[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 883 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 883
To ensure the energy self-sufficiency of the United States by 2011, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 15, 2001
Mr. Dodd introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
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.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall develop
and submit to Congress a strategic plan to ensure that the
United States is energy self-sufficient by the year 2011.
(2) Recommendations.--The plan developed under paragraph
(1) shall include recommendations for legislative and
regulatory actions needed to achieve the goal of the plan
described in that paragraph.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000.
SEC. 3. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUEL CELL PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) Program.--The Secretary of Energy shall establish a program for
the acquisition, for use at federally owned or operated facilities,
of--
(1) not to exceed 100 commercially available 200 kilowatt
fuel cell power plants;
(2) not to exceed 20 megawatts of power generated from
commercially available fuel cell power plants; or
(3) a combination of the power plants described in
paragraphs (1) and (2).
(b) Funding.--The Secretary shall provide funding and any other
necessary assistance for the purchase, site engineering, installation,
startup, training, operation, and maintenance costs associated with the
acquisition of the power plants under subsection (a).
(c) 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.
(d) Site Selection.--In the selection of a federally owned or
operated facility as a site for the location of a power plant acquired
under this section, or as a site to receive power acquired under this
section, priority shall be given to a site with 1 or more of the
following attributes:
(1) A location in an area classified as a nonattainment
area under title I of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et
seq.).
(2) Computer or electronic operations that are sensitive to
power supply disruptions.
(3) A need for a reliable, uninterrupted power supply.
(4) A remote location or other factors requiring off-grid
power generation.
(5) Critical manufacturing or other activities that support
national security efforts.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $140,000,000 for the period of
fiscal years 2002 through 2004.
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.
(2) Focus.--The program established under paragraph (1)
shall focus specifically on promoting the application of, and
improving manufacturing production and processes for, proton
exchange membrane fuel cell technology.
(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $140,000,000
for the period of 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.
(2) Components.--The program established under paragraph
(1) shall--
(A) cover all aspects of the introduction of proton
exchange membrane fuel cells; and
(B) include provisions for--
(i) the development, installation, and
operation of a hydrogen delivery system located
on-site at transit bus terminals;
(ii) the development, installation, and
operation of--
(I) on-site storage associated with
the hydrogen delivery systems; and
(II) storage tank systems
incorporated into the structure of a
transit bus;
(iii) the demonstration of the use of
hydrogen as a practical, safe, renewable energy
source in a highly efficient, zero-emission
power system for buses;
(iv) the development of a hydrogen proton
exchange membrane fuel cell power system that
is confirmed and verified as being compatible
with transit bus application requirements;
(v) durability testing of the fuel cell bus
at a national testing facility;
(vi) the 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;
(vii) the identification and implementation
of maintenance and overhaul requirements for
hydrogen proton exchange membrane fuel cell
transit buses; and
(viii) the completion of a fleet vehicle
evaluation program by bus operators along
normal transit routes to provide 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.
(3) 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.
(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $150,000,000
for the period of fiscal years 2002 through 2004.
SEC. 5. FEDERAL VEHICLES.
(a) In General.--The head of each agency of the Federal Government
that maintains a fleet of motor vehicles shall develop, implement by
not later than October 1, 2006, and carry out through September 30,
2011, a plan for a transition of the fleet to vehicles powered by fuel
cell technology.
(b) Requirements of Plan.--A plan developed under subsection (a)
shall--
(1) incorporate and build on the results of completed and
ongoing Federal demonstration programs, including the program
established under section 4; and
(2) include additional demonstration programs and pilot
programs as the head of the applicable agency determines to be
necessary to test or investigate available technologies and
transition procedures.
SEC. 6. LIFE-CYCLE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS.
Any life-cycle cost benefit analysis carried out by a Federal
agency under this Act that concerns an investment in a product, a
service, construction, or any other project shall include an analysis
of environmental and power reliability factors.
SEC. 7. STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES.
(a) Grant Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Energy shall establish a
program for to make grants to State or local governments for
the use of fuel cell technology in meeting energy requirements
of the State or local governments, including the use of fuel
cell technology as a source of power for motor vehicles.
(2) Cost sharing.--The Federal share of the cost of any
project or activity funded with a grant under this section
shall not exceed 90 percent.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $110,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2002 through 2006.
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