[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 212 (Friday, November 1, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 87354-87355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25416]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Proposed Emergency Information Collection

AGENCY: Grid Deployment Office, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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[[Page 87355]]

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office (GDO) 
invites the public to comment on a proposed emergency collection of 
information that DOE is developing for submission to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.

DATES: Comments regarding this proposed information collection must be 
received on or before December 2, 2024. If you anticipate that you will 
be submitting comments but find it difficult to do so within the period 
allowed by this notice, please advise the OMB Desk Officer of your 
intention to make a submission as soon as possible. The Desk Officer 
may be telephoned at (202) 881-8585.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Aisha Miranda Rivera, Department of 
Energy, Grid Deployment Office, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Suite 4H-
065, Washington, DC 20585; (240) 429-5213; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#53323a203b327d3e3a21323d37327e213a25362132133b227d373c367d343c25"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bedfd7cdd6df90d3d7ccdfd0dadf93ccd7c8dbccdffed6cf90dad1db90d9d1c8">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the 
extended 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 collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    This information collection request contains:
    (1) OMB No.: 1910-5200;
    (2) Information Collection Request Title: Puerto Rico Energy 
Resilience Fund (PR-ERF), Household Intake Form;
    (3) Type of Request: Emergency Clearance;
    (4) Purpose: The PR-ERF will support the installation of rooftop 
solar and storage solutions for vulnerable Puerto Rican households. The 
purpose of this Information Collection Request (ICR) is to authorize 
the `PR-ERF Household Intake Form' as the means to collect homeowner 
information necessary to qualify households as eligible to participate 
in the deployment phase of the PR-ERF. Eligibility is limited to very 
low-income single-family households \1\ residing in Puerto Rico that 
(1) include an individual with an energy-dependent disability or (2) 
are located in a Last Mile Community.\2\ On May 15, 2024, OMB approved 
form 1910-5200. GDO is seeking a revision of the current intake form, 
specifically the sections related to income eligibility and proof of an 
individual with an energy dependent disability. DOE has initiated 
installations of solar PV and battery storage systems to address the 
harm and risk represented by the fragility of the island's power 
system. However, DOE has received significant public input from program 
awardees and potential beneficiaries \3\ to expand the types of 
information that may be submitted to verify eligibility under the 
program. Many awardees and potential beneficiaries of this program have 
requested DOE expand the definition ``very low-income single-family 
household'' to consider additional income qualifying programs, such as 
Plan de Salud Vital and USDA Sections 502 and 504 Programs and allow 
potential beneficiaries to submit this information as verification of 
eligibility to the program. Also, awardees expressed age verification 
as an appropriate modality for verifying energy-dependent disability 
status and including temperature control devices as eligible medical 
equipment for energy-dependent critical load purposes. As a result, it 
is necessary for DOE to modify the program information collection 
practices in response to this public feedback.
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    \1\ A census block that (a) has a high percent of very low-
income households, and (b) experiences frequent and prolonged power 
outages. Solar Ambassador organizations will perform outreach 
activities in Last Mile Communities to identify qualifying 
households.
    \2\ https://clausa.app.carto.com/map/f63080c5-19c9-47c6-8ac8-74d96358e9ed.
    \3\ This includes responses to a Request for Information on the 
program design issues February 21, 2023 as well through negotiations 
with program awardees.
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    (5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 40,140;
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 80,000;
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 56,800;
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: 
$845,520.
    Statutory Authority: The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, 
Public Law 117-328, directs the Department of Energy to improve the 
resilience of the Puerto Rican electric grid, including grants for low-
and-moderate-income households and households that include individuals 
with disabilities for the purchase and installation of renewable 
energy, energy storage, and other grid technologies.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on October 28, 
2024, by Maria D. Robinson, Director, Grid Deployment Office, pursuant 
to delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy. That document with 
the original signature and date is maintained by DOE. For 
administrative purposes only, and in compliance with requirements of 
the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE Federal 
Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit the 
document in electronic format for publication, as an official document 
of the Department of Energy. This administrative process in no way 
alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the 
Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on October 28, 2024.
Jennifer Hartzell,
Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024-25416 Filed 10-31-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P


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