[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1529 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1529

   To authorize assistance for electric power utility privatization 
              efforts in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 4, 2001

Mr. Traficant introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize assistance for electric power utility privatization 
              efforts in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    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 ``Nigeria Electric Power Utility 
Privatization Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) It is desirable that the Federal Republic of Nigeria 
        begin a transition to private sector-managed electric power 
        generation and transmission.
            (2) Nigeria currently suffers from a shortage of electric 
        power generation.
            (3) Power outages are an impediment to economic development 
        in Nigeria and place United States investment at risk.

SEC. 3. STATEMENTS OF POLICY.

    Congress declares the following:
            (1) Privatization of the electric power generating industry 
        in the Federal Republic of Nigeria is important to the long-
        term needs of Nigeria and the interests of the United States.
            (2) Involvement of state governments in Nigeria is critical 
        to the desired result of moving Nigeria to a private sector-
        managed electric power utility industry.
            (3) The affordability and cost-effectiveness of the 
        strategy to privatize the electric power generating industry in 
        Nigeria are dependent upon the development of new 
        infrastructure and cooperation with national and local policy 
        decisionmakers and the private sector.

SEC. 4. PROGRAM TO FACILITATE ELECTRIC POWER UTILITY PRIVATIZATION 
              EFFORTS IN THE STATE OF KOGI, NIGERIA.

    (a) Establishment.--The President, acting through the Administrator 
of the United States Agency for International Development, is 
authorized to establish a program to provide assistance to the 
Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the purpose of 
facilitating electric power utility privatization efforts in the State 
of Kogi, Nigeria.
    (b) Conduct.--In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the 
President shall ensure that the following requirements are met:
            (1) Assistance provided under the program will be used for 
        the construction of a natural gas fired power plant to be 
        located in the State of Kogi.
            (2) The Government of Kogi State will provide an 
        appropriate site with necessary infrastructure to operate the 
        power plant.
            (3) The Government of Kogi State will provide within or 
        adjacent to the power plant site areas for the location of 
        additional power generation units that are owned and financed 
        by private nongovernmental organizations.
            (4) The Government of Kogi State will initially own the 
        power plant facility but will divest itself of the facility to 
        the private sector not later than ten years after the date on 
        which the plant becomes operational. The plant will be 
        considered to be operational beginning on the first day on 
        which the plant exports power generated to any customer or 
        electrical grid.
            (5) The majority of the equipment and other products 
        utilized in the construction of the power plant shall be 
        American-made.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--In addition to amounts otherwise available 
        for the purposes of this section, there is authorized to be 
        appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for fiscal 
        year 2002.
            (2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
        authorization of appropriations under paragraph (1) are 
        authorized to remain available until expended.
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