[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53071-53073]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13905]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket Number DOE-HQ-2024-0019]


Notice of Request for Information (RFI) Related to the Department 
of Energy's Equity Action Plan Update

AGENCY: Office of Energy Justice and Equity, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) is seeking 
information to assist in carrying out certain responsibilities under 
the Executive order (E.O.), ``Further Advancing Racial Equity and 
Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government'' 
issued on February 22, 2023. Among other requirements, section 3, 
subsection (b)(iii) of the E.O. directs Federal agencies to submit an 
Equity Action plan that includes ``strategies, including new or revised 
policies and programs, to address the barriers described in subsection 
(b)(ii) of this section, and to ensure equitable access and opportunity 
for underserved communities.'' DOE is soliciting information on one or 
more of the topics outlined in this RFI to address in the next update 
to the Equity Action Plan. The information provided in response to this 
RFI will inform the preparation of that update to the plan.

DATES: Comments are requested on or before August 9, 2024 and must be 
received no later than 11:59 p.m. eastern time (ET). DOE will not reply 
individually to responders but will consider all comments submitted by 
the deadline.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
    Electronic submission: Submit electronic public comments via the 
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.
    1. Go to www.regulations.gov and enter DOE-HQ-2024-0019 in the 
search field,
    2. Click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, 
and
    3. Enter or attach your comments.
    Electronic submissions may also be sent as an attachment to 
[email protected] in any of the following unlocked formats: HTML; 
ASCII; Word; RTF; Unicode, or PDF.
    Written comments may also be submitted by mail to: Department of 
Energy, Office of Energy Justice and Equity, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW, Washington, DC 20585.
    Response to this RFI is voluntary. Submissions must not exceed 10 
pages (when printed) in 12-point or larger font, with a page number 
provided on each page. Please include your name, organization's name 
(if any), and cite ``DOE Equity Executive Order'' in all 
correspondence.
    Comments containing references, studies, research, and other 
empirical data that are not widely published should include copies of 
the referenced materials. All comments and submissions, including 
attachments and other supporting materials, will become part of the 
public record and subject to public disclosure. Relevant comments will 
generally be available on the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
www.regulations.gov. DOE will not accept comments accompanied by a 
request that part or all of the material be treated confidentially 
because of its business proprietary nature or for any other reason. 
Therefore, do not submit confidential business information or otherwise 
sensitive, protected, or personal information, such as account numbers, 
Social Security numbers, or names of other individuals.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this RFI contact:

[[Page 53072]]

[email protected] or Bari Brooks, Department of Energy, Office of 
Energy Justice and Equity, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20585, (202) 586-1027. Direct media inquiries to DOE's Office of Public 
Affairs at (202) 586-5000. Users of telecommunication devices for the 
deaf, or a text telephone, may call the Federal Relay Service toll free 
at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    DOE is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to receive public 
comment to learn about what further work DOE can do to help 
underserved/underrepresented groups. The responses to this RFI will 
help the Department understand potential barriers that underserved 
communities may face in accessing and benefitting from the agency's 
policies, programs, and activities, including procurement, contracting, 
and grant opportunities, to equity that were not addressed in the 2022 
Equity Action Plan (EAP) or the 2023 Equity Action Plan Update and 
inform what equity-related activities and performance metrics the 
Department should prioritize in the 2024 update to DOE's Equity Action 
Plan.
    This effort will enable DOE to further execute the President's 
Executive orders 13985 and 14091, entitled ``Advancing (and Further 
Advancing . . . ) Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities 
Through the Federal Government'' (Equity E.O.s), signed by the 
President on January 20, 2021, and February 16, 2023, respectively. 
E.O. 13985 calls to promote racial equity and support for underserved 
communities through the U.S. government--including communities of 
color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ people, religious minorities, 
people living in rural areas, and people living in poverty. The order 
directs federal agencies to eliminate systemic barriers to care, such 
as unequal access to services and inadequate or lack of insurance 
coverage, and to provide equal access to opportunities and benefits for 
underserved and underrepresented communities. E.O. 14091 extends and 
strengthens equity-advancing requirements for federal agencies with the 
intent to deliver better outcomes for the American people. It also 
further defined equity-related terms for the purposes of the order, 
including updates to definitions from previous orders and directives to 
the following:
     ``Equity'' means the consistent and systematic treatment 
of all individuals in a fair, just, and impartial manner, including 
individuals who belong to communities that often have been denied such 
treatment, such as Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native American, Asian 
American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander persons and other 
persons of color; members of religious minorities; women and girls; 
LGBTQI+ persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural 
areas; persons who live in United States Territories; persons otherwise 
adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality; and individuals 
who belong to multiple such communities.
     ``Underserved communities'' refers to those populations as 
well as geographic communities that have been systematically denied the 
opportunity to participate fully in aspects of economic, social, and 
civic life, as exemplified by the list in the preceding definition of 
``equity'', as defined in Executive orders 13985 and 14020.
    As required by Executive Order 13985, DOE released its first EAP in 
April 2022. DOE provided an update to its initial plan pursuant to E.O. 
14091 with five new strategies to prioritize in the second plan it 
released in February 2024.
    The DOE EAP outlines key actions that the Department will undertake 
to embed equity throughout its policies and programs. Click here to see 
the plans: www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-04/DOE%20Equity%20Action%20Plan_Letterhead.pdf www.energy.gov/justice/articles/doe-equity-action-plan-and-2023-update-2022-plan.
    The public is encouraged to provide input in response to the 
questions listed in section II to help the Department understand the 
impact of our equity activities to date and inform what efforts we 
prioritize as we update DOE's Equity Action Plan.

