
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 150 (Monday, August 7, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 52239-52240]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-16805]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. FAA-2023-1169]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; 
Clearance of a 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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA 
invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a new information collection. 
The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting 
comments on the following collection of information was published on 
May 24, 2023. 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 September 6, 2023.

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: 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)

[[Page 52240]]

ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of 
the collected information.
    OMB Control Number: 2120-XXXX.
    Title: Inflation Reduction Act Fueling Aviation's Sustainable 
Transition Grant Program.
    Form Numbers: OMB Number 4040-0004, 4040-0006, 4040-0007, 4040-
0008, 4040-0009, 4040-0010.
    Type of Review: New information collection.
    Background: The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment 
period soliciting comments on the following collection of information 
was published on May 24, 2023 (88 FR 33659). 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).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 2, 2023.
Julie Marks,
Executive Director (Acting), Federal Aviation Administration--Office of 
Environment and Energy.
[FR Doc. 2023-16805 Filed 8-4-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P


