[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 150 (Monday, August 7, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36762-36763]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-16559]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Notice of Availability of Guidance and Application for 
Hydroelectric Incentive Program

AGENCY: Water Power Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability of guidance and open application period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of updated 
guidance for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 program. The guidance 
describes the hydroelectric incentive payment requirements and explains 
the type of information that owners or authorized operators of 
qualified hydroelectric facilities must provide DOE when applying for 
hydroelectric incentive payments. This incentive is available for 
electric energy generated and sold for a specified 10-year period as 
authorized under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In Congressional 
appropriations for Federal fiscal year 2017, DOE received funds to 
support this hydroelectric incentive program. At this time, DOE is only 
accepting applications from owners and authorized operators of 
qualified hydroelectric facilities for hydroelectricity generated and 
sold in calendar year 2016.

DATES: DOE is currently accepting applications from August 7, 2017 
through September 6, 2017. Applications must be sent to 
[email protected] by midnight EDT, September 6, 2017, or they 
will not be considered timely filed for calendar year 2016 incentive 
payments.

ADDRESSES: DOE's guidance is available at: https://energy.gov/eere/water/downloads/federal-register-notice-epact-2005-section-242-hydroelectric-incentive-0. Written correspondence may be sent to the 
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE-4W), by email at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Mr. Timothy Welch, Office of Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy (EE-4W), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-7055 or 
by email at [email protected]. Electronic communications are 
recommended for correspondence and required for submission of 
application information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 
2005; Pub. L. 109-58), Congress established a new program to support 
the expansion of hydropower energy development at existing dams and 
impoundments through an incentive payment procedure. Under Section 242 
of EPAct 2005, the Secretary of Energy is directed to provide incentive 
payments to the owner or authorized operator of qualified hydroelectric 
facilities for energy generated and sold by a qualified hydroelectric 
facility for a specified 10-year period (See 42 U.S.C. 15881). The 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 authorized funding for the 
Section 242 program for conventional hydropower under EPAct 2005. In 
FY2017 DOE allocated $6.6M for this purpose.
    Recently DOE made a minor update to its Guidance for the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 Section 242. The final guidance is available at: 
https://energy.gov/eere/water/downloads/federal-register-notice-epact-2005-section-242-hydroelectric-incentive-0. Each application will be 
reviewed based on the Guidance. DOE has updated its Guidance by 
requesting a statement from the owner or authorized operator indicating 
what the incentive has been used for in previous years and, if awarded, 
what the incentive will be used for in the upcoming year. The response 
will not affect the eligibility decision or the amount of the incentive 
to be received. DOE notes that applicants that received incentive 
payments for prior calendar years must submit a full application 
addressing all eligibility requirements for hydroelectricity generated 
and sold in calendar year 2016. As authorized under Section 242 of 
EPAct 2005, and as explained in the Guidance, DOE also notes that it 
will only accept applications from qualified hydroelectric facilities 
that began operations at an existing dam or conduit during the 
inclusive period beginning October 1, 2005, and ending on September 30, 
2015. Therefore, although DOE is accepting applications for full 
calendar year 2016 production, the qualified hydroelectric facility 
must have begun operations starting October 1, 2005, through September 
30, 2015, for DOE to consider the application.
    When submitting information to DOE for Section 242 program, it is 
recommended that applicants carefully read and review the completed 
content of the Guidance for this process. When reviewing applications, 
DOE may corroborate the information provided with information that DOE 
finds through FERC e-filings, contact with power off-taker, and other 
due diligence measure carried out by reviewing

[[Page 36763]]

officials. DOE may require the applicant to conduct and submit an 
independent audit at its own expense, or DOE may conduct an audit to 
verify the number of kilowatt-hours claimed to have been generated and 
sold by the qualified hydroelectric facility and for which an incentive 
payment has been requested or made.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 1, 2017.
Timothy Unruh,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Power, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2017-16559 Filed 8-4-17; 8:45 am]
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