Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 155 / Monday, August 16, 2021 / Notices 45715 

5U.S. Dep’t of Energy, Report to Congress on the 

Price-Anderson Act (1998), https://www.energy.gov/ 

sites/prod/files/gcprod/documents/paa-rep.pdf (to 

be referenced as ‘‘1998 Report’’). 

1See https://www.quantum.gov/. 

2https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20201221/ 

BILLS-116RCP68-JES-DIVISION-D.pdf. 

provisions of the PAA should be 

continued, modified, or eliminated. 

DOE issued a prior report to Congress 

pursuant to section 170p. in 1998 5

(‘‘1998 Report’’) recommending renewal 

of the PAA, which was developed and 

informed by a public comment process. 

On July 26, 2021, DOE published a 

NOI in the Federal Register (86 FR 

40032) requesting public comment to 

assist with its preparation of a report to 

Congress on the need for continuation 

or modification of the provisions of the 

PAA as administered by DOE. In the 

NOI, DOE provided an update on 

significant changes in law or 

circumstances since the 1998 Report, 

included a non-exhaustive list of 

questions and topics to be considered by 

commenters, and requested public 

comment to assist with preparation of 

the 2021 Report. The NOI requested 

public comment from interested persons 

to be submitted by August 25, 2021. 

On July 29, 2021, DOE received 

comments from the Nuclear Energy 

Institute (‘‘NEI’’) expressing 

appreciation for the opportunity for 

public participation in the development 

of the 2021 Report while requesting 

additional time, a 30-day extension, to 

provide comments. NEI stated the 

additional time is necessary to collect 

views and comments from its members 

on the future of the PAA and to enable 

those comments to reflect meaningful 

and substantive responses to the 

specific enumerated questions and 

topics posed by DOE in the NOI. NEI 

also noted that granting the additional 

time is consistent with the extensions in 

the public comment deadlines provided 

by DOE in connection with the 1998 

Report, resulting in a public comment 

period equal to 56 calendar days. 

DOE also received comments and a 

request for a 60-day extension on 

August 6, 2021, from the Natural 

Resources Defense Council (‘‘NRDC’’), 

on behalf of the combined membership 

of NRDC, Nuclear Information and 

Resources Service, Beyond Nuclear, and 

Savannah River Site Watch. NRDC 

stated that given the significance of the 

PAA to the framework of the nuclear 

industry and the range of economic, 

technical, policy and legal 

considerations raised in the NOI, an 

extension of the public period is 

warranted to provide its members and 

other stakeholders sufficient time to 

consider, deliberate and formulate 

comments in response to the NOI. 

NRDC particularly noted the need for a 

meaningful review period in order to 

evaluate and address impacts of the 

PAA in regard to the vital topic of 

environmental justice, equity, and 

inclusion, and the evolving and 

developing technologies in the nuclear 

industry, such as small modular reactors 

and potential as-yet unused nuclear 

fuels. 

DOE has determined that extension of 

the comment period is appropriate 

based on the foregoing reasons and is 

hereby extending the comment period to 

October 25, 2021. Given the importance 

of proceeding in a timely manner 

toward development of the 2021 Report 

that is due to Congress by December 31, 

2021, DOE does not intend to grant any 

further extensions. Accordingly, DOE 

will consider any comments received by 

October 25, 2021. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Department of 

Energy was signed on August 10, 2021, 

by John T. Lucas, Acting General 

Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, 

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 August 11, 

2021. 

Treena V. Garrett, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2021–17440 Filed 8–13–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Request for Information: Access to 

Quantum Systems 

AGENCY: Office of Science, Department 

of Energy (DOE). 

ACTION: Request for information (RFI). 

SUMMARY: Congress has requested DOE 

to develop a roadmap to provide 

researchers access to quantum systems 

so as to enhance the U.S. quantum 

research enterprise, stimulate the 

fledgling U.S. quantum computing 

industry, educate the future quantum 

computing workforce, and accelerate 

advancement of quantum computer 

capabilities. In collaboration with 

private sector stakeholders, the research 

facility user community, and 

interagency partners, the Department of 

Energy (DOE), through the Office of 

Science, intends to develop such a 

roadmap. DOE invites interested parties 

to provide input on the quantum 

systems that DOE should include in the 

roadmap; how the current access 

models can meet the needs of quantum 

researchers; and the appropriate 

timeline and sequencing for 

components of the roadmap. 

