56412 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 177 / Tuesday, September 13, 2011 / Notices 

deliveries to it at the Project during on-peak 

and off-peak hours, respectively. Deliveries 

to preference customers of the Government 

shall be divided on the basis (with allowance 

for losses) of 77 percent being considered as 

on-peak energy and 23 percent being off-peak 

energy. Such percentages may by mutual 

consent be changed from time to time as 

further studies show to be appropriate. In the 

event that in classifying energy there is more 

than enough on-peak energy available to 

supply on-peak requirements of the 

Government’s preference customers but less 

than enough off-peak energy available to 

supply such customers off-peak 

requirements, such excess on-peak energy 

may be applied to the extent necessary to 

meet off-peak requirements of such 

customers in lieu of purchasing deficiency 

energy to meet such off-peak requirements. 

Billing Month: 

The billing month under this schedule 

shall end at 12:00 midnight on the 20th day 

of each calendar month. 

Power Factor: 

The purchaser and seller under this rate 

schedule agree that they will both so operate 

their respective systems that neither party 

will impose an undue reactive burden on the 

other. 

[FR Doc. 2011–23356 Filed 9–12–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional 

Natural Gas and Other Petroleum 

Resources Research and Development 

Program 2011 Annual Plan 

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, 

Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of report availability. 

SUMMARY: The Office of Fossil Energy 

announces the availability of the 2011 

Annual Plan for the Ultra-Deepwater 

and Unconventional Natural Gas and 

Other Petroleum Resources Research 

and Development Program on the DOE 

Web site at http:// 

www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/oilgas/ 

ultra_and_unconventional/2011– 

2012_Committees/ 

2011_annual_plan.pdf or in print form 

(see ‘‘Contact’’ below). The 2011 Annual 

Plan is in compliance with the Energy 

Policy Act of 2005, Subtitle J, Section 

999B(e)(3) which requires the 

publication of this plan and all written 

comments in the Federal Register. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Elena Melchert, U.S. Department of 

Energy, Office of Oil and Natural Gas, 

Mail Stop FE–30, 1000 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585 or 

phone: (202) 586–5600 or e-mail to 

UltraDeepwater@hq.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Executive Summary [Excerpted From 

the 2011 Annual Plan p. iii] 

As the Nation transitions to the clean 

energy economy of the future, we must 

also ensure that we effectively mitigate 

the risks of our current energy portfolio. 

This 2011 Annual Plan, the fifth such 

plan to be produced since the launch of 

the Ultra-Deepwater and 

Unconventional Natural Gas and Other 

Petroleum Resources Research Program, 

reflects an important shift in priorities 

towards safety and environmental 

sustainability. This shift is based on the 

recognition that a critical element in 

prudently developing our domestic 

resource base is a scientific assessment 

of the risks which exploration and 

production activities entail, and the 

development of appropriate 

technologies and processes to mitigate 

these risks. 

Domestic deepwater and ultradeepwater oil and gas resources, and 

domestic unconventional natural gas 

resources, are important contributors to 

our Nation’s energy supply portfolio. 

Recent events, the Macondo well 

blowout and the Deepwater Horizon 

explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, and 

growing public opposition to the rapid 

pace of shale gas development onshore 

are stark reminders of the 

environmental risks of our current 

energy portfolio. The 2011 Annual Plan 

proposes scientific research that will 

quantify and mitigate risks associated 

with oil and gas exploration and 

production onshore and offshore, 

thereby improving safety and 

minimizing environmental impacts. 

The Department will ensure that the 

federal government’s understanding of 

the risks associated with these 

operations keeps pace. This will be 

accomplished through scientific 

assessment of the risks, potential 

impacts, and adequacy of current 

response and mitigation technologies. 

The research discussed in this Annual 

Report will be administered by the 

Research Partnership to Secure Energy 

for America (RPSEA), which operates 

under the guidance of the Secretary of 

Energy. RPSEA is a consortium which 

includes representatives from industry, 

academia and research institutions. 

RPSEA’s expertise in all areas of the 

exploration and production value chain 

ensure that the Department of Energy’s 

research program has access to relevant 

emerging technologies and processes, 

and that projects are designed in a way 

that have a direct impact on practices in 

the field. 

