[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2439 Referred in House (RFH)]

  2d Session
                                S. 2439


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 6, 2000

                 Referred to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  To authorize the appropriation of funds for the construction of the 
      Southeastern Alaska Intertie system, 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. SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA INTERTIE AUTHORIZATION LIMIT.

    Upon the completion and submission to the United States Congress by 
the Forest Service of the ongoing High Voltage Direct Current viability 
analysis pursuant to United States Forest Service Collection Agreement 
#00CO-111005-105 or no later than February 1, 2001, there is hereby 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Energy such sums as 
may be necessary to assist in the construction of the Southeastern 
Alaska Intertie system as generally identified in Report #97-01 of the 
Southeast Conference. Such sums shall equal 80 percent of the cost of 
the system and may not exceed $384,000,000. Nothing in this Act shall 
be construed to limit or waive any otherwise applicable State or 
Federal law.

SEC. 2. NAVAJO ELECTRIFICATION DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Energy shall establish a 5-
year program to assist the Navajo nation to meet its electricity needs. 
The purpose of the program shall be to provide electric power to the 
estimated 18,000 occupied structures on the Navajo Nation that lack 
electric power. The goal of the program shall be to ensure that every 
household on the Navajo Nation that requests it has access to a 
reliable and affordable source of electricity by the year 2006.
    (b) Scope.--In order to meet the goal in subsection (a), the 
Secretary of Energy shall provide grants to the Navajo Nation to--
            (1) extend electric transmission and distribution lines to 
        new or existing structures that are not served by electric 
        power and do not have adequate electric power service;
            (2) purchase and install distributed power generating 
        facilities, including small gas turbines, fuel cells, solar 
        photovoltaic systems, solar thermal systems, geothermal 
        systems, wind power systems, or biomass-fueled systems;
            (3) purchase and install other equipment associated with 
        the generation, transmission, distribution, and storage of 
        electric power;
            (4) provide training in the installation, operation, or 
        maintenance of the lines, facilities, or equipment in 
        paragraphs (1) through (3); or
            (5) support other activities that the Secretary of Energy 
        determines are necessary to meet the goal of the program.
    (c) Technical Support.--At the request of the Navajo Nation, the 
Secretary of Energy may provide technical support through Department of 
Energy laboratories and facilities to the Navajo Nation to assist in 
achieving the goal of this program.
    (d) Annual Reports.--Not later than February 1, 2002 and for each 
of the five succeeding years, the Secretary of Energy shall submit a 
report to Congress on the status of the programs and the progress 
towards meeting its goal under subsection (a).
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy to carry out this section 
$15,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2002 through 2006.

            Passed the Senate October 5 (legislative day, September 
      22), 2000.

            Attest:

                                                    GARY SISCO,

                                                             Secretary.