SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The EFAB is an EPA advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. 10, to provide advice and recommendations to EPA on innovative approaches to financing environmental programs, projects, and activities. The Board was established in 1991 to provide advice and recommendations to EPA. The EFAB's charter was renewed for an additional two-year period effective March 17, 2026. See 91 FR 12416 (Mar. 13, 2026). Since its inception, the Board has produced 491 recommendations and has advised the EPA on a wide-ranging set of environmental finance issues, including but not limited to the following:

• Creating incentives to increase private investment in the provision of environmental services and removing or reducing constraints on private involvement wherever possible;
• Developing new and innovative environmental financing approaches and supporting and encouraging the use of cost-effective existing approaches;
• Identifying approaches, challenges, opportunities, and methodologies specifically targeted to small community financing;
• Assessing government strategies for implementing public-private partnerships, including privatization, operations and maintenance issues, and other alternative financing mechanisms;
• Improving governmental principles of accounting and disclosure standards to help improve the financial sustainability of environmental programs;
• Increasing the capacity of State and local governments to carry out their respective environmental programs under current Federal laws;
• Increasing the total investment in environmental protection and stewardship of public and private environmental resources; and
• Developing innovative investment models and market-based approaches that increase the long-term resiliency of infrastructure.

Current EFAB Charge

The Board has been charged with providing strategic recommendations on how EPA can accelerate private investment in environmental technology commercialization. The charge asks the EFAB to address the following question areas:

• Financing Pathways and Capital Access—Identifying significant financing barriers technology companies face when transitioning from development to commercialization, with particular attention to early-stage versus growth-stage capital needs and mechanisms for de-risking investment (e.g., outcomes-based financing, blended finance structures, loan guarantees);
• Maximizing Environmental and Public Health Return on Investment—Recommending frameworks and metrics for evaluating environmental and public health benefits per dollar invested, and strategies to ensure Federal investments produce lasting community benefits;
• Public-Private Partnerships and Market Development—Advising on models for EPA to work with State and local governments to pilot environmental technologies, and strategies for connecting technology companies with utilities, municipalities, and other end-users to accelerate adoption;
• Regulatory Compliance and Certification Readiness—Recommending strategies to reduce time and cost burdens for startups navigating EPA regulatory requirements, certifications, and performance validation; and
• Workforce Development, Technical Expertise, and Measuring Success—Recommending metrics and performance indicators EPA should use to evaluate the effectiveness of its technology commercialization support activities and identifying technical assistance or training programs that would benefit technology entrepreneurs.

The Board is expected to deliver a comprehensive report with actionable recommendations, a prioritized implementation roadmap, and identification of best practices and case studies by December 2026.

Board Structure and Member Commitment

The Board will be composed of no more than 11 members. The Board meets either in-person or virtually approximately two times each calendar year. In addition to the bi-annual full Board meetings, additional virtual workgroup meetings may be held during the year to ensure timely completion of the Board's charge work. Board members typically contribute approximately 3 to 8 hours per month to the activities of the Board, including participation on one or more active workgroups. Members serve on the Board without compensation; however, Board members may receive travel and per diem allowances where appropriate and in accordance with Federal travel regulations.

Members are appointed to represent the perspective of specific organizations, associations, or groups of persons (Representative members), or to provide their individual expertise (Special Government Employee, or SGE, members). Candidates invited to serve as SGE members will be asked to submit the “Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special Government Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency” (EPA Form 3110-48). This confidential form allows EPA to determine whether there is a statutory conflict between that person's public responsibilities as an SGE member and private interests and activities, or the appearance of a loss of impartiality as defined by Federal regulation. The form may be viewed at https://www.epa.gov/​waterfinancecenter/​efab, but this form should not be submitted as part of a nomination.

Experience and Expertise Sought for the EFAB

The Board seeks to maintain diverse representation across workforce sectors (State/local/Tribal government, business (finance and industry), and nonprofit organizations) and geographic regions of the United States. Nominees should demonstrate experience in environmental finance and/or in accelerating the commercialization of environmental technologies. To respond effectively to the Board's active charge, expertise sought includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:

• Venture capital, private equity, or early-stage financing for technology companies;
• Leadership in Investment Banking. Capital Markets, public and private transactions and public and private markets;
• Environmental program evaluation, benefit-cost analysis, or return-on-investment measurement;
• State or local government infrastructure finance, municipal procurement, or public-private partnership development;
• Technology commercialization, including experience as a startup founder, incubator/accelerator operator, or technology transfer professional;
• Regulatory compliance, EPA certification pathways, or third-party verification programs relevant to environmental technologies;
• Background in banking, consulting and finance, experience in advising ( printed page 21290) emerging technology companies and commercializing new technologies;
• Tribal or small community infrastructure financing;
• Legal and regulatory background in operations of private capital allocators (family office, private equity) and representation of entrepreneurs in various technology mediums; and
• Impact measurement, performance analytics, or metrics development for environmental and economic outcomes.

The Board seeks to maintain balance across a broad range of constituencies, sectors, and geographic regions. EPA will consider candidates from all levels of government; the finance, banking, and legal communities; business and industry; academic and research institutions; and local, national, and non-governmental organizations, consistent with the requirements of FACA and the Board's charter.

How To Submit Nominations

Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified person(s) to be considered for appointment to the EFAB. Individuals may self-nominate.

Nominations can only be submitted via email to efab@epa.gov with the subject line “EFAB 2026 NOMINATION.” Nominations should include the following information:

• Contact information for the person making the nomination;
• Contact information for the nominee (if different), including full name and title, business mailing address, telephone, and email address;
• The specific areas of experience or expertise of the nominee, with reference to the expertise areas identified above and the Board's current charge questions;
• The nominee's curriculum vitae or resume; and
• A biographical sketch of the nominee indicating current position and recent service on other Federal advisory committees or national professional organizations. A supporting letter of endorsement is encouraged but not required.

Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria will be used to evaluate nominees:

• Residence in the United States;
• Professional knowledge of, and experience with, financing activities and/or technology commercialization;
• Senior-level experience that fills a gap in Board representation or brings a new and relevant dimension to the Board's deliberations on its active charge;
• Demonstrated ability to work in a consensus-building process with a wide range of representatives from different constituencies; and
• Willingness to serve a two- or three-year term as an active and contributing member, with possible reappointment to a second term.

91 FR 21288