[Federal Register: December 28, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 248)] [Notices] [Page 71454-71455] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr28de98-49] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy State Energy Program Special Projects Financial Assistance AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice for 1999 State Energy Program Special Projects. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: As options offered under the State Energy Program (SEP) for fiscal year 1999, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is announcing the availability of financial assistance to States for a group of special project activities. Funding is being provided by a number of end-use sector programs in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. States may apply to undertake any of the projects being offered by these programs. States will be awarded separate grants for special projects, to be carried out in conjunction with their efforts under SEP. The special projects funding and activities are 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 will be available on December 28, 1998. Applications must be received by April 1, 1999. ADDRESSES: Ms. Faith Lambert, 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. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Faith Lambert, 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. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fiscal year 1999 is the fourth year special project activities are funded in conjunction with the State Energy Program (10 CFR part 420). Most of these State-oriented special projects are related to or based on similar efforts that have been funded separately by the various DOE end-use sector programs that are now providing funding for these optional SEP activities. Availability of Fiscal Year 1999 Funds With this publication, DOE is announcing the availability of $13,800,000 in financial assistance funds for fiscal year 1999. The awards will be made through a competitive process. The end-use sector programs that are participating in the SEP special projects for fiscal year 1999, with the estimated amount of funding available for each, are as follows: Clean Cities/Alternative Fuels/Advanced Vehicle Technologies/: Accelerating the introduction and increasing the use of alternative fuels and alternative fueled vehicles through the development of infrastructure and clean corridors, and promoting the use of advanced transportation technologies ($2,700,000). [[Page 71455]] Federal Energy Management Program: Developing Federal/ State partnerships to increase technical capability and funding for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation measures for Federal and State buildings ($950,000). Industrial Technologies: Improving energy efficiency, environmental performance, and productivity of materials and process industries by developing and delivering advanced science and technology options to: (1) lower raw material and depletable energy use per unit of output; (2) improve labor and capital productivity; and (3) reduce the generation of wastes and pollutants ($2,800,000). Rebuild America: Helping community and regional partnerships improve commercial and multifamily building energy efficiency ($1,250,000). Codes and Standards: Supporting States' actions to update, implement, and enforce residential and commercial building energy codes ($4,200,000). Home Energy Ratings Systems: Providing incentive funding to support State actions to overcome barriers to improving the energy efficiency of residences through the use of Home Energy Ratings Systems and related activities ($250,000). Remote Applications of Solar and Renewable Energy: Supporting State actions to design, purchase, and install solar and renewable energy technologies in remote areas where they would displace or avoid the use of diesel fuel or gasoline ($1,000,000). Solar Thermal Projects: Identifying potential partners for the field validation and operation of a concentrating solar power system and the investigation of the benefits and design of a residential size concentrating solar power system ($50,000). Biomass Power Program: Identifying low-cost project opportunities for the introduction and utilization of biomass power technologies and biomass energy feedstocks ($200,000). Small Wind Turbine Field Verification: Supporting State actions to design, purchase, and install small wind energy systems to verify the viability of such systems to produce electricity to augment or replace electricity available from grids or direct generation ($200,000). Million Solar Roofs: Providing incentive funding to support State and community partnerships under the Million Solar Roofs Initiative whose goal is to install solar energy systems on one million U. S. buildings by 2010 ($100,000). Geothermal Heat Pumps for Energy Smart Schools: Supporting programs to apply geothermal heat pump technology in schools. ($200,000). Restricted Eligibility Eligible applicants for purposes of funding under this program are limited to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 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 each special project activity, as appropriate. Cost sharing contributions beyond any required percentage are 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. The end-use sector offices select projects for funding. The Office of State and Community Programs then recommends project allocations to the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for final determination. 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 December 21, 1998. Dan W. Reicher, Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. [FR Doc. 98-34321 Filed 12-24-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P