83 FR 8465 - Notice of Request for Information (RFI) on Expanding Hydropower and Pumped Storage's Contribution to Grid Resiliency and Reliability

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 39 (February 27, 2018)

Page Range		8465-8466
FR Document		2018-03938

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) seeks information from the public on understanding, accessing, and utilizing the full potential of the hydropower fleet, including pumped storage, to contribute to electric grid resiliency and reliability. The WPTO also seeks information about opportunities for the existing and potential pumped storage and hydropower fleet to expand its contribution to the grid in the future. This information will help WPTO develop a research portfolio that intends to lower system costs, bring insight to hydropower technology development and research investments, promote optimization of hydroelectric resources, and ultimately support a more secure and reliable electric power system. WPTO seeks concise feedback from all relevant stakeholders.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 2018)

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8465-8466]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03938]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Notice of Request for Information (RFI) on Expanding Hydropower 
and Pumped Storage's Contribution to Grid Resiliency and Reliability

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Request for information (RFI).

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[[Page 8466]]

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Water Power Technologies Office 
(WPTO) seeks information from the public on understanding, accessing, 
and utilizing the full potential of the hydropower fleet, including 
pumped storage, to contribute to electric grid resiliency and 
reliability. The WPTO also seeks information about opportunities for 
the existing and potential pumped storage and hydropower fleet to 
expand its contribution to the grid in the future. This information 
will help WPTO develop a research portfolio that intends to lower 
system costs, bring insight to hydropower technology development and 
research investments, promote optimization of hydroelectric resources, 
and ultimately support a more secure and reliable electric power 
system. WPTO seeks concise feedback from all relevant stakeholders.

DATES: Responses to the RFI must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. 
(ET) on April 6, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are to submit comments electronically to 
WPTORFI@ee.doe.gov. Include ``Hydropower RFI'' in the subject of the 
title. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 
25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Only 
electronic responses will be accepted. Please identify your answers by 
responding to a specific question or topic if possible. Respondents may 
answer as many or as few questions as they wish. The complete RFI 
document is located at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions may be addressed to Timothy 
Welch, Hydropower Program Manager, Water Power Technologies Office, by 
email at Timothy.Welch@ee.doe.gov, or by phone at 202-586-7055. Further 
instruction can be found in the RFI document posted on EERE Exchange.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Through this RFI, WPTO seeks input on new 
research to maximize the value of hydropower's contribution to grid 
resiliency and reliability today and into the future. This approach 
includes pumped storage and traditional hydropower, and covers both new 
technology design as well as modeling and analysis to assess the range 
of value streams hydropower provides in the current and future power 
grid. This information/strategy will help build targeted insight into 
economic, policy and technological barriers, inform future hydropower 
technology development, and improve the tools by which investment and 
operational decisions are made.
    WPTO is looking for feedback from electric utilities, reliability 
oversight entities, regulatory commissions, electricity market 
operators, electric storage developers, hydropower owners and 
operators, federal hydropower asset managers and marketers, hydropower 
facility regulators, public and private financing institutions, 
environmental and recreational non-profits, industry associations, 
academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other 
stakeholders on issues related to pumped storage hydropower and 
existing hydroelectric facilities. WPTO is specifically interested in 
understanding critical gaps in pumped storage and hydropower valuation 
data and analysis; and in barriers to expanding pumped storage and 
hydropower's value proposition that could be overcome through research 
investments. This is solely a request for information and not a Funding 
Opportunity Announcement (FOA). WPTO is not accepting applications at 
this time. The complete RFI document is located at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/.

Confidential Business Information

    Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any person submitting information that 
he or she believes to be confidential and exempt by law from public 
disclosure should submit via email two well marked copies: One copy of 
the document marked ``confidential'' including all the information 
believed to be confidential, and one copy of the document marked ``non-
confidential'' with the information believed to be confidential 
deleted. DOE will make its own determination about the confidential 
status of the information and treat it according to its determination.
    Factors of interest to DOE when evaluating requests to treat 
submitted information as confidential include: (1) A description of the 
items; (2) whether and why such items are customarily treated as 
confidential within the industry; (3) whether the information is 
generally known by or available from other sources; (4) whether the 
information has previously been made available to others without 
obligation concerning its confidentiality; (5) an explanation of the 
competitive injury to the submitting person that would result from 
public disclosure; (6) when such information might lose its 
confidential character due to the passage of time; and (7) why 
disclosure of the information would be contrary to the public interest.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 21, 2018.
Hoyt Battey,
Acting Director, Water Power Technologies Office, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2018-03938 Filed 2-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 27, 2018 / Notices 8465

