[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2324 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2324

   To establish a balanced energy program for the United States that 
 unlocks the potential of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 26, 2001

Ms. Woolsey (for herself, Mr. Hall of Texas, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, 
Mr. Lampson, Mr. Matheson, Mr. Wu, Mr. Baca, Mr. Baird, Mr. Barcia, Mr. 
 Etheridge, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Hoeffel, Mr. Honda, Mr. Israel, Ms. Eddie 
 Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. 
 Moore, Ms. Rivers, Mr. Udall of Colorado, and Mr. Weiner) introduced 
   the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a balanced energy program for the United States that 
 unlocks the potential of renewable energy and energy efficiency, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Renewable Energy 
and Energy Efficiency Act of 2001''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. National research and development policy.
Sec. 4. Definitions.
           TITLE I--RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION

Sec. 101. Enhanced energy efficiency research, development, and 
                            demonstration.
Sec. 102. Enhanced renewable energy research, development, and 
                            demonstration.
Sec. 103. Biomass energy and related chemical research, development, 
                            and demonstration.
Sec. 104. Assessment of renewable energy resources.
Sec. 105. Enhanced aeronautical system energy efficiency research, 
                            development, and demonstration.
Sec. 106. Progress report.
                   TITLE II--COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

Sec. 201. Study of financing for prototype technologies.
Sec. 202. Regulatory reviews for new technologies and processes.
Sec. 203. Commercialization assistance.
Sec. 204. Education and outreach.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) there is a need for a robust renewable energy and 
        energy efficiency research and development program that 
        provides a basis for the development, demonstration, and 
        deployment of new energy technologies in partnership with 
        industry;
            (2) Federal budget authority for renewable energy and 
        energy efficiency research and development has declined 
        significantly since 1980; and
            (3) the President's budget request for fiscal year 2002 
        makes even greater reductions in these programs, imperiling 
        promising technologies that have the potential to reduce energy 
        consumption and increase energy efficiency.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY.

    It shall be the policy of the United States that its research, 
development, demonstration, and commercial applications programs be 
designed to enable 20 percent of the energy generated in the United 
States from stationary sources to be generated from nonhydropower 
renewable energy sources by the year 2020.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act, except as otherwise provided--
            (1) the term ``biomass'' means any organic matter that is 
        available on a renewable or recurring basis, including 
        agricultural crops and trees, wood and wood wastes and 
        residues, plants (including aquatic plants), grasses, residues, 
        fibers, animal wastes, and municipal wastes; and
            (2) the term ``renewable energy source'' means--
                    (A) wind;
                    (B) biomass;
                    (C) a geothermal source;
                    (D) a solar source;
                    (E) a photovoltaic source; or
                    (F) additional hydroelectric generation capacity 
                achieved from increased efficiency at an existing 
                hydroelectric dam.

           TITLE I--RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION

SEC. 101. ENHANCED ENERGY EFFICIENCY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND 
              DEMONSTRATION.