II. Questions

    A. The Department of Energy seeks public input on the current 
strategies listed in the 2023 Equity Action Plan Update. The public is 
encouraged to provide input in response to the questions below to help 
the Department understand the impact of our equity activities to-date.

Community Benefits Plans Implementation

    1. In response to the Executive Order 14091, ``Further Advancing 
Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the 
Federal Government'', DOE has included a strategic goal to ``establish 
a DOE-wide Community Benefits Plan (CBP) framework that builds trust 
and improves outcomes for underserved communities, which in turn 
supports successful Deployment & Demonstration and R&D projects that 
advance an equitable clean energy transition.'' Are there additional 
actions that DOE should take to remove barriers for underserved 
communities? Are there additional metrics that DOE should be using to 
track success towards improved outcomes?

Merit Reviewer Program

    2. In response to the Executive Order 14091, DOE has included a 
strategic goal to ``update the DOE Merit Review Program to improve 
equitable outcomes for DOE awards.'' What additional improvements could 
DOE make in the merit reviewer recruitment and communication process to 
remove barriers for underrepresented groups?

Procurement and Access

    3. DOE is seeking feedback on how communities struggle with 
completing applications for funding and how DOE can help. What 
resources could DOE provide to better assist underserved communities in 
identifying new opportunities to be awarded a contract or grant and 
completing applications?
    4. What resources could DOE provide to better assist underserved 
communities in properly managing and executing DOE grant or cooperative 
agreement projects?
    5. Have you encountered barriers within DOE's procurement process 
that prevent underserved communities from receiving awards of DOE 
contracts? Please provide specific examples.

Justice40 Research and Development Metrics

    6. In response to Executive Order 14091, ``Further Advancing Racial 
Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal 
Government'', DOE has included a strategic goal to ``integrate and 
track justice considerations through a metrics framework for the 
Department's R&D strategy by providing consistent communication of 
expectations and efficient coordination and implementation of reporting 
requirements across the Department.'' What additional improvements 
could DOE make in the collection and distribution of Justice40 R&D 
metrics? Are there additional actions or metrics that the Department 
should consider?

Outreach/Engagement

    7. In response to Executive Order 14091, ``Further Advancing Racial 
Equity and Support for Underserved

[[Page 53073]]

Communities Through the Federal Government'', DOE has included a 
strategic goal to ``develop an agency-wide framework to effectively 
work with Tribal and disadvantaged communities to reimagine their clean 
energy future through real investments and technical assistance and 
ensure that community voices and decision-making are integrated into 
DOE funding, research, and programming.'' How should DOE coordinate, 
communicate, and/or engage with these communities? What could 
meaningful engagement look like?
    B. The Department of Energy is seeking to address additional 
barriers in its programs and policies in future equity action plans. 
The public is encouraged to provide input in response to the questions 
below to inform what efforts we prioritize as we update DOE's Equity 
Action Plan.

Energy Jobs/Workforce

    1. As America transitions to a clean energy economy, historic 
Federal investments can further three interrelated goals: creating more 
domestic jobs, attracting and retaining workers in good jobs, and 
prioritizing inclusive access to those good jobs, including for 
underserved and underrepresented populations. What strategies should 
DOE prioritize to achieve these three interrelated goals? What factors 
are the most pronounced barriers facing workers, including underserved 
and underrepresented populations, to join and succeed in the energy 
workforce? How could DOE help to reduce or eliminate those barriers?

Additional Unidentified Barrers

    2. What additional barriers in DOE's policies, programs, processes 
should the Department consider examining as it continues to develop 
strategies for future equity action plans?

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on June 18, 
2024, by Shalanda H. Baker, Director, Office of Energy Justice and 
Equity, pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy. 
That document with the original signature and date is maintained by 
DOE. For administrative purposes only, and in compliance with 
requirements of the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE 
Federal Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit 
the document in electronic format for publication, as an official 
document of the Department of Energy. This administrative process in no 
way alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the 
Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on June 20, 2024.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024-13905 Filed 6-24-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P