DATES: Written comments and 

information are requested on or before 

September 30, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: DOE is using the https://

www.regulations.gov system for the 

submission and posting of public 

comments in this proceeding. All 

comments in response to this RFI are 

therefore to be submitted electronically 

through https://www.regulations.gov, 

via the web form accessed by following 

the ‘‘Submit a Formal Comment’’ link 

near the top right of the Federal 

Register web page for this document. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information may 

be submitted to Quantum-SystemsAccess-RFI@science.doe.gov or Dr. 

Ceren Susut, (301) 903–0366. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

Quantum information science (QIS) is 

a potentially transformative emerging 

field, with resulting quantum 

technologies having significant 

implications for scientific discovery as 

well as for our Nation’s economic 

prosperity and security.1 Widespread 

access to a variety of quantum systems 

for research, development, testing, and 

evaluation is critical to continued rapid 

progress and competitiveness in this 

field and to accelerate QIS research and 

development. Congress, in the Joint 

Explanatory Statement accompanying 

the Energy and Water Development and 

Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 

2021, requested DOE to ‘‘develop a 

roadmap to provide researchers access 

to quantum systems so as to enhance the 

U.S. quantum research enterprise, 

stimulate the fledgling U.S. quantum 

computing industry, educate the future 

quantum computing workforce, and 

accelerate advancement of quantum 

computer capabilities.’’ 2

Types of quantum systems under 

consideration: DOE may consider access 

models for research and development 


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45716 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 155 / Monday, August 16, 2021 / Notices 

3https://www.labpartnering.org/partnering. 

4https://www.sandia.gov/mesa/. 

5https://www.lanl.gov. 

6https://science.osti.gov/User-Facilities. 

7https://science.osti.gov/User-Facilities/UserFacilities-at-a-Glance/BES/Nanoscale-ScienceResearch-Centers. 

8https://science.osti.gov/User-Facilities/UserFacilities-at-a-Glance/ASCR. 

9https://science.osti.gov/User-Facilities/UserFacilities-at-a-Glance/BES/X-Ray-Light-Sources. 

10https://science.osti.gov/User-Facilities/UserFacilities-at-a-Glance/BES/Neutron-ScatteringFacilities. 

11https://www.olcf.ornl.gov/olcf-resources/ 

compute-systems/quantum-computing-userprogram/. 

12https://qscout.sandia.gov and https://

aqt.lbl.gov. 

(R&D) on a wide range of quantum 

systems. For simplicity, these systems 

are broadly categorized here, but many 

real facilities or capabilities will bridge 

across these flexible groups. The scope 

of quantum systems to be addressed in 

response to this RFI includes, but is not 

limited to: 

(1) Systems for synthesis, 

characterization, and fabrication— 

including foundries and testbeds. 

(2) Sensors and measurement 

systems—including light-matter sensors, 

atomic sensors, magnetometers, clocks, 

detectors, and imaging systems. 

(3) Networking and communication 

systems—including interconnects, 

transducers, repeaters, switches, routers, 

entangled nodes, encrypted systems, 

and network testbeds. 

(4) Computers, processors, annealers, 

and analog simulators—including noisy 

intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) and 

beyond-NISQ computers, emulators, 

conventional computing systems, 

hybrid systems, and computing 

testbeds. 

Existing access models and 

approaches, and DOE resources and 

programs that support R&D activities on 

quantum systems: DOE utilizes a range 

of approaches for access to R&D systems 

and facilities that it supports, depending 

on the nature of the capability, the 

scope of the desired interaction, the 

extent and composition of the 

community that is interested in access, 

and other factors.3 (Other federal 

agencies may employ similar and/or 

additional models.) Direct collaboration 

with DOE-supported researchers 

(including but not exclusively at DOE 

National Laboratories), which may 

involve indirect or direct usage of their 

systems and instruments, is one 

frequent method, and may not require 

specific agreements or obligations other 

than those applying generally to 

laboratory requirements. For instance, 

the Microsystems Engineering, Science, 

and Applications (MESA) facility 4 at 

Sandia National Laboratories offers 

advanced fabrication capabilities 

relevant to QIS, and Los Alamos 

National Laboratory provides a variety 

of quantum computing technologies to 

scientists and engineers.5

Technology transfer and collaboration 

mechanisms include Cooperative 

Research and Development Agreements 

(CRADAs) that formalize joint R&D 

efforts between federal laboratories and 

external-to-government partners; 