    (a) Goals.--In order to achieve the goal stated in section 3, the 
United States shall have a balanced energy research, development, and 
demonstration program to enhance energy efficiency with the following 
goals:
            (1) For energy efficiency in housing, the program should 
        develop technologies, housing components, designs, and 
        production methods that will, by 2010--
                    (A) reduce the time needed to move technologies to 
                market by 50 percent, compared to the time needed as of 
                the date of the enactment of this Act;
                    (B) reduce the monthly cost of new housing by 20 
                percent, compared to the cost as of the date of the 
                enactment of this Act;
                    (C) cut the environmental impact and energy use of 
                new housing by 50 percent, compared to the impact and 
                use as of the date of the enactment of this Act;
                    (D) ensure that at least 15,000,000 homes existing 
                as of the date of the enactment of this Act reduce 
                their energy use by 30 percent, compared to the use as 
                of the date of the enactment of this Act; and
                    (E) improve durability and reduce maintenance costs 
                by 50 percent compared to the durability and costs as 
                of the date of the enactment of this Act.
            (2) For industrial energy efficiency, the program should, 
        in cooperation with the affected industries--
                    (A) develop a microturbine (40 to 300 kilowatt) 
                that is more than 40 percent efficient by 2006, 
                compared to the efficiency as of the date of the 
                enactment of this Act;
                    (B) develop a microturbine that is more than 50 
                percent efficient by 2010, compared to the efficiency 
                as of the date of the enactment of this Act;
                    (C) develop advanced materials for combustion 
                systems that reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by 30 
                to 50 percent while increasing efficiency 5 to 10 
percent by 2007, compared to such emissions as of the date of the 
enactment of this Act; and
                    (D) improve the energy intensity of the major 
                energy-consuming industries by at least 25 percent by 
                2010, compared to the energy intensity as of the date 
                of the enactment of this Act.
            (3) For transportation energy efficiency, the program 
        should, in cooperation with affected industries--
                    (A) develop a production prototype passenger 
                automobile that has fuel economy equivalent to 80 miles 
                per gallon of gasoline by 2004;
                    (B) develop class 7 and 8 heavy duty trucks and 
                buses with ultra low emissions and the ability to use 
                an alternative fuel that has an average fuel economy 
                equivalent to--
                            (i) 10 miles per gallon of gasoline by 
                        2007; and
                            (ii) 13 miles per gallon of gasoline by 
                        2010;
                    (C) develop a production prototype of a passenger 
                automobile with zero equivalent emissions that has an 
                average fuel economy of 100 miles per gallon of 
                gasoline by 2010; and
                    (D) improve, by 2010, the average fuel economy of 
                trucks--
                            (i) in classes 1 and 2 by 300 percent; and
                            (ii) in classes 3 through 6 by 200 percent,
                compared to the fuel economy as of the date of the 
                enactment of this Act.
    (b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            (1) the term ``alternative fuel'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 301(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992; 
        and
            (2) the term ``major energy-consuming industries'' means--
                    (A) the forest product industry;
                    (B) the steel industry;
                    (C) the aluminum industry;
                    (D) the metal casting industry;
                    (E) the chemical industry;
                    (F) the petroleum refining industry; and
                    (G) the glass-making industry.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for carrying out activities to 
achieve the goals described in subsection (a), including State and 
local grants and the Federal Energy Management Program--
            (1) $900,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
            (2) $950,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
            (3) $1,025,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
            (4) $1,110,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
            (5) $1,200,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.

SEC. 102. ENHANCED RENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND 
              DEMONSTRATION.

    (a) Goals.--In order to achieve the goal stated in section 3, the 
United States shall have a balanced energy research, development, and 
demonstration program to enhance renewable energy with the following 
goals:
            (1) For wind power, the program should reduce the cost of 
        wind electricity by 50 percent by 2006, compared to the cost as 
        of the date of the enactment of this Act, so that wind power 
        can be widely competitive with fossil-fuel-based electricity in 
        a restructured electric industry, with concentration within the 
        program on a variety of advanced wind turbine concepts and 
        manufacturing technologies.
            (2) For photovoltaics, the programs should pursue research, 
        development, and demonstration that would lead to photovoltaic 
        systems prices of $3,000 per kilowatt by January 1, 2003, and 
        $1,500 per kilowatt by January 1, 2006. Program activities 
        should include assisting industry in developing manufacturing 
        technologies, giving greater attention to balance of system 
        issues, and expanding fundamental research on relevant advanced 
        materials.
            (3) For solar thermal electric systems the program should 
        strengthen ongoing research, development, and demonstration 
        combining high-efficiency and high-temperature receivers with 
        advanced thermal storage and power cycles, with the goal of 
        making solar-only power (including baseload solar power) widely 
        competitive with fossil fuel power by 2015.
            (4) For geothermal energy, the program should continue work 
        on hydrothermal systems, and reactivate research, development, 
        and demonstration on advanced concepts, giving top priority to 
        high-grade hot dry-rock geothermal energy.
            (5) For hydrogen-based energy systems, the program should 
        support research, development, and demonstration on hydrogen-
        using and hydrogen-producing technologies. The program should 
        also coordinate hydrogen-using technology development with 
        proton exchange membrane fuel cell vehicle development 
        activities under the enhanced energy efficiency program 
        described in section 101.
            (6) For hydropower, the program should provide a new 
        generation of turbine technologies that will increase 
        generating capacity and will be less damaging to fish and 
        aquatic ecosystems.
            (7) For electric energy and storage, the program should 
        develop high capacity superconducting transmission lines and 
        generators, and develop distributed generating systems to 
        accommodate multiple types of energy sources under a common 
        interconnect standard.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for carrying out activities to 
achieve the goals described in subsection (a)--
            (1) $420,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
            (2) $470,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
            (3) $525,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
            (4) $585,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
            (5) $655,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.

