29320 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 96 / Thursday, May 17, 2012 / Notices 

direction to fund renewable and 

alternative energy, the FY 2012 Work 

Plan includes $300,000 toward this 

effort in 2012. The FY 2011 Work Plan 

outlines a strategy to balance the Energy 

Program in both legacy and renewable 

components, providing up to $2.4 

million of available program funds 

specifically toward the emerging 

technology program pending state 

match. If match for this program is not 

provided, this funding shall be 

reallocated to legacy projects. 

FY 2012 Program & Project Policy Issues 

The approved FY 2008 Denali 

Commission Policy Document requires 

and prioritizes cost share match for 

funded projects. In implementing this 

policy, 10%, match was required in FY 

2010 and FY 2011. In FY 2012 new 

statutory match is required in the 

amounts of 50% for non-distressed and 

20% for distressed communities and 

only applies toward construction 

projects using Energy and Water 

Appropriation funding. In future 

funding years, the Commission will 

require consistent match for energy 

projects funded with other funding 

(TAPL, RUS). For FY 2012 funding, the 

Commission will apply the 10% match 

for RUS and TAPL funding and the 50% 

and 20% match requirements for Energy 

and Water Appropriation funding. 

Sustainability Policy 

All energy construction grants will 

proceed after business plans are 

reviewed and approved by Commission. 

FY 2012 Project Selection Process 

The Energy Advisory Committee 

(EAC) provides guidance to 

Commissioners and staff on the 

program, and is comprised of members 

involved in energy development in 

Alaska. Members include 

representatives of Associated General 

Contractors, Alaska AFL–CIO, 

Department of Energy National 

Renewable Energy Lab, the University of 

Alaska Institute of Northern 

Engineering, USDA, Kotzebue Electric 

Association and two public members 

representing rural Alaska. The EAC 

provided general recommendations 

supporting the ongoing priority for 

funding Bulk Fuel/Rural Power System 

Upgrade planning, design and 

construction, providing match funding 

for the emerging energy technology 

program and for renewable energy 

regional planning in coordination with 

the Alaska Energy Authority’s initiative 

to meet statewide energy infrastructure 

needs for all of the above. 

Legacy Program (Bulk Fuel/RPSU) 

Due to the nature of the due diligence 

requirement of energy projects, seasonal 

logistics in Alaska and funding 

restrictions (i.e. TAPL funds may only 

be used for bulk fuel projects)—a project 

may not progress as quickly as another. 

Given the late timing of funding in FY 

2011, summer construction grants are 

not anticipated. A final project list will 

be developed based on available funds, 

project readiness, available match and 

other due diligence. Final project lists 

are provided to EAC for feedback prior 

to final grant execution. 

Transportation 

Section 309 of the Denali Commission 

Act 1998 (amended), created the 

Commission’s Transportation Program, 

including the Transportation Advisory 

Committee. The advisory committee is 

composed of nine members appointed 

by the Governor of the State of Alaska 

including the Chairman of the Denali 

Commission; four members who 

represent existing regional native 

corporations, native nonprofit entities, 

or tribal governments, including one 

member who is a civil engineer; and 

four members who represent rural 

Alaska regions or villages, including one 

member who is a civil engineer. 

The Transportation Program 

addresses two areas of rural Alaska 

transportation infrastructure: Roads and 

waterfront development. There is 

consensus among agencies and 

communities that the program is 

successfully addressing improvements 

to local and regional transportation 

systems. This is largely a function of the 

TAC’s success at project selection and 

monitoring, and the success of the 

program’s project development partners. 

The program is generally a 

competitively-bid contractor or 

materials-based project opportunity 

grounded in Title 23 CFR. These strict 

project development and construction 

guidelines have presented some 

challenges to the Commission’s ability 

to respond quickly to targets of 

opportunity, but they have also had the 

positive effect of ensuring project design 

and construction is executed at a 

professional level. The program operates 

under a reimbursable payment system 

that requires local and program partner 

sponsors to pay close attention to 

accounting procedures prior to their 

payments to contractors and vendors. 

