[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1830 Introduced in House (IH)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1830
To ensure the energy self-sufficiency of the United States by 2011, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 15, 2001
Mr. Larson of Connecticut (for himself, and Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Energy and 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 2011, 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 2001''.
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 2011. 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 2002 through 2004 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 2002 through 2004.
(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 2002 through 2004.
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 2006, to be completed by fiscal
year 2011. 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 2002 through 2006 for carrying out this section.
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