[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2326 Introduced in House (IH)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2326
To establish an alternative fuel vehicle energy demonstration and
commercial application of energy technology competitive grant pilot
program within the Department of Energy to facilitate the use of
alternative fuel vehicles.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 27, 2001
Mr. Boehlert introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish an alternative fuel vehicle energy demonstration and
commercial application of energy technology competitive grant pilot
program within the Department of Energy to facilitate the use of
alternative fuel vehicles.
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 ``Alternative Fuel Vehicle
Acceleration Act of 2001''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) Alternative fuel vehicle.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), the term ``alternative fuel vehicle'' means a
motor vehicle that is powered--
(i) in whole or in part by electricity,
including electricity supplied by a fuel cell;
(ii) by liquefied natural gas;
(iii) by compressed natural gas;
(iv) by liquefied petroleum gas;
(v) by hydrogen; or
(vi) by methanol at no less than 85 percent
by volume.
(B) Exclusions.--The term ``alternative fuel
vehicle'' does not include--
(i) any vehicle designed to operate solely
on gasoline or diesel derived from fossil
fuels, regardless of whether it can also be
operated on an alternative fuel; or
(ii) any vehicle that the Secretary
determines, by rule, does not yield substantial
environmental benefits over a vehicle operating
solely on gasoline or diesel derived from
fossil fuels.
(2) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the
competitive grant program established under section 3.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish an alternative
fuel vehicle energy demonstration and commercial application of energy
technology competitive grant pilot program to provide not more than 15
grants to State governments, local governments, or metropolitan
transportation authorities to carry out a project or projects for the
purposes described in subsection (b).
(b) Grant Purposes.--Grants under this section may be used for the
following purposes:
(1) The acquisition of alternative fuel vehicles,
including--
(A) passenger vehicles;
(B) buses used for public transportation or
transportation to and from schools;
(C) delivery vehicles for goods or services;
(D) ground support vehicles at public airports,
including vehicles to carry baggage or push airplanes
away from terminal gates; and
(E) motorized two-wheel bicycles, scooters, or
other vehicles for use by law enforcement personnel or
other State or local government or metropolitan
transportation authority employees.
(2) Infrastructure necessary to directly support a project
funded by the grant, including fueling and other support
equipment.
(3) Operation and maintenance of vehicles, infrastructure,
and equipment acquired as part of a project funded by the
grant.
(c) Applications.--
(1) Requirements.--The Secretary shall issue requirements
for applying for grants under the pilot program. At a minimum,
the Secretary shall require that applications be submitted by
the head of a State or local government or a metropolitan
transportation authority, or any combination thereof, and shall
include--
(A) at least one project to enable passengers or
goods to be transferred directly from one alternative
fuel vehicle to another in a linked transportation system;
(B) a description of the projects proposed in the
application, including how well they meet the
requirements of this Act;
(C) an estimate of the ridership or degree of use
of the projects proposed in the application;
(D) an estimate of the air pollution emissions
reduced and fossil fuel displaced as a result of the
projects proposed in the application, and a plan to
collect and disseminate environmental data, related to
the projects to be funded under the grant, over the
life of the projects;
(E) a description of how the projects proposed in
the application will be sustainable without Federal
assistance after the completion of the term of the
grant;
(F) a complete description of the costs of each
project proposed in the application, including
acquisition, construction, operation, and maintenance
costs over the expected life of the project; and
(G) a description of which costs of the projects
proposed in the application will be supported by
Federal assistance and which by assistance from non-
Federal partners, including State and local
governments, metropolitan transportation authorities,
and private entities.
(2) Partners.--An applicant under paragraph (1) may carry
out projects under the pilot program in partnership with one or
more private entities.
(d) Selection Criteria.--In evaluating applications under the pilot
program, the Secretary shall consider each applicant's previous
experience involving alternative fuel vehicles and shall give priority
consideration to applications that--
(1) are most likely to maximize protection of the
environment;
(2) demonstrate the greatest commitment on the part of the
applicant to ensure funding for the proposed projects and the
greatest likelihood that each project proposed in the
application will be maintained or expanded after Federal
assistance under this Act is completed; and
(3) exceed the minimum requirements of subsection
(c)(1)(A).
(e) Pilot Project Requirements.--
(1) Maximum amount.--The Secretary shall not provide more
than $20,000,000 in Federal assistance under the pilot program
to any applicant.
(2) Cost sharing.--The Secretary shall not provide more
than 50 percent of the cost, incurred during the period of the
grant, of any project under the pilot program.
(3) Maximum period of grants.--The Secretary shall not fund
any applicant under the pilot program for more than 5 years.
(4) Deployment and distribution.--The Secretary shall seek
to the maximum extent practicable to achieve nationwide
deployment of alternative fuel vehicles through the pilot
program, and shall ensure a broad geographic distribution of
project sites.
(5) Transfer of information and knowledge.--The Secretary
shall establish mechanisms to ensure that the information and
knowledge gained by participants in the pilot program are
transferred among the pilot program participants and to other
interested parties, including other applicants that submitted
applications.
(f) Schedule.--
(1) Publication.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish in the
Federal Register, Commerce Business Daily, and elsewhere as
appropriate, a request for applications to undertake projects
under the pilot program. Applications shall be due within 180
days of the publication of the notice.
(2) Selection.--Not later than 180 days after the date by
which applications for grants are due, the Secretary shall
select by competitive, peer review all applications for
projects to be awarded a grant under the pilot program.
SEC. 4. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
(a) Initial Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date grants
are awarded under this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report containing--
(1) an identification of the grant recipients and a
description of the projects to be funded;
(2) an identification of other applicants that submitted
applications for the pilot program; and
(3) a description of the mechanisms used by the Secretary
to ensure that the information and knowledge gained by
participants in the pilot program are transferred among the
pilot program participants and to other interested parties,
including other applicants that submitted applications.
(b) Evaluation.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, and annually thereafter until the pilot program ends, the
Secretary shall transmit to the Committee on Science of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the Senate a report containing an evaluation of the effectiveness of
the pilot program, including an assessment of the benefits to the
environment derived from the projects included in the pilot program as
well as an estimate of the potential benefits to the environment to be
derived from widespread application of alternative fuel vehicles.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary
$200,000,000 to carry out this Act, to remain available until expended.
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