Background 

Offshore and onshore research 

activities are administered pursuant to 

an annual plan in compliance with Title 

IX, Subtitle J of EPACT, which directs 

that $50 million per year of federal 

royalties, rents and bonus payments be 

used to fund an oil and natural gas 

research and development (R&D) effort, 

the Ultra-Deepwater and 

Unconventional Natural Gas and Other 

Petroleum Resources Research Program 

(Program). 

The Secretary of Energy approves all 

awards to research performers, and the 

planned R&D activities support the 

goals and objectives of the annual plan. 

The research activities are administered 

by a Program Consortium that has been 

selected by the Secretary, as detailed in 

the Program Consortium section below. 

The National Energy Technology 

Laboratory (NETL) is responsible for 

implementation of the Program. Within 

NETL, the responsibility for overall 

program implementation, including 

oversight of the Program Consortium 

contract, has been assigned to the 

Strategic Center for Natural Gas and Oil. 

Complementary research prescribed 

under Section 999A(d) is carried out by 

NETL’s Office of Research and 

Development. 

Program Consortium 

In 2006, DOE selected the Research 

Partnership to Secure Energy for 

America (RPSEA) through a competitive 

solicitation to serve as the Program 

Consortium and administer the research 

activities pursuant to Section 999B(c). 

RPSEA has a broad membership base 

that includes representatives from all 

levels and sectors of both the oil and 

natural gas exploration and production 

(E&P) and oil and natural gas R&D 

communities. The breadth of 

membership helps to ensure that R&D 

funds leverage existing industry efforts 

in accomplishing the Program’s 

objectives. 

Administration funds provided to 

RPSEA cannot exceed 10 percent 

pursuant to Section 999G(3). The 

private companies, universities, and 

other organizations that are awarded 

contracts through this program provide 

cost-share contributions of at least 20 

percent. 

The Annual Plan Development Process 

Pursuant to Section 999B(e)(2)(A), the 

Program Consortium prepared its 2011 

Draft Annual Plan (DAP) which it 

delivered to the Secretary July 2010. 

The Department of Energy prepared a 

Draft 2011 Annual Plan. Subsequently, 

the Draft 2011 Annual Plan and the DAP 

were reviewed by the Unconventional 

Resources Technology Advisory 

Committee (URTAC) which presented 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 177 / Tuesday, September 13, 2011 / Notices 56413 

1 42 U.S.C. 6836(b)(2) and (3). 

its final report of findings and 

recommendations in October 2010. 

On February 2, 2011, the Secretary of 

Energy appointed new members to his 

Ultra-Deepwater Advisory Committee 

(UDAC), and met with the members on 

February 23, 2011 to discuss his goals 

for offshore research and development. 

Before presenting its final report of 

findings and recommendations to the 

Secretary in April 2011, the UDAC 

established a Subcommittee on Risk 

Assessment. 

The Department of Energy will be 

continually informed by the UDAC 

based on the work of its Subcommittee 

on Risk. In addition, other Federal 

advisory bodies will help inform the 

Department. These include the 

Secretary of Energy Advisory Board 

(SEAB) which established a 

Subcommittee on Natural Gas, and the 

Department of the Interior’s Ocean 

Energy Safety Committee (OESC) which 

has established four subcommittees 

including the Spill Prevention 

Subcommittee, and the Containment 

Subcommittee. The Department of 

Energy is a member of the OESC. The 

Department will take new information 

into account in the preparation of 

solicitations and the selection of 

research projects for the 2011 portfolio. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on September 7, 

2011. 

Christopher A. Smith, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Oil and 

Natural Gas, Office of Fossil Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2011–23328 Filed 9–12–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy 

[Docket No. EERE–2011–BT–BC–0046] 

Building Energy Codes Cost Analysis 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Request for information. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) is soliciting public input 

on how it may improve the 

methodology DOE intends to use for 

assessing cost effectiveness (which 

includes an energy savings assessment) 

of changes to residential building energy 

codes. DOE supports the development 

of the International Code Council’s (ICC) 

International Energy Conservation Code 

(IECC), the national model code adopted 

by or forming the basis of residential 

energy codes promulgated by a majority 

of U.S. states, as well as other voluntary 

building energy codes. DOE performs a 

cost effectiveness analysis of proposed 

modifications to the codes as part of that 

support. DOE also performs an analysis 

of cost effectiveness of new code 

versions. DOE is interested in public 

input on its methodology, preferred data 

sources, and parameter assumptions. 

