Become an Open Water
TEAMER Facility

Open Water Facility Application Process

How to Become a TEAMER Open Water Facility or Capability Provider

TEAMER open water testing can be requested at either an Open Water Facility or at individual project sites utilizing an Open Water Capability. Open Water Facilities will undergo environmental review prior to be allowed into the network, but then have an easier path for TEAMER applicants to gain access to testing. Open Water Capabilities will work with the TEAMER Network Director on site specific environmental documentation when projects are proposed.

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Open Water Facility Application Process

TEAMER Open Water Facilities are locations where technology developers and researchers can test their technologies. Approved open water TEAMER facilities will have clear and defined boundaries of what type of testing is allowed at the site. Prior to acceptance into the network, an Open Water Facility would need to obtain all general permits required, and work with the US Department of Energy NEPA team to complete any consultations necessary, for conducting the defined testing for at least a 3 year period.

TEAMER will accept open water facility applications from any organization, regardless of whether they have previously received federal funding. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed two times each year.

1. Pre-Consultation

   Prior to applying, facilities are required to work with one of the following TEAMER-approved environmental consultants:
   

   a. H.T. Harvey & Associates — Sharon Kramer, PhD

   b. Environmental Science Associates — Cameron Fisher

   These environmental consultants have met with the TEAMER Network Director and DOE to understand the requirements and expectations of the TEAMER program. The purpose of this pre-consultation is to inform the facilities of the likely requirements (such as consultation under the Endangered Species Act and Magnuson Stevens Fisheries Act, and compliance with section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act) and the documentation and steps necessary to comply with those requirements (production of a Biological Assessment or Evaluation, cultural assessments, consultations, and other reporting requirements) for admission into the TEAMER Open Water Facility Network, and how much it will likely cost the facility to meet those requirements.

   a. TEAMER will provide funding to the consultants for this discussion phase.

   b. If conditionally approved as an open water Facility in the TEAMER Network (see below), the Facility will be required to pay for expenses associated with acquiring permits (e.g. biological evaluations, additional reviews, consultations, permits, site modifications, etc.) before final approval.

2. Application

   Facility applies to become a TEAMER Open Water Facility.

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3. Review

   Initial applications will be reviewed by the TEAMER Technical Board (Open Water Subgroup). Reviews will be based upon the quality of the facility without consideration of NEPA or permitting approvals. Applicants will be aware that conditional approval by the Technical Board does not mean the facility is approved yet as a TEAMER Open Water Facility in the network. Upon conditional approval by the technical Board, the DOE NEPA team will meet with and review the recommendation from the environmental consultant and approve the necessary steps that the facility will need to undergo in order to qualify for final approval.

4. Documentation

   Facilities that are conditionally approved by the Technical Board will then work with an environmental consultant of their choice, at their own expense, to complete all requirements for NEPA, including production of a Biological Evaluation, if necessary, and associated federal, state, and local permits.

   d. It will then be the responsibility of the facility (financially) to complete and submit the requested documentation.

   e. To ensure completeness, environmental documentation must be prepared by an external consultant, not the facility applicant. Facility applicant must work with their external consultant to provide all relevant and necessary information.

   f. Facility will submit environmental documentation to Network Director via Submittable.

   i. Submittable will request a Letter of Response from the consultant verifying they worked on this effort.

   ii. There is no timeline for facilities to submit this documentation to the Network Director.

   iii. The Network Director will keep the facility applicants aware of the performance period of TEAMER to ensure that applications that are unlikely to be completed by the end of the performance period are discouraged.

   g. Network Director will submit documentation to DOE

   h. DOE will work with the environmental consultant who prepared the documentation to make necessary changes to any documents, including the BE, prior to approval by DOE and/or submittal to consulting agencies (e.g., the National Marine Fisheries Service and/or the US Fish and Wildlife Service).

5. Consultation

   DOE will engage in consultation with appropriate agencies (if necessary) and make a determination.

   a. Depending on the agency consultation required, this process may take 3-18 months.

   b. The current agreement for TEAMER extends through November 2026.

6. Approval

   Upon final approval, the Facility becomes part of the TEAMER Open Water Facility Network.

Open Water Capability Provider Process

Open Water Capability providers can apply to the Network by completing the application below.

Note that prior to each Request for Technical Support application with a given capability, the provider will need to work with the Network Director and an environmental consultant (at TEAMER’s expense) to approve projects.

The process for utilizing Open Water Capabilities is further described in the PDF below.