[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 76 (Monday, April 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 21842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-08312]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Cost-Sharing Partnerships With the Private Sector in Fusion
Energy
AGENCY: Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) Program, Office of Science (SC),
Department of Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Request for information (RFI).
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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Energy is developing a plan
for a possible cost share program in fusion reactor technologies. This
RFI invites interested parties to provide DOE-SC input on the topical
areas, program objectives, eligibility requirements, program
organization and structure, public and private roles and
responsibilities, funding modalities, and assessment criteria of such
an initiative.
DATES: Written comments and information are requested on or before May
15, 2020.
ADDRESSES: The DOE Office of Science is using the http://www.regulations.gov system for the submission and posting of public
comments in this proceeding. All comments in response to this RFI are
therefore to be submitted electronically through http://www.regulations.gov, via the web form accessed by following the
``Submit a Formal Comment'' link near the top right of the Federal
Register web page for this RFI.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
may be submitted to Dr. John Mandrekas, (301) 903-4923,
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Recognizing the recent surge in interest and
investments by the private sector in the development of fusion energy,
the DOE-SC FES program has been exploring partnership initiatives to
leverage the private sector efforts, with the objective of accelerating
progress toward the realization of fusion energy and solidifying U.S.
leadership in this critical energy technology of the future. As a first
step, FES launched the Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE)
\1\ program which provides private-sector fusion companies with access
to the expertise and facilities of DOE's national laboratories to
overcome critical scientific and technological hurdles in pursuing
development of fusion energy systems. INFUSE is modeled after the
successful Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) voucher
program \2\ established by the DOE Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Office. As
in the GAIN voucher program, INFUSE does not provide funding directly
to the private companies, but instead provides support to the
partnering DOE laboratories to enable them to collaborate with their
industrial partners.
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\1\ Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE), https://infuse.ornl.gov/.
\2\ Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN),
https://inl.gov/research-program/gain/.
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As a next step, DOE-SC is exploring cost share partnership programs
where the funding is provided directly to the private-sector companies
under a performance-based milestone-driven approach. Such a program
could be modeled after successful milestone-driven cost share programs
established by other DOE offices or federal agencies, such as the Small
Modular Reactors (SMRs) \3\ and the non-voucher part of GAIN programs
of DOE-NE, as well as NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services
(COTS) program.\4\ DOE is also exploring the establishment of a fusion
public-private partnership cost share program in reactor technologies.
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\3\ Advanced Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), https://www.energy.gov/ne/nuclear-reactor-technologies/small-modular-nuclear-reactors.
\4\ National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Commercial
Orbital Transportation Services (COTS), https://www.nasa.gov/commercial-orbital-transportation-services-cots.
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Request for Information: The objective of this request for
information is to gather input about the topical areas, program
objectives, eligibility requirements, program organization and
structure, public and private roles and responsibilities, funding
modalities, and assessment criteria of such an initiative.
DOE-SC is not announcing an intention or an interest in procuring
goods and services for its use. This RFI makes no statement about the
possibility that DOE-SC might issue one or more solicitations for
either procurement or financial assistance activities in the future.
DOE-SC seeks input about how best to create a public benefit through
expanding partnerships with the private sector in the field of fusion
energy.
Comments containing references, studies, research, and other
empirical data that are not widely published should include copies of
the referenced materials. Note that comments will be made publicly
available as submitted. Any information that may be confidential and
exempt by law from public disclosure should be submitted as described
below.
Confidential Business Information: Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any
person submitting information he or she believes to be confidential and
exempt by law from public disclosure should submit via email: 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
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.
Signed in Washington, DC, on April 9, 2020.
Chris Fall,
Director, Office of Science.
[FR Doc. 2020-08312 Filed 4-17-20; 8:45 am]
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