[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 107 (Monday, June 4, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25656-25657]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11941]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Request for Information (RFI) on Marine and 
Hydrokinetic (MHK) Metrics in the U.S. for System and Subsystem 
Performance

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Request for Information (RFI).

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comment on 
its Request for Information (RFI) on Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) 
metrics in the U.S. for system and subsystem performance. The Office of 
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is specifically 
interested in feedback on (1) the performance metrics identified within 
the document titled ``Existing Ocean Energy Performance Metrics'' 
relating to performance in the U.S. marine resource, as well as any 
additional applications, assumptions, benefits, drawbacks, or other 
considerations for those metrics, (2) any performance metrics not 
captured within the ``Existing Ocean Energy Performance Metrics'' 
documents, (3) considerations for baseline reference values documenting 
the current state of the U.S. MHK industry identified by metric and 
resource type, and (4) feedback specifically on Technology Readiness 
Level (TRL) definitions as referenced in the document and as those TRL 
definitions relate to the U.S. MHK industry.

DATES: Responses to the RFI must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. 
(ET) on July 31, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are to submit comments electronically to 
[email protected]. Responses must be provided as attachments to an 
email. Include ``MHK Metrics RFI'' as the subject of the email. It is 
recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be 
compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be 
provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, and no 
more than 10 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only 
electronic responses will be accepted. The complete RFI document is 
located at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions may be addressed to 
[email protected]. Further instruction can be found in the RFI 
document posted on EERE Exchange.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this RFI is to solicit 
feedback from industry, academia, research institutions, government 
agencies, and other stakeholders on assumptions and uncertainties with 
metrics in the U.S. that are used to evaluate MHK system and subsystem 
performance. In addition to levelized cost of energy, various other 
metrics, as documented in ``Existing Ocean Energy Performance Metrics'' 
(collocated with this RFI on EERE Exchange, https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov/), have historically been utilized to evaluate and 
track progress within the MHK industry. EERE is specifically interested 
in feedback on the application and limitations of those metrics that 
are currently used or have been used previously, and is also soliciting

[[Page 25657]]

suggestions for new metrics or new applications of existing metrics. 
Feedback is requested on the content within the document titled 
``Existing Ocean Energy Performance Metrics'', including possible gaps, 
additional limitations, or further considerations. The results of this 
RFI may be used to inform the Water Power Technologies Office strategic 
planning in future years, contribute to evaluation criteria for 
potential future funding opportunities, and provide a baseline for U.S. 
input into international efforts related to Marine Renewable Energy 
metrics.

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 submit via email 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. DOE will make its own determination about the confidential 
status of the information and treat it according to its determination.
    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 that 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.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2018.
Alejandro Moreno,
Director, Water Power Technologies Office.
[FR Doc. 2018-11941 Filed 6-1-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P