Site vs. Source Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY require that the necessary
Comment: EEI’s first comment on this topic determinations be made after public
was that DOE should only use site energy National Energy Technology notice and opportunity for filing written
and energy cost results in its determination Laboratory comments and objections.
and that source energy results should not be PQ Corporation, has applied for a
used.
Notice of Intent To Grant a Partially partially exclusive license to practice
DOE response: DOE notes that EEI Exclusive License the invention and has a plan for
submitted a similar comment on the Notice AGENCY: National Energy Technology commercialization of the invention.
of Preliminary Determination for Standards Laboratory, Department of Energy. DOE intends to grant the license, upon
90.1–2010 and 2013. DOE continues to a final determination in accordance
ACTION: Notice of intent to grant a
believe that source energy estimates are of with 35 U.S.C. 209(c), unless within 15
partially exclusive license.
interest to many stakeholders and are days of publication of this notice,
important to the discussion of global SUMMARY: The National Energy NETL’s Technology Transfer Program
resources and environmental issues. Technology Laboratory (NETL) hereby Manager (contact information listed)
However, DOE realizes that site energy is the gives notice that the Department of receives in writing any of the following,
energy that typically appears on utility bills Energy (DOE) intends to grant a partially together with supporting documents:
and that is seen by the consumer, and that exclusive license to practice the (i) A statement from any person
energy cost (as shown on energy bills) is a invention described and claimed in U.S. setting forth reasons why it would not
metric also important to many consumers. It Patent Application Number 15/782,315 be in the best interest of the United
is for these reasons that DOE provides all and International Patent Application States to grant the proposed license; or
three metrics—site energy, source energy, Number PCT/US2017/056421, ‘‘Stable (ii) An application for a nonexclusive
and energy cost—in its determinations. license to the invention, in which
Immobilized Amine Sorbents for REE
Comment: EEI also stated that the value applicant states that it already has
and Heavy Metal Recovery from Liquid
associated with source energy for electricity brought the invention to practical
Sources’’ to PQ Corporation, having its
overstates losses and does not appropriately application or is likely to bring the
principal place of business in Malvern,
characterize the significant improvements in invention to practical application
Pennsylvania. The invention is owned
the overall efficiency of the electricity sector expeditiously.
by the United States of America, as
because: (1) DOE considered only The proposed license would be
commercial customers; (2) the U.S. Energy
represented by DOE.
partially exclusive, subject to a license
Information Administration (EIA) fossil fuel DATES: Written comments, objections, or
and other rights retained by the United
heat rate assigned to renewable energy is too nonexclusive license applications must
States, and subject to a negotiated
high; (3) estimates of primary energy values be received at the ADDRESS listed no
royalty. The exclusive fields of use are:
should look forward not backward; and (4) later than March 14, 2018. Objections
removal of rare earth elements from
estimates of primary energy values should submitted in response to this notice will
liquids, coal tailings, fly ash and acid
account for regional differences in electricity not be made available to the public for
mine drainage; removal of heavy metals,
generation and renewable portfolio inspection and, to the extent permitted
such as copper, lead and arsenic from
standards. by law, will not be released under the
liquids; and removal of barium and
DOE response: DOE notes that EEI Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C.
strontium from liquids. DOE will review
submitted a similar comment on the Notice 552.
all timely written responses to this
of Preliminary Determination for Standards ADDRESSES: Comments, applications for notice, and will grant the license if, after
90.1–2010 and 2013. DOE continues to nonexclusive licenses, or objections expiration of the 15-day notice period,
believe that its use of EIA data, conversion
relating to the prospective partially and after consideration of any written
factors, and treatment of renewable energy is
exclusive license should be submitted to responses to this notice, a determination
appropriate and remains consistent with past
Jessica Lamp, Technology Transfer is made in accordance with 35 U.S.C.
determinations and DOE’s Appliance and
Program Manager, U.S. Department of 209(c) that the license is in the public
Equipment Standards Program (AESP)
Energy, National Energy Technology interest.
analyses. While it is true that the site-to-
Laboratory, P.O. Box 10940, Pittsburgh, Dated: February 6, 2018.
source conversion factor used in this analysis
is derived from EIA data for commercial
PA 15236–0940 or via facsimile to (412)
Grace M. Bochenek,
sector energy use, analyzing the data from all
386–4183.
Director, National Energy Technology
sectors results in the same conversion factor. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laboratory.
The determination methodology does not Jessica Lamp, Technology Transfer [FR Doc. 2018–03936 Filed 2–26–18; 8:45 am]
calculate the future impact of the new Program Manager, U.S. Department of
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
Standard, and thus DOE believes that using Energy, National Energy Technology
conversion factors from the year of Laboratory, P.O. Box 10940, Pittsburgh,
publication of the Standard is appropriate. PA 15236; Telephone (412) 386–7417; DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
DOE notes that it makes analyses available Email: jessica.lamp@netl.doe.gov.
for states on the future impact of energy SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section Office of Energy Efficiency and
codes, which are beneficial for determining 209(c) of title 35 of the United States Renewable Energy
the long-term benefits of new code adoption. Code gives DOE the authority to grant
Finally, the use of the conversion factor from exclusive or partially exclusive licenses Notice of Request for Information (RFI)
2016 in this analysis also mitigates the in Department-owned inventions where on Expanding Hydropower and
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES

impact of using the fossil fuel equivalency a determination is made, among other Pumped Storage’s Contribution to Grid
approach to determine the conversion factor things, that the desired practical Resiliency and Reliability
for electricity because the proportion of
application of the invention has not AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and
renewable sources in the overall fuel mix was
been achieved, or is not likely to be Renewable Energy, Department of
very small in 2016.
achieved expeditiously, under a Energy (DOE).
[FR Doc. 2018–03931 Filed 2–26–18; 8:45 am] nonexclusive license. The statute and
ACTION: Request for information (RFI).
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P implementing regulations (37 CFR 404)

VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:49 Feb 26, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\27FEN1.SGM 27FEN1

Document Created: 2018-02-27 01:14:47
Document Modified: 2018-02-27 01:14:47

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Request for information (RFI).
Dates		Responses to the RFI must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. (ET) on April 6, 2018.
FR Citation		83 FR 8465

83 FR 8465 - Notice of Request for Information (RFI) on Expanding Hydropower and Pumped Storage's Contribution to Grid Resiliency and Reliability

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYOffice of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 39 (February 27, 2018)

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy