83 FR 28629 - Notice of Availability of Guidance and Application for Hydroelectric Incentive Program

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 119 (June 20, 2018)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of updated guidance for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 program. The guidance describes the hydroelectric incentive payment requirements and explains the type of information that owners or authorized operators of qualified hydroelectric facilities must 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 the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In Congressional appropriations for Federal fiscal year 2018, DOE received funds to support this hydroelectric incentive program. 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 2017.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 20, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28629-28630]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-13233]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Availability of Guidance and Application for 
Hydroelectric Incentive Program

AGENCY: Water Power Technologies Office, 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) gives notice of updated 
guidance for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 program. The guidance 
describes the hydroelectric incentive payment requirements and explains 
the type of information that owners or authorized operators of 
qualified hydroelectric facilities must 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 the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In Congressional 
appropriations for Federal fiscal year 2018, DOE received funds to 
support this hydroelectric incentive program. 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 2017.

DATES: DOE is currently accepting applications from June 20, 2018 
through July 20, 2018. Applications must be sent to 
[email protected] by midnight EDT, July 20, 2018, or they will 
not be considered timely filed for calendar year 2017 incentive 
payments.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are to submit applications electronically 
to [email protected]. DOE's

[[Page 28630]]

guidance is available at: https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/downloads/federal-register-notice-epact-2005-section-242-hydroelectric-incentive-0.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions may be addressed to Corey 
Vezina, U.S. Department of Energy, Golden Field Office, 15013 Denver 
West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401, (240) 562-1382 or by email at 
[email protected]. Further instruction can be found in the 
guidance posted at https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/downloads/federal-register-notice-epact-2005-section-242-hydroelectric-incentive-0. 
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 energy generated and sold by a qualified hydroelectric 
facility for a specified 10-year period (See 42 U.S.C. 15881). The 2018 
Consolidated Appropriations Act authorized funding for the Section 242 
program for conventional hydropower under EPAct 2005. In FY 2018, DOE 
allocated $6.6M for this purpose.
    Recently DOE made minor updates to clarify its Guidance for the 
Energy Policy Act of 2005 Section 242. The Guidance is available at: 
https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/downloads/federal-register-notice-epact-2005-section-242-hydroelectric-incentive-0. Each application will 
be reviewed based on the Guidance. DOE has updated its Guidance to 
clarify eligible rehabilitation on existing facilities that have been 
offline because of disrepair or dismantling for at least five 
consecutive years immediately prior to October 1, 2005 and returning 
online with new hydroelectric power on or before September 30, 2015 
(see the second of three qualifications in Section III). DOE also 
updated its Guidance to re-emphasize the statutory deadline by which 
new hydropower generation must be placed into operation at a non-
powered or powered dam as on or after October 1, 2005 and on or before 
September 30, 2015 (see Section IV). DOE notes that applicants that 
received incentive payments for prior calendar years must submit a full 
application addressing all eligibility requirements for 
hydroelectricity generated and sold in calendar year 2017. As 
authorized under Section 242 of EPAct 2005, and as explained in the 
Guidance, DOE also notes that it will only accept applications from 
qualified hydroelectric facilities that began operations at an existing 
dam or conduit during the inclusive period beginning October 1, 2005, 
and ending on September 30, 2015. Therefore, although DOE is accepting 
applications for full calendar year 2017 production, the qualified 
hydroelectric facility must have begun operations starting October 1, 
2005, through September 30, 2015, for DOE to consider the application.
    When submitting information to DOE for Section 242 program, it is 
recommended that applicants carefully read and review the completed 
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 measure 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 June 13, 2018.
Timothy Unruh,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Power, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Power.
[FR Doc. 2018-13233 Filed 6-19-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P