[Federal Register: May 22, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 99)]
[Notices]               
[Page 28378-28379]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22my98-81]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

 
State Energy Program Special Projects Financial Assistance

AGENCY: The Department of Energy.

Action: Notice for second round funding for 1998 State Energy Program 
special projects.

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SUMMARY: As options offered under the State Energy Program (SEP) for 
fiscal year 1998, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 
is announcing the availability of financial assistance to States for 
special project activities for Remote Applications of Solar and 
Renewable Energy to Reduce or Avoid Diesel and Gasoline Power 
Generation. Funding is being provided by the Office of Utility 
Technologies in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. 
States that are awarded funding for special projects will carry out 
their projects in conjunction with their efforts under SEP, with the 
special projects funding and activities tracked separately so that the 
end-use sector programs may follow the progress of their projects.
    The projects must meet the relevant requirements of the program 
providing the funding, as well as of SEP, as specified in the program 
guidance/solicitation. Among the goals of the special projects 
activities are to assist States to: accelerate deployment of energy 
efficiency and renewable energy technologies; facilitate the acceptance 
of emerging and underutilized energy efficiency and renewable energy 
technologies; and increase the responsiveness of Federally funded 
technology development efforts to private sector needs.

DATES: The program guidance/solicitation is available on May 22, 1998. 
Applications must be received by July 20, 1998.

ADDRESSES AND FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Faith Lambert at the 
U.S. Department of Energy Headquarters, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, 
Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-2319, for referral to the appropriate 
DOE Regional Support Office.


[[Page 28379]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Funding for this category of SEP Special 
Projects was offered in the original 1998 Special Projects notice 
published in the Federal Register dated December 4, 1997 (62 FR 64211). 
Applications received in response to that notice did not cover the 
total amount of funding available, so DOE is offering States another 
opportunity to apply for this category of Special Projects.

Availability of Fiscal Year 1998 Funds

    With this publication, DOE is announcing the availability of at 
least $1,200,000 in financial assistance funds for fiscal year 1998. 
The awards will be made though a competitive process. The end-use 
sector program that is participating in this SEP special projects 
offering for fiscal year 1998, is:
    <bullet> Utility Technologies: Projects to promote remote 
applications of solar and renewable energy to reduce or avoid diesel 
and gasoline power generation.

Restricted Eligibility

    Eligible applicants for purposes of funding under this program are 
limited to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any 
territory or possession of the United States, specifically, the State 
energy or other agency responsible for administering the State Energy 
Program pursuant to 10 CFR part 420. For convenience, the term State in 
this notice refers to all eligible State applicants.
    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number assigned to the 
State Energy Program is 81.041.
    Requirements for cost sharing contributions will be addressed in 
the program guidance/solicitation for the special project activity, as 
appropriate. Cost sharing beyond any required percentage is desirable.
    Any application must be signed by an authorized State official, in 
accordance with the program guidance/solicitation.

Evaluation Review and Criteria

    A first tier review for completeness will occur at the appropriate 
DOE Regional Support Office. Applications found to be complete will 
undergo a merit review process by panels comprised of members 
representing the participating end-use sector program in DOE's Office 
of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. A decision as to the 
applications selected for funding will then be made by the Director, 
Office of State and Community Programs, or designee, based on the 
findings of the technical merit review and any stated program policy 
factors. DOE reserves the right to fund, in whole or in part, any, all 
or none of the applications submitted in response to this notice.
    More detailed information is available from the U.S. Department of 
Energy Headquarters at (202) 586-2319.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 18, 1998.
Dan W. Reicher,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 98-13738 Filed 5-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P