DOE is publishing this request for 

information to allow interested parties 

to provide suggestions, comments, and 

other information. This notice identifies 

several areas in which DOE is 

particularly interested in receiving 

information; however, any input and 

suggestions considered relevant to the 

topic are welcome. 

DATES: Written comments and 

information are requested by October 

13, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons may 

submit comments in writing, identified 

by docket number EERE–2011–BT–BC– 

0046, by any of the following methods: 

E-mail: Res-CEAM-2011-BC0046@ee.doe.gov. Include EERE–2011– 

BT–BC–0046 in the subject line of the 

message. 

Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. 

Department of Energy, Building 

Technologies Program, Mailstop EE–2J, 

Building Energy Codes, 1000 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. Phone 

(202) 586–2945. Please submit one 

signed paper original. 

Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda 

Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, 

Building Technologies Program, 6th 

Floor, 950 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., 

Washington, DC 20024. Phone: (202) 

586–2945. Please submit one signed 

paper original. 

Internet: http://www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;dct=FR+PR+N+O+SR

+PS;rpp=250;so=DESC;sb=postedDate;

po=0;D=EERE-2011-BT-BC-0046. Please 

use the input form and complete all 

required fields. 

Instructions: All submissions received 

must include the agency name and 

docket number. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents, or 

comments received, visit the U.S. 

Department of Energy, Resource Room 

of the Building Technologies Program, 

950 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Suite 600, 

Washington, DC 20024, (202) 586–2945, 

between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

Please call Ms. Brenda Edwards at the 

above telephone number for additional 

information regarding visiting the 

Resource Room. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Robert Dewey, U.S. Department of 

Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Building 

Technologies Program, Mailstop EE–2J, 

1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121, 

Telephone: (202) 287–1354, E-mail: 

Robert.Dewey@ee.doe.gov. 

Ms. Kavita Vaidyanathan, U.S. 

Department of Energy, Office of the 

General Counsel, Forrestal Building, 

Mailstop GC–71, 1000 Independence 

Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585, 

Telephone: (202) 586–0669, E-mail: 

kavita.vaidyanathan@hq.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority and Background 

Section 307(b) of the Energy 

Conservation and Production Act 

(ECPA, Public Law 102–486), as 

amended, directs DOE to support 

voluntary building energy codes by 

periodically reviewing the technical and 

economic basis of the voluntary 

building energy codes and ‘‘seek 

adoption of all technologically feasible 

and economically justified energy 

efficiency measures; and * * * 

otherwise participate in any industry 

process for review and modification of 

such codes.’’ 1

This Request for Information (RFI) 

seeks public input on DOE’s 

methodology for assessing the cost 

effectiveness of proposed changes to 

residential building energy codes and 

new editions of such codes. Historically, 

DOE’s analyses have been conducted in 

an ad hoc manner, with the 

methodology selected based on the type 

of code change contemplated and the 

nature of ongoing stakeholder debates 

on the topic. Because residential energy 

codes lagged advances in residential 

efficiency measures, DOE relied on 

successes in relevant research, 

demonstration, and voluntary beyondcode programs (e.g., Building America, 

ENERGY STAR) rather than directly 

calculating the cost effectiveness of code 

changes. However, recent advances in 

the IECC and other voluntary building 

energy codes have improved the energy 

performance of buildings and building 

components to levels that in many cases 

rival those of the beyond-code 

programs. Consequently, for its future 

efforts advancing and promoting 

voluntary building energy codes, DOE 

sees the need for a consistent and 

transparent methodology for assessing 

the cost effectiveness of code change 

proposals and for assessing the cost 

effectiveness of new code versions. 

DOE intends to use the methodology 

described in this document to address 

DOE’s legislative direction related to 

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