This system helps ensure project 

payments are eligible when submitted to 

the Commission. 

In FY 2012 the program will continue 

its focus on barge landings and mooring 

points in rural communities. These 

projects range from one or two mooring 

points to secure a barge, to small dock 

structures, depending on community 

size and barge operation characteristics. 

The value of these structures lies in 

improved fuel/freight transfer 

operations and improved worker and 

environmental safety. The Commission 

and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

(USACE) will continue to work through 

the prioritized list of barge landing and 

mooring point projects which were 

identified in a formal analysis 

conducted in FY 2009 and FY 2010. The 

universe of need for the first generation 

of projects is in the range of 

$40,000,000. 

The TAC met on January 26–27, 2012 

to select waterfront projects and will 

meet in early summer to select road 

project priorities for FY 2012. Final 

project approvals and funding amounts 

have been approved by the Federal CoChair and are available on the 

Commission’s Web site. 

As shown in the FY 2012 Funding 

Table, the estimate for FHWA funding 

ranges from $0 to $24,700,000. In 2011 

continuing resolution language, the U.S. 

Secretary of Transportation was 

assigned the responsibility by Congress 

to identify FHWA projects and programs 

that were sufficiently funded (i.e. 

completed). In following this 

assignment, the Secretary determined 

that the Denali Access Program was 

sufficiently funded and $13,300,000 in 

FY 2011 FHWA funding was assigned to 

the Alaska Department of 

Transportation. At the request of the 

Denali Commission Inspector General, 

GAO is presently considering whether 

the Secretary had the authority to make 

this determination regarding the Denali 

Access Program. At the time of drafting 

this 2012 annual Work Plan, the GAO 

Comptroller General has not yet issued 

an opinion. Therefore, depending upon 

the forthcoming opinion the 

Commission may receive no FHWA 

funding or potentially receive both FY 

2011 and FY 2012 FHWA funding— 

totaling $24,740,000. 

Joel Neimeyer, 

Federal Co-Chair. 

[FR Doc. 2012–11936 Filed 5–16–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3301–01–P 

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Election Administration in Urban and 

Rural Areas; Comment Request 

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC). 

ACTION: Notice. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 96 / Thursday, May 17, 2012 / Notices 29321 

SUMMARY: On February 21, 2012, EAC 

published a notice in accordance with 

Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995. EAC announced 

an information collection and sought 

public comment on the provisions 

thereof. In compliance with Section 

3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, EAC announces 

an information collection and seeks 

public comment on the provisions 

thereof. EAC, pursuant to 5 CFR 

1320.5(a)(iii), intends to submit this 

proposed information collection 

(Election Administration in Urban and 

Rural Areas) to the Director of the Office 

of Management and Budget for 

approval. The Election Administration 

in Urban and Rural Areas survey asks 

election officials questions concerning 

voter outreach and election personnel. 

EAC will conduct the survey as a way 

to obtain data and information for a 

mandatory report to Congress as 

stipulated under HAVA 241 (B)(15), 

which requires EAC to study ‘‘[m]atters 

particularly relevant to voting and 

administering election in rural and 

urban areas.’’ Further, Section 202(3) of 

HAVA authorizes EAC to conduct 

studies and to carry out other duties and 

activities to promote the effective 

administration of Federal elections. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before 4:00 p.m. EDT on 

June 18, 2012. 

Comments: Public comments are 

invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed information collection; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the information collection on 

respondents, including through the use 

of automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Additional Information: Please note 

that the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) has up to 60 days to 

approve or disapprove the information 

collection, but may respond after 30 

days. Comments on the proposed 

information collection should be 

submitted to OMB within 30 days of 

this notice. Comments should be sent to 

the attention of Sharon Mar, Desk 

Officer for the U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission, Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs, Office of 

Management and Budget, Washington, 

DC 20503. Comments sent to OMB 

should also be sent to EAC at 

HAVAinfo@eac.gov with Urban/Rural 

study as the subject line. Written 

comments on the proposed information 

collection can also be sent to the U.S. 