Strategic Partnership Projects (SPPs), in 

which work is done for businesses and 

other non-federal entities using 

specialized or unique facilities and/or 

expertise; as well as Agreements for 

Commercializing Technology (ACTs) 

and Technology Licensing Agreements, 

among others. Another approach used 

primarily for major facilities that host 

substantial numbers of external 

researchers is the user facility model, in 

which access is typically provided 

competitively via merit- and feasibilitybased review.6 Current and nextgeneration systems at DOE user facilities 

that enable breakthrough scientific 

discoveries in QIS include but are not 

limited to Nanoscale Science Research 

Centers,7 High-Performance Computing 

and Networking Facilities,8 X-Ray Light 

Sources,9 and Neutron Scattering 

Facilities.10 Other programs, such as 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s 

Quantum Computing User Program,11

facilitate access to commercial quantum 

computing resources via merit-based 

review and user agreements. 

Additionally, DOE supports the 

development of quantum computing 

and quantum network testbeds for 

science. For instance, DOE quantum 

computing testbeds provide the research 

community with fully transparent 

access to novel quantum computing 

hardware.12

II. Questions 

Input is requested on information the 

Department should consider as it 

develops a roadmap to provide 

researchers access to quantum systems 

to enhance the U.S. quantum research 

enterprise, stimulate the fledgling U.S. 

quantum computing industry, educate 

the future quantum computing 

workforce, and accelerate advancement 

of quantum computer capabilities. Any 

information that may be business 

proprietary and exempt by law from 

public disclosure should be submitted 

as described in Section III. Please 

provide data, analysis, and/or other 

justification for all responses to this RFI, 

where applicable. DOE is interested in 

receiving input on the following 

questions: 

(i) What role, if any, should Federal 

agencies play in mediating, facilitating, 

or coordinating access to non-Federal 

quantum systems? 

(ii) What special considerations, if 

any, should be taken into account in 

accommodating the scientific 

communities served by these quantum 

systems? 

(iii) What quantum systems should be 

included in this roadmap? 

(iv) What mechanisms should be 

considered to assure access to quantum 

systems to the broadest possible user 

base including under-represented 

institutions and populations? 

(v) What are the needs for user 

support to make effective use of access 

to quantum systems? 

(vi) What should be the metrics for 

success in an access model? 

(vii) How should software access be 

provided in conjunction with hardware 

access? 

(viii) For competitive proposals 

requesting access to quantum systems, 

what should be the criteria in the merit 

review process? 

(ix) What factors should be 

considered in adding, expanding, or 

reducing access to specific quantum 

systems as the field evolves or matures? 

(x) With respect to access to various 

types of quantum systems, how do nearterm and longer-term priorities differ? 

(xi) What standard intellectual 

property (IP) provisions are needed to 

facilitate broad access to quantum 

systems for the public benefit? 

(xii) Are there other factors, issues, or 

opportunities, not addressed by the 

questions above, which should be 

considered in the development of such 

a roadmap? 

Comments containing references, 

studies, research, and other empirical 

data that are not widely published 

should include copies of the referenced 

materials. Note that comments will be 

made publicly available as submitted. 

Any information that may be 

confidential and exempt by law from 

public disclosure should be submitted 

as described below. 

III. Request for Information 

The Department seeks input from 

stakeholders to assist DOE in 

developing a roadmap for access to 

quantum systems, including the nature 

of quantum systems that should be 

considered; how the current access 

models can meet the needs of quantum 

researchers; and the appropriate 

timeline and sequencing for 

components of this roadmap. The input 

received will be considered by DOE in 

its development of the roadmap and for 

QIS program planning and 


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 155 / Monday, August 16, 2021 / Notices 45717 

development. Please be aware that this 

RFI is not a Funding Opportunity 

Announcement, a Request for Proposal, 

or other form of solicitation, or bid for 

DOE to fund potential research, 

development, planning, centers, or other 

activity. 

Confidential Business Information: 

Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any person 

submitting information he or she 

believes to be confidential and exempt 

by law from public disclosure should 

submit via email: One copy of the 

document marked ‘‘confidential’’ 

including all the information believed to 

be confidential, and one copy of the 

document marked ‘‘non-confidential’’ 

with the information believed to be 

confidential deleted. DOE will make its 

own determination about the 

confidential status of the information 

and treat it according to its 

determination. Factors of interest to 

DOE when evaluating requests to treat 

submitted information as confidential 

include: (1) A description of the items, 

(2) whether and why such items are 

customarily treated as confidential 

within the industry, (3) whether the 

information is generally known by or 

available from other sources, (4) 

whether the information has previously 

been made available to others without 

obligation concerning confidentiality, 

(5) an explanation of the competitive 

injury to the submitting person which 

would result from public disclosure, (6) 

when such information might lose its 

confidential character due to the 

passage of time, and (7) why disclosure 

of the information would be contrary to 

the public interest. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Department of 

Energy was signed on August 11, 2021, 

by Harriet Kung, Deputy Director for 

Science Programs, Office of Science, 

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 August 11, 

2021. 