SEC. 103. BIOMASS ENERGY AND RELATED CHEMICAL RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, 
              AND DEMONSTRATION.

    (a) Goals.--In order to achieve the goal stated in section 3, the 
United States shall have a balanced energy research, development, and 
demonstration program to enhance biomass energy and related chemical 
research, development, and demonstration with the following goals:
            (1) The program should enable the United States to triple 
        bioenergy use by 2010.
            (2) For biomass-based power systems, the program should 
        enable commercialization, within five years after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, of integrated power-generating 
        technologies that employ gas turbines and fuel cells integrated 
        with biomass gasifiers.
            (3) For biofuels, the program should accelerate research, 
        development, and demonstration on advanced enzymatic hydrolysis 
        technology for making ethanol from cellulosic feedstock, with 
        the goal that between 2010 and 2015 ethanol produced from 
        energy crops would be fully competitive in terms of price with 
        gasoline as a neat fuel, in either internal combustion engines 
        or fuel cell vehicles.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for carrying out research, 
development, and demonstration activities on biomass-related 
technologies, including transportation, power, and related chemical 
production technologies, under the Biomass Research and Development Act 
of 2000--
            (1) for biomass transportation--
                    (A) $54,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
                    (B) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
                    (C) $78,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
                    (D) $94,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
                    (E) $113,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
            (2) for biomass power--
                    (A) $48,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
                    (B) $58,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
                    (C) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
                    (D) $84,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
                    (E) $101,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
            (3) for biomass energy-related industrial applications--
                    (A) $53,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
                    (B) $58,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
                    (C) $63,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
                    (D) $68,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
                    (E) $73,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.

SEC. 104. ASSESSMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall submit to the 
Congress an assessment of all renewable energy resources available for 
commercial applications within the United States.
    (b) Resource Assessment.--Such assessment shall include a detailed 
inventory describing the available amount and characteristics of 
renewable energy sources, and an estimate of the research, development, 
demonstration, and commercial applications efforts necessary to develop 
each resource. The assessment shall also include such other information 
as the Secretary of Energy believes would be useful in achieving wider 
commercial applications of emerging and state-of-the-art renewable 
energy generation facilities or devices.
    (c) Availability.--The technology development information and cost 
estimates in the assessment shall be updated annually and made 
available to the public, along with the data used to create the 
assessment.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purposes of carrying 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary of Energy $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and such sums as 
may be necessary for the fiscal years 2003 through 2020.

SEC. 105. ENHANCED AERONAUTICAL SYSTEM ENERGY EFFICIENCY RESEARCH, 
              DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION.

    (a) Goals.--For aeronautical system energy efficiency, the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration shall seek to--
            (1) develop technologies that will enable a 50 percent 
        increase in aircraft engine energy efficiencies by 2010 as 
        compared to the most energy efficient engine in the United 
        States commercial aircraft fleet as of the date of the 
        enactment of this Act; and
            (2) develop air transportation management operational 
        concepts and procedures that will enable a 25 percent increase 
        in the energy efficiency of the overall air transport system on 
        a per flight basis by 2010 as compared to the efficiency as of 
        the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration for carrying out activities to achieve the goals 
described in subsection (a)--
            (1) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
            (2) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
            (3) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
            (4) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
            (5) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.

