[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 188 (Monday, September 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58314-58316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-23128]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service


Notice of Solicitation of Applications for the Advanced Biofuels 
Payment Program

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, United States Department of 
Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Initial Notice.

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SUMMARY: This Notice announces the timeframes to submit applications 
for participation in the Advanced Biofuels Payment Program. The 
Advanced Biofuels Payment Program funds were provided through the 
Agricultural Act of 2014, Public Law 113-79, on February 7, 2014, (2014 
Farm Bill). Under the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program, payments are 
made to advanced biofuel producers for the production of eligible 
advanced biofuels.

DATES: Applications for participation in fiscal year 2015 are accepted 
between October 1 through October 31, 2014, in accordance with 7 CFR 
4288.120(b). Applicants must also comply with the quarterly submission 
dates referenced in this Notice under IV(C)(2) and also contained in 7 
CFR 4288.130(d).

ADDRESSES: See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for addresses concerning 
information for the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program for fiscal year 
2015 funds.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about the Advanced 
Biofuel Payment Program assistance, please contact a USDA Rural 
Development Energy Coordinator, as provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this Notice, or Lisa Noty, Energy Division, USDA 
Rural Development, 511 W. 7th Street, Atlantic, IA 50022. Telephone: 
(712) 243-2107 extension 116. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Fiscal Year 2015 Applications for the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program

    Complete applications must be submitted to the Rural Development 
State Office in the State in which the applicant's principal place of 
business is located.

Universal Identifier and System for Awards Management (SAM)

    An applicant (unless the applicant is an individual) must have a 
Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, which 
can be obtained at no cost via a toll-free request line at 1-866-705-
5711 or online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.
    Unless exempt under 2 CFR 25.110, the applicant must:
    (a) Be registered in the SAM prior to submitting an application or 
plan;
    (b) Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at 
all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application 
or plan under consideration by the Agency; and
    (c) Provide its DUNS number in each application or plan it submits 
to the Agency.

Rural Development Energy Coordinators

    For further information on this program, please contact the 
applicable USDA Rural Development Energy Coordinator for your 
respective State, as identified via the following link: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_Energy_CoordinatorList.html.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
information collection requirements associated with the Advanced 
Biofuel Payments Program, as covered in this Notice, have been approved 
by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 
0570-0057.

Overview

    Federal Agency Name: Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) (an 
agency of USDA).
    Contract Proposal Title: Advanced Biofuel Payment Program.
    Announcement Type: Annual announcement.

[[Page 58315]]

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): The CFDA 
number for this Notice is 10.867.
    Dates: The Advanced Biofuels Program sign-up period for fiscal year 
2015 participation is October 1 to October 31, 2014.
    Availability of Notice and Rule: This Notice and the interim rule 
for the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program are available on the USDA 
Rural Development Web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_Biofuels.html.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    A. Purpose of the program. The purpose of this program is to 
support and ensure an expanding production of advanced biofuels by 
providing payments to eligible advanced biofuel producers. Implementing 
this program not only promotes the Agency's mission of promoting 
sustainable economic development in rural America, but is an important 
part of achieving the Administration's goals for increased biofuel 
production and use by providing economic incentives for the production 
of advanced biofuels.
    B. Statutory authority. This program is authorized under 7 U.S.C. 
8105.
    C. Definition of terms. The definitions applicable to this Notice 
are published at 7 CFR 4288.102.

II. Award Information

    A. Available funds. This Notice is announcing application dates for 
applying for participation in the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program. The 
2014 Farm Bill provides $15 million in mandatory funding and authorizes 
additional appropriations of up to $25 million for each fiscal year 
through 2018. This Notice is being published prior to the Congressional 
Enactment of a full-year appropriation for fiscal year 2015. Once the 
full year appropriation is known, RBS will announce the total funds 
available (mandatory and discretionary) for the Advanced Biofuel 
Payment Program on the following Web site: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_Biofuels.html.
    B. Approximate number of awards. The number of awards will depend 
on the number of participating advanced biofuel producers.
    C. Range of amounts of each payment. There is no minimum or maximum 
payment amount that an individual producer can receive. The amount that 
each producer receives will depend on the number of eligible advanced 
biofuel producers participating in the program for the respective 
fiscal year, the amount of advanced biofuels being produced by such 
advanced biofuel producers, and the amount of funds available.
    D. Contract. For producers participating in this program for the 
first time, a contract will need to be entered into with the Agency and 
the contract period will continue indefinitely until terminated as 
provided for in 7 CFR 4288.121(d). For producers that participated in 
this program in the previous fiscal year, the contract period continues 
indefinitely until terminated as provided for in 7 CFR 4288.121(d).
    E. Production period. Payments to participating advanced biofuel 
producers under this Notice will be made on actual eligible advanced 
biofuels produced from October 1, 2014, through September 30, 2015, in 
accordance with 7 CFR part 4288, subpart B.
    F. Type of instrument. Payment.

