Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 238 / Monday, December 11, 2000 / Notices 77351

solicitation. The IOF sectors consist of

the following, nine major materials and

processing industries: agriculture,

aluminum, chemicals, forest products,

glass, metalcasting, mining, petroleum,

and steel.

This solicitation seeks to implement

OIT-supported or non-OIT technologies

that meet the following requirements:

Address the needs in IOF vision

documents and technology roadmaps;

have completed research and

development and have progressed

through a demonstration at a pilot-scale

or full-scale facility, with demonstrated

performance benefits in energy

conservation and emissions reductions;

and have potential to result in

significant improvements in energy

efficiency, environmental performance,

and economic competitiveness across

the industry. Projects of most interest

will be those that show significant

energy savings and large market

penetration either through multiple

implementations within one industrial

sector or broad applicability across all

IOF sectors.

DATES: A draft Program Solicitation will

be available on or about December 20,

2000. Comments and/or questions

concerning the draft version must be

submitted to, and received by the DOE

Contract Specialist no later than 30

calendar days from its actual posting on

DOE/NETL’s Web site. The mailing and

E-mail addresses are provided below.

ADDRESSES: The draft Program

Solicitation will be available on the

DOE/NETL’s Internet address at http://

www.netl.doe.gov/business/solicit. The

final version of the solicitation along

with all amendments will be posted at

this same Internet address; applicants

are therefore encouraged to periodically

check this NETL address to ascertain the

status of these documents. Applications

must be prepared and submitted in

accordance with the instructions and

forms contained in the final version of

this Program Solicitation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Larry D. Gillham, MS: 921–118, U.S.

Department of Energy, National Energy

Technology Laboratory, 626 Cochrans

Mill Road, PO Box 10940, Pittsburgh,

PA 15236–0940, E-mail Address:

gillham@netl.doe.gov, Telephone

Number: (412) 386–5817.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DOE

anticipates award of multiple costsharing cooperative agreements; but the

DOE reserves the right to award the

agreement type and number deemed in

its best interest. As required in Section

3002, Title XXX of the Energy Policy

Act (EPAct), offerors are advised that

mandatory 50% cost-share will be

required for each project. Not all of the

necessary funds are currently available

for this solicitation; the Government’s

obligation under any cooperative

agreement awarded is contingent upon

the availability of appropriated FY2001

and FY2002 funds.

It is DOE’s desire to encourage the

widest participation including the

involvement of small business concerns,

and small disadvantaged business

concerns. Proposals should be

submitted by the entity that would

house the technology implementation.

In order to gain the necessary expertise

to review proposals, non-Federal

personnel may be used as evaluators or

advisors in the evaluation of proposals,

but will not serve as members of the

technical merit review committee(s).

Issued in Pittsburgh, PA on November 30,

2000.

Dale A. Siciliano,

Deputy Director, Acquisition and Assistance

Division.

[FR Doc. 00–31438 Filed 12–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Energy Technology

Laboratory; Notice of Availability of a

Financial Assistance Solicitation

AGENCY: National Energy Technology

Laboratory, Department of Energy

(DOE).

ACTION: Notice of availability of a

financial assistance solicitation.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the

intent to issue Financial Assistance

Solicitation No. DE–PS26–01NT41104

entitled ‘‘Power Plant Improvement

Initiative.’’ A draft program solicitation,

as a precursor to potentially awarding

multiple financial assistance

cooperative agreements, is now being

developed. Following release of the

draft solicitation, expected in December

2000, a comment and response session

with industry and other potential

partners will be conducted prior to final

issuance of the program solicitation.

Final issuance of the program

solicitation is slated for late-January or

early-February 2001 with awards

expected early in fiscal year 2002. DOE

will provide $95 million to fund the

program, and proposers must match (or

exceed) the government cost share for

every project, bringing the total program

value to at least $190 million. DOE

anticipates making multiple awards

under this program solicitation.