SEC. 106. PROGRESS REPORT.

    The Secretary of Energy shall transmit to the Committee on Science 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate an annual report assessing the progress made 
pursuant to this title in achieving the goal set forth in section 3. 
The first such report shall be transmitted along with the first annual 
budget request from the President occurring at least 6 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.

                   TITLE II--COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

SEC. 201. STUDY OF FINANCING FOR PROTOTYPE TECHNOLOGIES.

    (a) Independent Assessment.--The Secretary of Energy shall 
commission an independent assessment of innovative financing techniques 
to facilitate construction of new renewable energy and energy 
efficiency facilities that might not otherwise be built in a 
competitive market.
    (b) Conduct of the Assessment.--The Secretary of Energy shall 
retain an independent contractor with proven expertise in financing 
large capital projects or in financial services consulting to conduct 
the assessment under this section.
    (c) Content of the Assessment.--The assessment shall include a 
comprehensive examination of all available techniques to safeguard 
private investors against risks (including both market-based and 
government-imposed risks) that are beyond the control of the investors. 
Such techniques may include Federal loan guarantees, Federal price 
guarantees, special tax considerations, and direct Federal investment.
    (d) Report.--The Secretary of Energy shall submit the results of 
the independent assessment to the Congress not later than 9 months 
after the date of enactment of this section.

SEC. 202. REGULATORY REVIEWS FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND PROCESSES.

    (a) Regulatory Reviews.--Not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, and every five years thereafter, the 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall oversee a 
review of each Federal agency's regulations and policies to identify--
            (1) existing regulations and policies that act as barriers 
        to the development and commercialization of emerging renewable 
        energy and energy efficiency technologies and processes 
        (including fuel cells, combined heat and power, distributed 
        generation, and small-scale renewable energy); and
            (2) actions the agency is taking or could take to--
                    (A) remove barriers to market entry for emerging 
                renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies;
                    (B) increase energy efficiency; or
                    (C) encourage the use of new processes to meet 
                energy and environmental goals.
    (b) Reports to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and every five years thereafter, the 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall report to 
the Congress on the results of the agency reviews conducted under 
subsection (a).
    (c) Contents of the Reports.--The reports required under subsection 
(b) shall--
            (1) identify all regulatory and policy barriers to the 
        development and commercialization of emerging renewable energy 
        and energy efficiency technologies and processes;
            (2) actions taken, or proposed to be taken, that are 
        identified under subsection (a)(2); and
            (3) recommendations for changes in laws or regulations that 
        may be needed to--
                    (A) expedite the siting and development of energy 
                production and distribution facilities; and
                    (B) encourage the adoption of energy efficiency and 
                process improvements.

SEC. 203. COMMERCIALIZATION ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Authority.--The Secretary of Energy shall provide, through a 
competitive review process, assistance to private sector entities for 
the commercial application of renewable energy and energy efficiency 
technologies.
    (b) Applications.--The Secretary of Energy shall establish 
requirements for applications for assistance under this section. Such 
applications shall contain a commercial application plan, including a 
description of the financial, business, and technical support 
(including support from universities and national laboratories) the 
applicant anticipates in its commercial application effort.
    (c) Selection.--The Secretary of Energy shall select applicants to 
receive assistance under this section on the basis of which 
applications are the most likely to result in commercial application of 
renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. The Secretary 
shall ensure that at least 50 percent of the funds provided under this 
section are provided to small businesses or startup companies.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for carrying out this section 
$200,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2002 through 2006, and such 
sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2007 through 
2020.

SEC. 204. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.

    (a) Program.--The Secretary of Energy shall establish a program 
education and outreach, including innovative education and outreach 
techniques, on renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies to 
manufacturers, consumers, engineers, architects, builders, energy 
service companies, universities, facility planners and managers, State 
and local governments, and other appropriate entities.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for carrying out this section 
$100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2002 through 2006, and such 
sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2007 through 
2020.
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