III. Eligibility Information

    A. Eligible applicants. To be eligible for this program, an 
applicant must meet the eligibility requirements specified in 7 CFR 
4288.110.
    B. Biofuel eligibility. To be eligible for payment, an advanced 
biofuel must meet the eligibility requirements specified in 7 CFR 
4288.111.
    C. Payment eligibility. To be eligible for program payments, an 
advanced biofuel producer must maintain the records specified in 7 CFR 
4288.113.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    A. Address to request applications. Annual Application, Contract, 
and Payment Request forms are available from the USDA Rural Development 
State Office, Rural Development Energy Coordinator. The list of Rural 
Development Energy Coordinators is provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this Notice.
    B. Content and form of submission. The enrollment provisions, 
including application content and form of submission, are specified in 
7 CFR 4288.120 and 4288.121.
    C. Submission dates and times.
    (1) Enrollment. Advanced biofuel producers who expect to produce 
eligible advanced biofuel at any time during fiscal year 2015 must 
enroll in the program by the dates identified in this Notice. 
Applications received after the identified dates, regardless of their 
postmark, will not be considered by the Agency. Producers who 
participated in this Program in any previous fiscal year must submit a 
new application as identified above to be considered.
    (2) Payment applications. Advanced biofuel producers must submit 
Form RD 4288-3, ``Advanced Biofuel Payment Program--Payment Request,'' 
for each of the four Federal fiscal quarters for each fiscal year. Pay 
requests for the first quarter of fiscal year 2015 must be submitted by 
4:30 p.m., January 31, 2015. Second quarter pay requests must be 
submitted by 4:30 p.m., April 30, 2015; third quarter submitted by 4:30 
p.m., July 31, 2015; and fourth quarter submitted by 4:30 p.m., October 
31, 2015. Neither complete nor incomplete payment applications received 
after such dates and times will be considered, regardless of the 
postmark on the request. If any of these deadlines falls on a weekend 
or a federally-observed holiday, the deadline is the next Federal 
business day.
    D. Funding restrictions. Not more than 5 percent of the funds in 
each fiscal year will be made available to eligible producers with a 
refining capacity (as determined for the prior fiscal year) exceeding 
150,000,000 gallons per year of a liquid advanced biofuel or exceeding 
15,900,000 million British Thermal Units per year of biogas and solid 
advanced biofuel. (In calculating whether a producer meets either of 
these capacities, production of all advanced biofuel facilities in 
which the producer has 50 percent or more ownership will be totaled.) 
The Agency will provide payments to eligible solid advanced biofuels 
produced from forest biomass of not more than 5 percent of available 
program funds in each fiscal year. The remaining funds will be made 
available to all other producers.
    E. Payment provisions. Payments will be made according to the 
provisions specified in 7 CFR 4288.130 through 4288.137. Payment 
requests are required to be submitted in accordance with 7 CFR 
4288.130(d).

V. Administration Information

    A. Notice of eligibility. The provisions of 7 CFR 4288.112 apply to 
this Notice. These provisions include the notification process for 
eligible and ineligible applicants.
    B. Administrative and national policy requirements.
    (1) Review or appeal rights. A person may seek a review of an 
adverse agency decision or appeal to the National Appeals Division as 
provided in 7 CFR 4288.103.
    (2) Compliance with other laws and regulations. The provisions of 7 
CFR 4288.104 apply to this Notice, which includes requiring advanced 
biofuel producers to be in compliance with other applicable Federal, 
State, and local laws.
    (3) Oversight and monitoring. The provisions of 7 CFR 4288.105 
apply to this Notice.

[[Page 58316]]

    (4) Exception authority. The provisions of 7 CFR 4288.107 apply to 
this Notice.
    (5) Unauthorized Assistance. The provision of 7 CFR 4288.135 apply 
to this Notice.
    C. Environmental review. This document has been reviewed in 
accordance with 7 CFR part 1940, subpart G, ``Environmental Program.'' 
RBS has determined that this action does not constitute a major Federal 
action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, 
and in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., this regulation is a Categorical 
Exclusion. Payment applications will be reviewed individually to 
determine compliance with NEPA.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For assistance on this payment program, please contact a USDA Rural 
Development Energy Coordinator, as provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this Notice, or Lisa Noty, Energy Division, USDA 
Rural Development, 511 W. 7th Street, Atlantic, IA. Telephone: (712) 
243-2107 extension 116. Email: [email protected].

VIII. Nondiscrimination Statement

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (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).
    If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of 
discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form 
(PDF), found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or 
call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter 
containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your 
completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at 
[email protected].
    Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech 
disabilities and you wish to file a program complaint please contact 
USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-
6136 (in Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 
The full ``Non-Discrimination Statement'' is found at: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navtype=FT&navid=Non_Discrimination.

    Dated: September 23, 2014.
Lillian E. Salerno,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-23128 Filed 9-26-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P