Treena V. Garrett, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2021–17520 Filed 8–13–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Project Nos. 2572–133 2458–247] 

Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC; 

Notice of Intent To File License 

Applications, Filing of Pre-Application 

Document, Commencement of PreFiling Process, and Scoping; Request 

for Comments on the Pad and Scoping 

Document, Identification of Issues and 

Associated Study Requests, and 

Virtual Public Scoping Meetings and 

Virtual Environmental Site Review 

a. Type of Filing: Notices of Intent to 

File License Applications for New 

License and Commencing Pre-filing 

Process. 

b. Project Nos.: 2572–133 and 2458– 

247. 

c. Date Filed: June 11, 2021. 

d. Submitted By: Great Lakes Hydro 

America, LLC. 

e. Name of Projects: Ripogenus 

Hydroelectric Project and Penobscot 

Mills Hydroelectric Project. 

f. Location: On the West Branch of the 

Penobscot River and Millinocket Stream 

in Piscataquis and Penobscot Counties, 

Maine. 

g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of 

the Commission’s Regulations. 

h. Licensee Contact: Randall Dorman, 

Licensing Manager, Brookfield 

Renewable, 150 Main Street, Lewiston, 

ME 04240; (207) 755–5605; 

randy.dorman@

brookfieldrenewable.com. 

i. FERC Contact: Allan Creamer at 

(202) 502–8365, or email at 

allan.creamer@ferc.gov. 

j. Cooperating agencies: Federal, state, 

local, and tribal agencies with 

jurisdiction and/or special expertise 

with respect to environmental issues 

that wish to cooperate in the 

preparation of the environmental 

document should follow the 

instructions for filing such requests 

described in item o below. Cooperating 

agencies should note the Commission’s 

policy that agencies that cooperate in 

the preparation of the environmental 

document cannot also intervene. See 94 

FERC 61,076 (2001). 

k. With this notice, we are initiating 

informal consultation with: (a) The U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA 

Fisheries under section 7 of the 

Endangered Species Act and the joint 

agency regulations thereunder at 50 

CFR, Part 402; and (b) the State Historic 

Preservation Officer, as required by 

section 106, National Historic 

Preservation Act, and the implementing 

regulations of the Advisory Council on 

Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2. 

l. With this notice, we are designating 

Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC as the 

Commission’s non-federal 

representative for carrying out informal 

consultation, pursuant to section 7 of 

the Endangered Species Act and section 

106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act. 

m. Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC 

filed with the Commission a PreApplication Document (PAD; including 

a proposed process plan and schedule), 

pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the 

Commission’s regulations. 

n. In addition to publishing the full 

text of this document in the Federal 

Register, the Commission provides all 

interested persons an opportunity to 

view and/or print the contents via the 

internet through the Commission’s 

Home Page (http://www.ferc.gov), using 

the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Enter the docket 

number(s), excluding the last three 

digits in the docket number field, to 

access the document. At this time, the 

Commission has suspended access to 

the Commission’s Public Reference 

Room, due to the proclamation 

declaring a National Emergency 

concerning the Novel Coronavirus 

Disease (COVID–19), issued by the 

President on March 13, 2020. For 

assistance, contact FERC Online 

Support at FERCOnlineSupport@

ferc.gov, or call toll-free, (866) 208–3676 

or TYY, (202) 502–8659. 

Register online at http://

www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ 

esubscription.asp to be notified via 

email of new filings and issuances 

related to these or other pending 

projects. For assistance, contact FERC 

Online Support. 

o. With this notice, we are soliciting 

comments on the PAD and Commission 

staff’s Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as 

well as study requests. All comments on 

the PAD and SD1, and study requests 

should be sent to the address above in 

paragraph h. In addition, all comments 

on the PAD and SD1, study requests, 

requests for cooperating agency status, 

and all communications to and from 

Commission staff related to the merits of 

the potential applications must be filed 

with the Commission. 

The Commission strongly encourages 

electronic filing. Please file all 

documents using the Commission’s 


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