[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 164 (Monday, August 25, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50638-50639]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-20114]



[[Page 50638]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Quadrennial Energy Review: Notice of Deadline for Public Comments

AGENCY: Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis, Secretariat, 
Quadrennial Energy Review Task Force, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of deadline for public comments.

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SUMMARY: At the direction of the President, the U.S. Department of 
Energy (DOE or Department), as the Secretariat for the Quadrennial 
Energy Review Task Force (QER) Task Force has convened public meetings 
to discuss and receive comments on issues related to the Quadrennial 
Energy Review this year. The DOE has also been taking written comments 
on the QER by email and postal mail. In order to allow enough time to 
consider public comments for the QER Report, the deadline for written 
public comments for the QER Report is October 10, 2014.

DATES: Public comments are due October 10, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments to: [email protected] 
or by U.S. mail to the Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis, 
EPSA-60, QER Meeting Comments, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Adonica Renee Pickett, EPSA-90, 
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Policy and Systems 
Analysis, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. 
Telephone: (202) 586-9168 Email:[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 9, 2014, President Obama issued a 
Presidential Memorandum--Establishing a Quadrennial Energy Review. To 
accomplish this review, the Presidential Memorandum establishes a 
Quadrennial Energy Review Task Force to be co-chaired by the Director 
of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Director of the 
Domestic Policy Council. Under the Presidential Memorandum, the 
Secretary of Energy shall provide support to the Task Force, including 
support for coordination activities related to the preparation of the 
Quadrennial Energy Review Report, policy analysis and modeling, and 
stakeholder engagement.
    The DOE, as the Secretariat for the Quadrennial Energy Review Task 
Force, will hold a series of public meetings to discuss and receive 
comments on issues related to the Quadrennial Energy Review.
    The initial focus for the Quadrennial Energy Review will be our 
Nation's infrastructure for transporting, transmitting, storing and 
delivering energy. Our current infrastructure is increasingly 
challenged by transformations in energy supply, markets, and patterns 
of end use; issues of aging and capacity; impacts of climate change; 
and cyber and physical threats. Any vulnerability in this 
infrastructure may be exacerbated by the increasing interdependencies 
of energy systems with water, telecommunications, transportation, and 
emergency response systems. The first Quadrennial Energy Review Report 
will serve as a roadmap to help address these challenges.
    The Department of Energy has a broad role in energy policy 
development and the largest role in implementing the Federal 
Government's energy research and development portfolio. Many other 
executive departments and agencies also play key roles in developing 
and implementing policies governing energy resources and consumption, 
as well as associated environmental impacts. In addition, non-Federal 
actors are crucial contributors to energy policies. Because most energy 
and related infrastructure is owned by private entities, investment by 
and engagement of the private sector is necessary to develop and 
implement effective policies. State and local policies; the views of 
nongovernmental, environmental, faith-based, labor, and other social 
organizations; and contributions from the academic and non-profit 
sectors are also critical to the development and implementation of 
effective energy policies.
    An interagency Quadrennial Energy Review Task Force, which includes 
members from all relevant executive departments and agencies 
(agencies), will develop an integrated review of energy policy that 
integrates all of these perspectives. It will build on the foundation 
provided in the Administration's Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future 
of March 30, 2011, and Climate Action Plan released on June 25, 2013. 
The Task Force will offer recommendations on what additional actions it 
believes would be appropriate. These may include recommendations on 
additional executive or legislative actions to address the energy 
challenges and opportunities facing the Nation.
    Submitting comments via email. Submitting comments by email to the 
QER email address will require you to provide your name and contact 
information in the transmittal email. Your contact information will be 
viewable to DOE staff only. Your contact information will not be 
publicly viewable except for your first and last names, organization 
name (if any), and submitter representative name (if any). Your contact 
information will be publicly viewable if you include it in the comment 
itself or in any documents attached to your comment. Any information 
that you do not want to be publicly viewable should not be included in 
your comment, nor in any document attached to your comment. Otherwise, 
persons viewing comments will see only first and last names, 
organization names, correspondence containing comments, and any 
documents submitted with the comments.
    Do not submit to the QER email address ([email protected]) 
information for which disclosure is restricted by statute, such as 
trade secrets and commercial or financial information (hereinafter 
referred to as Confidential Business Information (CBI)). Comments 
submitted to the QER email address cannot be claimed as CBI. Comments 
received through the email address will waive any CBI claims for the 
information submitted. For information on submitting CBI, see the 
Confidential Business Information section, below.
    If you do not want your personal contact information to be publicly 
viewable, do not include it in your comment or any accompanying 
documents. Instead, provide your contact information in a cover letter. 
Include your first and last names, email address, telephone number, and 
optional mailing address. The cover letter will not be publicly 
viewable as long as it does not include any comments.
    Include contact information each time you submit comments, data, 
documents, and other information to DOE. If you submit via mail or hand 
delivery/courier, please provide all items on a CD, if feasible, in 
which case it is not necessary to submit printed copies. No 
telefacsimiles (faxes) will be accepted.
    Comments, data, and other information submitted to DOE 
electronically should be provided in PDF (preferred), Microsoft Word or 
Excel, WordPerfect, or text (ASCII) file format. Provide documents that 
are not secured, written in English, and are free of any defects or 
viruses. Documents should not contain special characters or any form of 
encryption and, if possible, they should carry the electronic signature 
of the author.
    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

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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 on a CD, 
if feasible. DOE will make its own determination about the confidential 
status of the information and treat it according to its determination. 
Confidential information should be submitted to the Confidential QER 
email address: [email protected].
    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 the 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 August 19, 2014.
Michele Torrusio,
QER Secretariat, QER Interagency Task Force, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2014-20114 Filed 8-22-14; 8:45 am]
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