DATES: The draft solicitation will be

available on the DOE/NETL’s Internet

address at http://www.netl.doe.gov/

business on or about December 6, 2000.

ADDRESSES: For the contact to submit

comments, where documents can be

obtained, where meetings are being

held, please see the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jo

Ann C. Zysk, MS 921–107, U.S.

Department of Energy, National Energy

Technology Laboratory, P.O. Box 10940,

E-mail Address: zysk@netl.doe.gov,

Telephone Number: (412) 386–6600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Work is

underway at the Department of Energy’s

National Energy Technology Laboratory

to initiate a $190 million dollar, fifty

percent industry cost shared research,

development and demonstration

program aimed at improving

thereliability of the nation’s fleet of

coal-fired power plants. In many regions

of the United States, our expanding

economy is being powered by out-ofdate and undersized electric power

facilities. The result has been an

increasing frequency of power supply

disruptions and sharp increases in the

electric bills of many Americans. With

more than half of our electric power

being generated by coal in the United

States and an abundant domestic supply

of coal, projections are that coal

generated power will be a major

contributor to our economic expansion

well into the next century. Electric

power produced from coal is

fundamental to a strong U.S. economy

and to domestic energy security

considering recent instabilities in

natural gas prices and our current

dependance on foreign oil supplies.

As the U.S. electric industry

transitions to a new and competitive

business structure, the demands on the

existing fleet of coal-based electric

generating facilities are changing. Power

plants must operate in a fashion that

reduces environmental impacts,

achieves greater efficiency in operation,

reduces carbon dioxide, nitric oxide,

and sulfur emissions, remains cost

competitive, and responds quickly to

changing customer demand. This Power

Plant Improvement Initiative will

demonstrate advanced coal-based

technologies applicable to existing and

new power plants including plants

capable of producing electricity and

some combination of heat, fuels, and/or

chemicals from coal-derived synthesis

gas.

The technologies to be developed

under this program will be vital to the

role that coal and other solid fuels will

play on the world power production

scene. Production of more electricity

while creating a cleaner environment at

77352 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 238 / Monday, December 11, 2000 / Notices

lower cost has the potential to raise the

standard of living of not only the

citizens of the United States, but of the

world as a whole.

The National Energy Technology

Laboratory (NETL), DOE’s newest

national lab that oversees the

department’s fossil fuel programs, will

manage the program. NETL manages

and implements a broad spectrum of

energy and environmental programs.

NETL employs approximately 1,100

federal personnel and support-service

contractors at its sites in Pittsburgh, PA

and Morgantown, WV.

Prospective applicants who would

like to be notified as soon as the draft

solicitation is available should register

at http://www.netl.doe.gov/business.

Provide your E-mail address and click

on the ‘‘Coal Liquids/Solid Fuels

Feedstocks’’ technology choice located

under the heading ‘‘Fossil Energy.’’

Once you subscribe, you will receive an

announcement by E-mail that the draft

solicitation has been released to the

public. Telephone requests, written

requests, E-mail requests, or facsimile

requests for a copy of the draft

solicitation package will not be accepted

and/or honored. The draft solicitation

will be open for public comments on

December 6. A public meeting will be

held on December 15, 2000 and the draft

solicitation will be closed to public

comments on January 5, 2001.

The final solicitation will be made

available on or about January 31, 2001.

Applications must be prepared and

submitted in accordance with the

instructions and forms contained in the

solicitation. The final solicitation

document will allow for requests for

explanation and/or interpretation.

Issued in Pittsburgh, PA on November 24,

2000.

Dale A. Siciliano,

Deputy Director, Acquisition and Assistance

Division.

[FR Doc. 00–31437 Filed 12–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Bonneville Power Administration

Schultz-Hanford Area Transmission

Line Project

AGENCY: Bonneville Power

Administration (BPA), Department of

Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS)

and notice of floodplain and wetlands

involvement.

