### 2685 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 12 / Tuesday, January 20, 2015 / Notices

**DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION**

**[Docket No.: ED–2015–ICCD–0005]**

**Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Race to**  **the Top-Early Learning Challenge: Descriptive Study of Tiered Quality**  **Rating and Improvement Systems in**
**Nine Round 1 States**

**AGENCY :**  Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Department of Education (ED).

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq. ), ED is proposing a new information collection.

**DATES :**  Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before March

23, 2015.

**ADDRESSES :**  Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http:// www.regulations.gov by selecting
Docket ID number ED–2015–ICCD–0005 or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the regulations.gov site is not available to the public for any reason, ED will temporarily accept

comments at ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Please note that comments submitted by
fax or email and those submitted after the comment period will not be accepted; ED will only accept comments during the comment period in this mailbox when the regulations.gov site is not available. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be
addressed to the Director of the
Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Mailstop L–OM–2–2E319, Room 2E115, Washington, DC 20202.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Tracy Rimdzius, 202–208–7154.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public’s reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department’s information collection requirements and provide the requested
data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the
burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note
that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: Race to the TopEarly Learning Challenge: Descriptive Study of Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement Systems in Nine Round 1

States.

OMB Control Number: 1850–NEW. Type of Review: A new information
collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: State,
Local or Tribal Government.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 70.

Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 259.

Abstract: The Study of Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (RTT–ELC TQRIS) will collect
data from two to three RTT–ELC states on TQRIS ratings, component-level ratings, indicator-level ratings, and kindergarten entry assessments. In the event that the kindergarten entry
assessment data are not available from state databases, the study will reach out
to selected districts in the RTT–ELC states to collect such data. If this step proves necessary, the study will reach out to up to 42 districts in order to ultimately recruit 14 districts from
which to collect assessment data. The study will use these data to conduct analyses of the relationship between TQRIS ratings and child outcome measures to inform ongoing development and improvement of TQRIS systems at the state level.

Dated: January 13, 2015.
Tomakie Washington,
Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management.

[FR Doc. 2015–00688 Filed 1–16–15; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY** 

**Wind and Water Power Program: Guidance and Application for**  **Hydroelectric Incentive Payments**

**AGENCY :**  Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy.

**ACTION :**  Notice of availability of guidance and open application period.

**SUMMARY :**  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is publishing Guidance for the EPAct 2005 Section 242 Program. The guidance describes the hydroelectric incentive payment requirements and explains the type of
information that owners or authorized operators of qualified hydroelectric facilities can 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 section 242 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In Congressional appropriations for Federal fiscal year 2014, DOE received funds to support this hydroelectric incentive program for the first time. 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 2013.

**DATES :**  DOE is currently accepting applications from January 20, 2015 through February 19, 2015. Applications
information must be sent to hydroincentive@ee.doe.gov by midnight EDT, February 19, 2015, or they will not be considered timely filed for calendar year 2013 incentive payments.

**ADDRESSES :**  Written correspondence may be sent to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE– 4), by email at hydroincentive@ ee.doe.gov

.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Requests for additional information
should be directed to Mr. Steven Lindenberg, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE–4), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585–0121, (202) 586–

2783, hydroincentive@ee.doe.gov

. 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


### 2686 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 12 / Tuesday, January 20, 2015 / Notices

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 electric energy generated and sold by a qualified hydroelectric facility for a specified 10-year period (See 42 U.S.C. 15881). The conference report to the
Fiscal Year 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill includes $3,600,000 for conventional hydropower under
section 242 of EPAct 2005.

In response, DOE developed and announced draft guidance intended to describe the application process and the information necessary for DOE to make a determination of eligibility under

section 242. See 79 FR 37733 (July 2, 2014). The final guidance is available at:http://energy.gov/eere/water/waterpower-program

.

DOE accepted public comments on the guidance on two separate occasions in July and October 2014. In response to these comments, DOE developed a summary of comments and DOE’s response which can be found with the final guidance, which is available at:http://energy.gov/eere/water/waterpower-program

.

