obtained commitments for sufficient funds to complete the repowering
project taking into account the amount of the payment request in the
application.
VII. Fiscal Year 2014 Application and Submission Information
A. To Request Applications
Application forms are available from the USDA Rural Development
State Office, State Energy Coordinator, and the Agency Web site found
at http://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov. Follow instructions on the Agency Web
site for obtaining the application and forms.
B. Content and Form of Submission
Applicants must submit a signed original and one copy of an
application containing all the information specified in 7 CFR
4288.20(b) and (c).
C. Submission Dates and Times
Applications to participate in this program for FY 2014 must be
submitted between June 16, 2014 and September 15, 2014. Applications
received after 4:30 p.m. September 15, 2014, regardless of their
postmark, will not be considered by the Agency for FY 2014 payments.
D. Payment Provisions
FY 2014 payments will be made according to the provisions specified
in
[[Page 34282]]
7 CFR 4288.13(b) and (c) and in 7 CFR 4288.24.
VIII. Application Review and Selection Information
The Agency will evaluate projects based on the cost, cost-
effectiveness, and capacity of projects to reduce fossil fuels used.
A. Review
The Agency will review applications submitted under this Notice in
accordance with 7 CFR 4288.21(a).
B. Scoring
The Agency will score applications submitted under this Notice in
accordance with 7 CFR 4288.21(b).
C. Ranking and Selecting Applications
All scored applications will be ranked by the Agency as soon after
September 15, 2014 as possible. The Agency will consider the score an
application has received compared to the scores of other applications,
with higher scoring applications receiving first consideration for
payments. Using the application scoring criteria point values specified
in 7 CFR 4288.21, the Agency will select applications for payments.
D. Availability of Funds
As applications are funded, if insufficient funds remain to pay the
next highest scoring application, the Agency may elect to pay a lower
scoring application. Before this occurs, the Agency will provide the
applicant of the higher scoring application the opportunity to reduce
the amount of its payment request to the amount of funds available. If
the applicant agrees to lower its payment request, it must certify that
the purposes of the project can be met, and the Agency must determine
the project is feasible at the lower amount.
IX. Administration Information
A. Notice of Eligibility
The provisions of 7 CFR 4288.23 apply to this Notice. These
provisions include notifying an applicant determined to be eligible for
participation and notifying an applicant determined to be ineligible,
including their application score and ranking and the score necessary
to qualify for payments.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
(1) Review or Appeal Rights. A person may seek a review of an
Agency adverse decision or appeal to the National Appeals Division as
provided in 7 CFR 4288.3.
(2) Compliance With Other Laws and Regulations. The provisions of 7
CFR 4288.4 apply to this Notice, which includes requiring participating
biorefineries to be in compliance with other applicable Federal, State,
and local laws.
(3) Oversight and Monitoring. The provisions of 7 CFR 4288.5(a) and
(b) apply to this Notice, which includes the right of the Agency to
verify all payment applications and subsequent payments and the
requirement that each biorefinery must make available, at one place at
all reasonable times for examination by the Agency, all books,
documents, papers, receipts, payroll records, and bills of sale
adequate to identify the purposes for which, and the manner in which,
funds were expended for all eligible project costs for a period of not
less than 3 years from the final payment date.
(4) Reporting. Upon completion of the repowering project funded
under this Notice, the biorefinery must submit a report, in accordance
with 7 CFR 4288.5(c), to the Agency annually for the first 3 years
after completion of the project. The reports are to be submitted as of
October 1 of each year.
(5) Exception Authority. The provisions of 7 CFR 4288.7 apply to
this Notice.
(6) Succession and Control of Facilities and Production. The
provisions of 7 CFR 4288.25 apply to this Notice.
C. Environmental Review. All recipients under this Notice are
subject to the requirements of 7 CFR Part 1940, subpart G.
X. Agency Contacts
For further information about this Notice, please contact Fred
Petok, USDA, Rural Development, Business Programs Energy Division, 1400
Independence Avenue SW., Room 6870, STOP 3225, Washington, DC 20250-
3225. Telephone: 202-690-0784. Email: [email protected].
XI. Nondiscrimination Statement
USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on
the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where
applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status,
religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs,
reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived
from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to
all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means
for communication of program information (Braille, large print,
audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600
(voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil
Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call
toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TTD) or (866)
377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-
relay). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Dated: May 20, 2014.
Ashli Palmer,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, United State
Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2014-14048 Filed 6-13-14; 8:45 am]
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