DOE amended its regulations on the procedures for the acquisition of petroleum products for the strategic petroleum reserve to more closely align the regulatory language with the applicable statutory language, remove outdated procedures for acquisition under the royalty-in-kind program, add procedures for acquisition by exchange to better reflect petroleum product acquisition operations as conducted by the Office of Petroleum Reserves, and increase the Department’s flexibility in structuring acquisitions.

DOE seeks comment on its Microgrid Program Strategy, which focuses on impactful results in key metrics, such as reliability, resilience, decarbonization, and affordability, in the next five to 10 years.

DOE announced the availability of its request for information on the Defense Production Act (DPA), which will inform how the DPA authority provided to DOE through presidential determinations could best be used as a tool to accelerate manufacturing and deployment of clean energy technologies to bolster national defense, tackle climate change and environmental justice, and improve employment opportunities and broader economic prosperity for Americans; the request focuses on transformers and critical electric grid components; solar photovoltaics; insulation materials; and electrolyzers, platinum group metals, and fuel cells for clean hydrogen.

DOE seeks information to enhance their ability to plan and implement strategies for improving the resilience of systems that deliver electric power, which will be used to ascertain the best available resources and approach for carrying out a technical assistance program under the Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act of 2021.

FERC proposed reforms to the Uniform System of Accounts for public utilities and licensees that include new accounts for wind, solar, and other non-hydro renewable assets; creating a new functional class for energy storage accounts; codifying the accounting treatment of renewable energy credits; and creating new accounts within existing functions for hardware, software, and communication equipment.

DOE seeks comment on its Clean Hydrogen Production Standard Draft Guidance, which establishes a target for the life-cycle emissions intensity of hydrogen production, as required by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The president issued Executive Order No. 14082, Implementation of the Energy and Infrastructure Provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; among other things, the order established the White House Office on Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation, which will coordinate the policymaking process with respect to implementing the energy and infrastructure provisions of the Act and other essential initiatives.

FERC proposed to direct transmission providers to submit one-time informational reports describing their current or planned policies and processes for conducting extreme weather vulnerability assessments under the Federal Power Act. 

DOE announced the availability of three allocation formulas that will be used to distribute funds to local governments, states, and Indian tribes through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program under the Energy Independence and Security Act. 

DOE and DOT established the Electric Vehicle Working Group to make recommendations regarding the development, adoption, and integration of electric vehicles into U.S. transportation and energy systems.