Department of Energy 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Energy (DOE) publishes a proposed rule to amend the existing regulations at Part 1004 that establish procedures by which records may be requested from all DOE offices pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This proposed rule would streamline DOE's procedures for determining the releasability of information and update the fee requirements for the reproduction of documents. This proposed rule would remove the so-called ``extra balancing test'' in section 1004.1 which states: ``To the extent permitted by other laws, the DOE will make records available which it is authorized to withhold under 5 U.S.C. 552 whenever it determines that such disclosure is in the public interest.'' This sentence imposes an additional burden on DOE to reconsider a determination to legally withhold information in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552. In addition, this proposed rule would amend section 1004.9(a)(4) to raise the per page rate for paper copy reproductions and microform to paper copies to the rate of 20 cents per page. Additional administrative changes which do not require notice and comment will be promulgated in the Final Rule to bring DOE's regulations into compliance with the 1996 Amendments to the FOIA and to reflect minor alterations in DOE's internal organizational structure.

The Department of Energy (DOE) today gives notice of a Request for Information (RFI) to invite comment on approaches to address the need for consistently-collected reliability data of fielded photovoltaic systems, data analysis to deduce methods for assessing reliability and to improve accelerated aging tests to create predictive models, improvement in existing tests, more information on best practices for reliability and accelerated aging tests, and assessing the nature and frequency of safety-related issues (arcing, building integration aspects, and ground faults) and their relationship with long-term performance. It is clear that the foundation to address these needs is a database consisting of photovoltaic system and component reliability, as well as performance data, which are collected in a consistent manner. In addition to the database, it is necessary for DOE to collaborate with the national laboratories and others to evaluate the data, develop new or modified tests, assess safety, evaluate system and component interactions, and develop predictive models. DOE is issuing this RFI for information and feedback from the PV community stakeholders. These include, but are not limited to, system operators and integrators, utilities, project planners, financial planners, manufacturers, third-party data-aggregation companies, universities, testing facilities, and other interested parties. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document, which provides further detail and comments requested.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Decommissioning and/or Long-Term Stewardship at the West Valley Demonstration Project and Western New York Nuclear Service Center (DOE/EIS-0226-D [Revised]) (referred to as the ``Draft Decommissioning and/or Long-Term Stewardship EIS'' or ``Draft EIS''). This Draft EIS revises the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Completion of the West Valley Demonstration Project and Closure or Long-Term Management of Facilities at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center (DOE/EIS-0226-D) issued for public comment in January 1996 (referred to as the ``1996 Cleanup and Closure Draft EIS''). This Draft EIS was prepared in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and the DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 1021). DOE and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) are joint lead agencies for preparing the Draft EIS, while the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) are cooperating agencies. NYSDEC and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) are involved agencies under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). This Draft EIS analyzes alternatives for decommissioning the site and/or long-term stewardship, as well as a No Action Alternative as required by NEPA and SEQRA. The Proposed Action is the completion of the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) and the decommissioning and/or long-term management or stewardship of the Western New York Nuclear Service Center (WNYNSC). This includes the decontamination and decommissioning of the waste storage tanks and facilities used in the solidification of high-level radioactive waste, and any material and hardware used in connection with the WVDP. DOE needs to determine the manner in which facilities, materials, and hardware for which the Department is responsible will be managed or decommissioned in accordance with applicable Federal and State requirements. NYSERDA needs to determine what material or structures for which it is responsible will remain on site, and what institutional controls, engineered barriers, or stewardship provisions would be needed. For the Proposed Action, the three action alternatives evaluated in the Draft EIS are Sitewide Removal, Sitewide Close-In-Place, and Phased Decisionmaking. A No Action Alternative is also evaluated in accordance with NEPA, which would continue management and oversight of the WNYNSC under the conditions that will exist at the Starting Point of this EIS in 2011.

In compliance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(a) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described below.

The Western Area Power Administration, DOE (Western), a Federal power marketing agency of the U.S. Department of Energy, announces the availability of a Request for Interest (RFI) for the Purchase of Renewable Energy Products. Western is seeking interest from any supplier regarding the long-term purchase (10 to 15 years) of renewable energy with or without Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The energy may be delivered to the Upper Great Plains Region, the Rocky Mountain Region's Loveland Area Projects, the Colorado River Storage Project, and/or the Desert Southwest Region. All available points of delivery are located within the Western Interconnection.