Election Assistance Commission, 1201 

New York Avenue NW., Suite 300, 

Washington, DC 20005, ATTN: Urban/ 

Rural Study. 

Obtaining a Copy of the Survey: To 

obtain a free copy of the survey: (1) 

Access the EAC Web site at 

www.eac.gov; (2) write to the EAC 

(including your address and phone 

number) at U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission, 1201 New York Avenue 

NW., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005, 

ATTN: Urban/Rural Study. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karen Lynn-Dyson or Shelly Anderson 

at (202) 566–3100. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title and OMB Number: Election 

Administration in Urban and Rural 

Areas; OMB Number Pending. 

Summary of the Collection of 

Information: The survey requests 

information at the local level concerning 

the following categories: 

Background: (1) Number of years 

served as an election official; type of 

appointment; (2) number of registered 

voters; (3) jurisdiction described as 

urban or rural; (4) jurisdiction required 

to provide language assistance; (5) office 

have full responsibility for elections in 

the jurisdiction; (6) alternative forms of 

voting allowed in the jurisdiction 

(absentee—excuse required, no-excuse 

absentee, early voting, all vote-by-mail). 

Voter Outreach: (7) type of voter 

outreach provided to the public; (8) 

outreach efforts coordinated with thirdparty/civic organizations; type of voter 

outreach coordinated; type of 

organizations with which the 

jurisdiction works; (9) voter outreach 

activities that focus on specific groups; 

(10) cost of voter outreach efforts in 

2010; (11) estimated cost of voter 

outreach efforts in 2012; (12) how voter 

outreach efforts were paid for; (13) ease 

or difficulty of engaging in voter 

outreach; (14) reasons outreach may 

have been difficult. 

Personnel: (15) number of paid fulltime, part-time, and temporary staff in 

2010; (16) number of poll workers used 

in 2010; (17) number of paid full-time, 

part-time, and temporary staff in 2012; 

(18) number of poll workers used in 

2012; (19) poll worker pay; (20) sources 

for recruiting poll workers; (21) ease or 

difficulty of obtaining poll workers; (22) 

reasons obtaining poll workers may 

have been difficult; (23) jurisdiction 

offer split shifts for poll workers; (24) 

additional comments. 

Affected Public (Respondents): Local 

governments that administer Federal 

elections. 

Affected Public: Local government. 

Number of Respondents: 5,000. 

Responses per Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Burden Per Response: 30 

minutes. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 1,500 hours. 

Frequency: One-time data collection. 

Mark A. Robbins, 

Acting Executive Director, U.S. Election 

Assistance Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2012–11919 Filed 5–16–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6820–KF–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

National Coal Council 

AGENCY: Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of open meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces a 

meeting of the National Coal Council 

(NCC). The Federal Advisory Committee 

Act (Pub. L. 92–463, 86 Stat. 770) 

requires that public notice of these 

meetings be announced in the Federal 

Register. 

DATES: Thursday, June 7, 2012, 10:00 

a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: Crowne Plaza Chicago 

O’Hare, 5440 North River Road, 

Rosemont, Illinois 60018. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Robert J. Wright, U.S. Department of 

Energy; 4G–036/Forrestal Building, 

1000 Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–1290; 

Telephone: 202–586–0429. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose of Meeting: The Coal Policy 

Committee of the National Coal Council 

will review the draft of a report 

requested by Secretary of Energy Steven 

Chu in a letter dated October 28, 2011, 

to the Council. 

Tentative Agenda 

■ Review and action on the report. 

■ Adjourn. 

Public Participation: The meeting is 

open to the public. If you would like to 

file a written statement with the 

Committee, you may do so either before 

or after the meeting. If you would like 

to make oral statements regarding any 

potential items on the agenda, you 

should contact Dr. Robert J. Wright, 

202–586–0429 or 

Robert.wright@hq.doe.gov (email). You 

must make your request for an oral 

statement at least 5 business days before 

the meeting. Reasonable provision will 

be made to include the scheduled oral 

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