80 FR 78215 - Guidance and Application for Hydroelectric Incentive Payments

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 241 (December 16, 2015)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is publishing Guidance for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 Section 242 Program. The guidance describes the hydroelectric incentive payment requirements and explains the type of information that owners or authorized operators of qualified hydroelectric facilities can provide DOE when applying for hydroelectric incentive payments. This incentive is available for electric energy generated and sold for a specified 10-year period as authorized under section 242 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In Congressional appropriations for Federal fiscal year 2015, DOE received funds to support this hydroelectric incentive program for the first time. At this time, DOE is only accepting applications from owners and authorized operators of qualified hydroelectric facilities for hydroelectricity generated and sold in calendar year 2014.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 241 (Wednesday, December 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78215-78216]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31618]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Guidance and Application for Hydroelectric Incentive Payments

AGENCY: Wind and Water Power Program, Office of Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability of guidance and open application period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is publishing Guidance for 
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 Section 242 Program. The guidance 
describes the hydroelectric incentive payment requirements and explains 
the type of information that owners or authorized operators of 
qualified hydroelectric facilities can provide DOE when applying for 
hydroelectric incentive payments. This incentive is available for 
electric energy generated and sold for a specified 10-year period as 
authorized under section 242 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In 
Congressional appropriations for Federal fiscal year 2015, DOE received 
funds to support this hydroelectric incentive program for the first 
time. At

[[Page 78216]]

this time, DOE is only accepting applications from owners and 
authorized operators of qualified hydroelectric facilities for 
hydroelectricity generated and sold in calendar year 2014.

DATES: DOE is currently accepting applications from December 16, 2015 
through February 1, 2016. Applications must be sent to 
[email protected] by midnight EDT, February 1, 2016, or they 
will not be considered timely filed for calendar year 2014 incentive 
payments.

ADDRESSES: DOE's guidance is available at: http://energy.gov/eere/water/water-power-program.
    Written correspondence may be sent to the Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE-4), by email at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Mr. Steven Lindenberg, Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE-4), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-2783, 
[email protected]. Electronic communications are recommended 
for correspondence and required for submission of application 
information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 
2005; Pub. L. 109-58), Congress established a new program to support 
the expansion of hydropower energy development at existing dams and 
impoundments through an incentive payment procedure. Under section 242 
of EPAct 2005, the Secretary of Energy is directed to provide incentive 
payments to the owner or authorized operator of qualified hydroelectric 
facilities for electric energy generated and sold by a qualified 
hydroelectric facility for a specified 10-year period (See 42 U.S.C. 
15881). The conference report to the law that made appropriations for 
Fiscal Year 2015 includes $3,960,000 for conventional hydropower under 
section 242 of EPAct 2005.
    DOE developed and announced guidance in January 2015 describing the 
application process and the information necessary for DOE to make a 
determination of eligibility under section 242. See 80 FR 2685 (January 
20, 2015). The guidance announced today includes certain minor 
modifications to the January 2015 guidance based on DOE's experience 
with the January 2015 application process. Specifically, DOE is 
amending some portions of the guidance document to more precisely 
describe what types of production are considered ``new'' production and 
the information necessary to demonstrate adequate metering. The final 
guidance is available at: http://energy.gov/eere/water/water-power-program. Each application will be reviewed based on the guidance. DOE 
notes that applicants that received payments for calendar year 2013 and 
that are eligible for calendar year 2014 payments must still submit a 
full calendar year 2014 application.
    When submitting information to DOE for the Section 242 program, it 
is recommended that applicants carefully read and review the complete 
content of the Guidance for this process. When reviewing applications, 
DOE may corroborate the information provided with information that DOE 
finds through FERC e-filings, contact with power off-taker, and other 
due diligence measures carried out by reviewing officials. DOE may 
require the applicant to conduct and submit an independent audit at its 
own expense, or DOE may conduct an audit to verify the number of 
kilowatt-hours claimed to have been generated and sold by the qualified 
hydroelectric facility and for which an incentive payment has been 
requested or made.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 10, 2015.
Douglas Hollett,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Power, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2015-31618 Filed 12-15-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P