[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33659-33660]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10993]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. FAA-2023-1169]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; 
Clearance of New Approval of Information Collection: Inflation 
Reduction Act Fueling Aviation's Sustainable Transition Grant Program

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA 
invites public comments about our intention to request Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a new information collection. 
The collection involves soliciting project proposals for the Inflation 
Reduction Act (IRA) Fueling Aviation's Sustainable Transition (FAST) 
Grant Program. The information to be collected will be used to 
determine projects to be awarded FAST competitive discretionary grants.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by July 24, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments:
    By Electronic Docket: www.regulations.gov (Enter docket number into 
search field).
    By mail: Federal Aviation Administration, Attn: Anna Oldani (AEE-
500), 800 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20591.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Dorbian by email at: 
[email protected]; phone: 202-267-8156.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for FAA's performance; (b) the 
accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways for FAA to enhance the 
quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (d) 
ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of 
the collected information. The agency will summarize and/or include 
your comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this information 
collection.
    OMB Control Number: 2120-XXXX.
    Title: Inflation Reduction Act Fueling Aviation's Sustainable 
Transition Grant Program.
    Form Numbers: Not applicable.
    Type of Review: New information collection.
    Background: The FAA is using this collection to solicit the 
information necessary to evaluate and select sustainable aviation fuel 
and low-emission aviation technology projects for funding under the 
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed on August 16, 2022. Section 40007 
of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 directs the Secretary of 
Transportation to implement a ``competitive grant program for eligible 
entities to carry out projects located in the United States that 
produce, transport, blend, or store sustainable aviation fuel, or 
develop, demonstrate, or apply low-emission aviation technologies.'' 
The Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Aviation Administration 
(FAA) is seeking to establish this new grant program--named the Fueling 
Aviation's Sustainable Transition (FAST) Grant Program--and collect 
project proposals via a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). FAST will 
have elements focused on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), to be termed 
FAST-SAF, and elements focused on low-emission aviation technologies, 
to be termed FAST-Tech. The program aims to reduce the greenhouse gas 
emissions (GHG) associated with the aviation sector, in line with the 
net-zero GHG by 2050 goal outlined in the U.S. Aviation Climate Action 
Plan. The amount of available funding for the two programs is $244.53M 
and $46.53M for FAST-SAF and FAST-Tech, respectively.
    The NOFO will solicit project proposals from eligible entities. The 
collected information is required for FAA to evaluate proposals and 
distribute IRA funds to address U.S. climate goals. Eligible entities 
who elect to compete for funding and obtain benefits from the FAST 
Grant Program will submit project information. The information 
collected is based on grant criteria outlined in the IRA Section 40007.
    The FAA will use information submitted to evaluate and select 
projects for funding that most closely align with the criteria outlined 
in the NOFO. A team of subject matter experts in aircraft technology 
development and sustainable aviation fuels from the FAA and other 
government agencies will assess each application against the applicable 
criteria. The information FAA is collecting will include technical, 
project management, and cost proposals for candidate projects. Key 
evaluation criteria include the capacity for the project to increase 
the domestic production and deployment of SAF or the use of low-
emission aviation technologies and the projected greenhouse gas 
emissions from such a project.
    Project information will be solicited through a NOFO published to 
grants.gov. Applications will be collected via grants.gov. The NOFO 
will outline in detail the form of the full application.
    Respondents: Eligible entities as outlined in IRA Section 40007.
    Frequency: One-time application per phase of funding.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: Approximately 500 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: Approximately 25,000 hours (assuming 
50 applicants).


[[Page 33660]]


    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 18, 2023.
Kevin Welsh,
Executive Director, Federal Aviation Administration--Office of 
Environment and Energy.
[FR Doc. 2023-10993 Filed 5-23-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P