SUMMARY: This notice announces BPA’s

intention to prepare an EIS on the

construction, operation, and

maintenance of a 59-mile-long 500-

kilovolt (kV) single-circuit transmission

line in Kittitas, Yakima, Grant, and/or

Benton Counties, State of Washington.

In accordance with DOE regulations for

compliance with floodplain and

wetlands environmental review

requirements, BPA will prepare a

floodplain and wetlands assessment and

will perform this proposed action in a

manner so as to avoid or minimize

potential harm to or within the affected

floodplain and wetlands. The

assessment and a floodplain statement

of findings will be included in the EIS

being prepared for the proposed project

in accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act.

DATES: BPA has established a 30-day

scoping period. Written comments are

due to the address below no later than

January 25, 2001. Comments may also

be made at EIS scoping meetings to be

held on January 9, 10, and 11, 2001.

ADDRESSES: BPA invites comments and

suggestions on the proposed scope of

the Draft EIS. To comment, phone tollfree 1–800–622–4519; send an e-mail to

the BPA Internet address

comment@bpa.gov; or mail comments to

Communications, Bonneville Power

Administration—KC–7, P.O. Box 12999,

Portland, Oregon, 97212. To be placed

on the project mail list, call 1–800–622–

4520.

Three EIS scoping meetings will be

held: (1) Tuesday, January 9, 2001, 4

p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Sage Brush Senior

Center, 442 Desert Aire Drive, Desert

Aire, Washington; (2) Wednesday,

January 10, 2001, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the

Yakima County Courthouse, Room 420,

Yakima, Washington; and (3) Thursday,

January 11, 2001, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the

Hal Holmes Community Center, 201

North Ruby Street, Ellensburg,

Washington. At the informal meetings,

several members of the project team will

be available to answer questions and

accept oral and written comments.

Scoping will help BPA ensure that a full

range of issues related to this proposal

is addressed in the EIS, and also will

identify significant or potentially

significant impacts that may result from

the proposed project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lou

Driessen, Project Manager, Bonneville

Power Administration—TNP–3, P.O.

Box 3621, Portland, Oregon, 97208–

3621; telephone 503–230–5525; or email lcdriessen@bpa.gov. You may also

contact Nancy Wittpenn, Environmental

Project Manager, Bonneville Power

Administration—KEC–4, P.O. Box 3621,

Portland, Oregon, 97208–3621;

telephone 503–230–3297; fax 503–230–

5699; or e-mail nawittpenn@bpa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

proposed 59-mile-long 500–kV singlecircuit transmission line would be

constructed from the existing Schultz

Substation near Ellensburg, Washington,

to the existing Hanford or Ashe

Substation on the Hanford Nuclear

Reservation or to a new substation west

of the reservation, near Benton Rural

Electric Association’s Blackrock

Substation. The new line is necessary to

relieve constraints on several

transmission paths (lines) that move

electricity across Washington. The new

line would also provide more

operational flexibility and meet market

needs by increasing transmission

capacity for additional interstate

transfer of electricity. BPA has

identified several possible alternative

routes for the new line. The new routes

have the potential to cross private land,

the Yakima Firing Center, the Hanford

Nuclear Reservation, the Columbia

River, and the Saddle Mountain

Wildlife Refuge. BPA is in the process

of contacting the U.S. Department of the

Army, the U.S. Bureau of Land

Management, the U.S. Bureau of

Reclamation, and the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service to determine whether

they would like to be cooperating

agencies in the EIS process.

This action may involve floodplain

and wetlands located in Kittitas,

Yakima, Grant, and Benton Counties,

State of Washington. When completed,

the Draft EIS will be circulated for

review and comment, and BPA will

hold several public comment meetings

for the Draft EIS. BPA will consider and

respond in the Final EIS to comments

received on the Draft EIS.

Maps and further information are

available from BPA at the address

above.

Issued in Portland, Oregon, on December 1,

2000.

Steven G. Hickok,

Acting Administrator and Chief Executive

Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–31443 Filed 12–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P