[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5585 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5585

To ensure the energy self-sufficiency of the United States by 2010, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 26, 2000

  Mr. Larson (for himself and Mr. Oberstar) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, and in addition 
to the Committees on Science, and Government Reform, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To ensure the energy self-sufficiency of the United States by 2010, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Energy Independence Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. DOMESTIC ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PLAN.

    (a) Strategic Plan.--The Secretary of Energy shall develop, and 
transmit to the Congress within 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, a strategic plan to ensure that the United States is 
energy self-sufficient by the year 2010. The plan shall include 
recommendations for legislative and regulatory actions needed to 
accomplish that goal.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy $20,000,000 for carrying out 
this section.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUEL CELL PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Program.--The Secretary of Energy shall establish a program for 
the acquisition of--
            (1) up to 100 commercially available 200 kilowatt fuel cell 
        power plants;
            (2) up to 20 megawatts of power generated from commercially 
        available fuel cell power plants; or
            (3) a combination thereof,
for use at federally owned or operated facilities. The Secretary shall 
provide funding for purchase, site engineering, installation, startup, 
training, operation, and maintenance costs associated with the 
acquisition of such power plants, along with any other necessary 
assistance.
    (b) Domestic Assembly.--All fuel cell systems and fuel cell stacks 
in power plants acquired, or from which power is acquired, under 
subsection (a) shall be assembled in the United States.
    (c) Site Selection.--In the selection of federally owned or 
operated facilities as a site for the location of power plants acquired 
under this section, or as a site to receive power acquired under this 
section, priority shall be given to sites with 1 or more of the 
following attributes:
            (1) Location (of the Federal facility or the generating 
        power plant) in an area classified as a nonattainment area 
        under title I of the Clean Air Act.
            (2) Computer or electronic operations that are sensitive to 
        power supply disruptions.
            (3) Need for a reliable, uninterrupted power supply.
            (4) Remote location, or other factors requiring off-grid 
        power generation.
            (5) Critical manufacturing or other activities that support 
        national security efforts.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy $140,000,000 for the period 
encompassing fiscal years 2001 through 2003 for carrying out this 
section.

SEC. 4. PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Establishment.--The President, in coordination with the 
        Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Transportation, the 
        Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
        Development, shall establish a program for the demonstration of 
        fuel cell proton exchange membrane technology in the areas of 
        responsibility of those Secretaries with respect to commercial, 
        residential, and transportation applications, including buses. 
        Such program shall specifically focus on promoting the 
        application of and improved manufacturing production and 
        processes for proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology.
            (2) Authorization of appropriations.--For the purpose of 
        carrying out this subsection, there are authorized to be 
        appropriated $140,000,000 for the period encompassing fiscal 
        years 2001 through 2003.
    (b) Bus Demonstration Program.--
            (1) Establishment.--The President, in coordination with the 
        Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Transportation, shall 
        establish a comprehensive proton exchange membrane fuel cell 
        bus demonstration program to address hydrogen production, 
storage, and use in transit bus applications. Such program shall cover 
all aspects of the introduction of this new technology, and shall 
include the following components:
                    (A) Development, installation, and operation of a 
                hydrogen delivery system located on-site at transit bus 
                terminals.
                    (B) Development, installation, and operation of on-
                site storage associated with the hydrogen delivery 
                systems as well as storage tank systems incorporated 
                into the bus itself.
                    (C) Demonstration of use of hydrogen as a 
                practical, safe, renewable energy source in a highly 
                efficient, zero-emission power system for buses.
                    (D) Development of a hydrogen proton exchange 
                membrane fuel cell power system that is confirmed and 
                verified as being compatible with transit bus 
                application requirements.
                    (E) Durability testing of the fuel cell bus at a 
                national testing facility.
                    (F) Identification and implementation of necessary 
                codes and standards for the safe use of hydrogen as a 
                fuel suitable for bus application, including the fuel 
                cell power system and related operational facilities.
                    (G) Identification and implementation of 
                maintenance and overhaul requirements for hydrogen 
                proton exchange membrane fuel cell transit buses.
                    (H) Completion of fleet vehicle evaluation program 
                by bus operators along normal transit routes, providing 
                equipment manufacturers and transit operators with the 
                necessary analyses to enable operation of the hydrogen 
                proton exchange membrane fuel cell bus under a range of 
                operating environments.
            (2) Domestic assembly.--All fuel cell systems and fuel cell 
        stacks in power plants acquired, or from which power is 
        acquired, under paragraph (1) shall be assembled in the United 
        States.
            (3) Authorization of appropriations.--For the purpose of 
        carrying out this subsection, there are authorized to be 
        appropriated $150,000,000 for the period encompassing fiscal 
        years 2001 through 2003.

SEC. 5. FEDERAL VEHICLES.

    Each agency of the Federal Government that maintains a fleet of 
motor vehicles shall develop a plan for a transition of the fleet to 
vehicles powered by fuel cell technology. Each such plan shall include 
implementation beginning by fiscal year 2005, to be completed by fiscal 
year 2010. Each plan shall incorporate and build on the results of 
completed and ongoing Federal demonstration programs, including the 
program established under section 4, and shall include additional 
demonstration programs and pilot programs as necessary to test or 
investigate available technologies and transition procedures.

SEC. 6. LIFE-CYCLE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS.

    Any life-cycle cost benefit analysis undertaken by a Federal agency 
with respect to investments in products, services, construction, and 
other projects shall include an analysis of environmental and power 
reliability factors.

SEC. 7. STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES.

    (a) Grant Program.--The Secretary of Energy shall establish a 
program for making grants to State or local governments for the use of 
fuel cell technology in meeting their energy requirements, including 
the use as a source of power for motor vehicles. Each grant made under 
this section shall require at least a 10 percent matching contribution 
from the State or local government recipient.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy $110,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2001 through 2005 for carrying out this section.
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