When submitting information to DOE for the Section 242 program, it is recommended that applicants carefully read and review the complete content of the Guidance for this process. The terms defined in the Guidance shall apply without regard to the hydroelectric kilowatt capacity of the facility concerned, without regard to whether the facility uses a dam owned by a governmental or non-governmental entity, and without regard to whether the facility began operation on or after October 1, 2005.

As an aid to supporting the hydropower industry, DOE has developed the following checklist for application related to calendar year 2013 power production. This checklist is provided to aid the applicant and does not necessarily include all requirements stated in the Guidance.

Applicant Checklist

Administrative Requirements

—The application must be received by

DOE between January 20, 2015 and February 19, 2015. The application
must be sent to hydroincentive@ ee.doe.gov by midnight, February 19, 2015, or it will not be considered for calendar year 2013 incentive payments. —The application must include all

information required in the Application Requirements, ‘‘Sec. V’’,
in the Guidance. —An owner or authorized operator must

be applying on behalf of: (a) A FERCjurisdictional hydroelectric facility as the holder of a license or exemption issued by FERC, or (b) a non-FERC jurisdictional hydroelectric facility as the holder of exclusive rights to beneficial use of a facility, including legal title. —The application for an incentive

payment must be signed by an
authorized executive official of the owner or operator claiming the payment. —In the event that DOE has clarification

questions on the application and DOE requests additional information, such
information must be received at hydroincentive@ee.doe.gov within 10 business days after the DOE request. —DOE strongly encourages applicants

to apply early for the Federal System for Award Management (SAM) account required for submitting request for payment to the Federal Government. This process can take 10 days or more and the information must be included in the application.

Equipment Requirements
—The new turbine or other generating

device must be owned or solely operated by a non-federal entity. —Operation of the new turbine or other

generating device must have been initiated on or after October 1, 2005. —The new turbine and other electric

generation devices must include
conventional or new and innovative technologies capable of continuous operation.

Facility Requirements
—The new turbine or other generating

device must have been added to an existing dam or conduit, the construction of which was completed before August 8, 2005. —Construction of the new turbine or

other generating device must have involved only modifications with no construction or enlargement of impoundment or diversion structures (other than repair or reconstruction). Construction should not require any permanent enlargement of impoundment or diversion structure
when installed.

Power Production (energy requirements)
—The claimed electricity production

and sale must be net electric energy
and must have occurred in the calendar year January 1 through December 31, 2013, inclusive. Applicants for the production incentive will be considered only for the energy produced during this timeframe; no payments for previous years of generation will be awarded. —A metering device should have been

used to measure net electric energy generated and sold. —The metering device must meet

generally accepted industry standards, be maintained in proper working order according to instructions of its manufacturer, and be calibrated to generally accepted industry standards. —In the event that a project’s eligible

production is not specifically metered, a project must submit a reasonable, reliable, alternative method to document eligible production. Alternative methodologies must be reviewed, confirmed, and documented by a third party with valid and relevant industry experience and credentials and be submitted along with the application to DOE. DOE reserves the right to determine whether the alternative methodology sufficiently identifies the net electric energy generated to qualify under this

program. —Metered energy data must match the

amount of energy claimed in the application. —The claimed energy must have been

sold, where sale means a transfer of currency between two unrelated parties in exchange for deliveredelectrical current, except that not-forprofit electric cooperatives or municipal utilities and their members shall be considered unrelated parties for purposes of hydroelectric production incentive payments.
Each application will be reviewed based on the Guidance at (http://energy.gov/eere/water/water-powerprogram). DOE may corroborate the information provided with information that DOE finds through FERC e-filings, contact with power off-taker, and other due diligence measures 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 January 14,

2015. Doug Hollett, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Renewable

Power.

[FR Doc. 2015–00781 Filed 1–16–15; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6450–01–P**