[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 85 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 85

To provide for the establishment of centers to encourage demonstration 
and commercial application of advanced energy methods and technologies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2007

 Mrs. Biggert introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on Science and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the establishment of centers to encourage demonstration 
and commercial application of advanced energy methods and technologies.

    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 Technology Transfer Act''.

SEC. 2. ENERGY TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.

    Section 917 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16197) is 
amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 917. ADVANCED ENERGY TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTERS.

    ``(a) Grants.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of the Energy Technology Transfer Act, the Secretary shall make grants 
to nonprofit institutions, State and local governments, cooperative 
extension services, or universities (or consortia thereof), to 
establish a geographically dispersed network of Advanced Energy 
Technology Transfer Centers, to be located in areas the Secretary 
determines have the greatest need of the services of such Centers. In 
establishing the network, the Secretary shall consider the special 
needs and opportunities for increased energy efficiency for 
manufactured and site-built housing, including construction, 
renovation, and retrofit. In making awards under this section, the 
Secretary shall--
            ``(1) give priority to applicants already operating or 
        partnered with an outreach program capable of transferring 
        knowledge and information about advanced energy efficiency 
        methods and technologies;
            ``(2) ensure that, to the extent practicable, the program 
        enables the transfer of knowledge and information--
                    ``(A) about a variety of technologies and
                    ``(B) in a variety of geographic areas; and
            ``(3) give preference to applicants that would 
        significantly expand on or fill a gap in existing programs in a 
        geographical region.
    ``(b) Activities.--Each Center shall operate a program to encourage 
demonstration and commercial application of advanced energy methods and 
technologies through education and outreach to building and industrial 
professionals, and to other individuals and organizations with an 
interest in efficient energy use. Funds awarded under this section may 
be used for the following activities:
            ``(1) Developing and distributing informational materials 
        on technologies that could use energy more efficiently.
            ``(2) Carrying out demonstrations of advanced energy 
        methods and technologies.
            ``(3) Developing and conducting seminars, workshops, long-
        distance learning sessions, and other activities to aid in the 
        dissemination of knowledge and information on technologies that 
        could use energy more efficiently.
            ``(4) Providing or coordinating onsite energy evaluations, 
        including instruction on the commissioning of building heating 
        and cooling systems, for a wide range of energy end-users.
            ``(5) Examining the energy efficiency needs of energy end-
        users to develop recommended research projects for the 
        Department.
            ``(6) Hiring experts in energy efficient technologies to 
        carry out activities described in paragraphs (1) through (5).
    ``(c) Application.--A person seeking a grant under this section 
shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form and 
containing such information as the Secretary may require. The Secretary 
may award a grant under this section to an entity already in existence 
if the entity is otherwise eligible under this section. The application 
shall include, at a minimum--
            ``(1) a description of the applicant's outreach program, 
        and the geographic region it would serve, and of why the 
        program would be capable of transferring knowledge and 
        information about advanced energy technologies that increase 
        efficiency of energy use;
            ``(2) a description of the activities the applicant would 
        carry out, of the technologies that would be transferred, and 
        of any other organizations that will help facilitate a regional 
        approach to carrying out those activities;
            ``(3) a description of how the proposed activities would be 
        appropriate to the specific energy needs of the geographic 
        region to be served;
            ``(4) an estimate of the number and types of energy end-
        users expected to be reached through such activities; and
            ``(5) a description of how the applicant will assess the 
        success of the program.
    ``(d) Selection Criteria.--The Secretary shall award grants under 
this section on the basis of the following criteria, at a minimum:
            ``(1) The ability of the applicant to carry out the 
        proposed activities.
            ``(2) The extent to which the applicant will coordinate the 
        activities of the Center with other entities as appropriate, 
        such as State and local governments, utilities, universities, 
        and National Laboratories.
            ``(3) The appropriateness of the applicant's outreach 
        program for carrying out the program described in this section.
            ``(4) The likelihood that proposed activities could be 
        expanded or used as a model for other areas.
    ``(e) Cost-Sharing.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
shall require cost-sharing in accordance with the requirements of 
section 988 for commercial application activities.
    ``(f) Duration.--
            ``(1) Initial grant period.--A grant awarded under this 
        section shall be for a period of 5 years.
            ``(2) Initial evaluation.--Each grantee under this section 
        shall be evaluated during its third year of operation under 
        procedures established by the Secretary to determine if the 
        grantee is accomplishing the purposes of this section described 
        in subsection (a). The Secretary shall terminate any grant that 
        does not receive a positive evaluation. If an evaluation is 
        positive, the Secretary may extend the grant for 3 additional 
        years beyond the original term of the grant.
            ``(3) Additional extension.--If a grantee receives an 
        extension under paragraph (2), the grantee shall be evaluated 
        again during the second year of the extension. The Secretary 
        shall terminate any grant that does not receive a positive 
        evaluation. If an evaluation is positive, the Secretary may 
        extend the grant for a final additional period of 3 additional 
        years beyond the original extension.
            ``(4) Limitation.--No grantee may receive more than 11 
        years of support under this section without reapplying for 
        support and competing against all other applicants seeking a 
        grant at that time.
    ``(g) Prohibition.--None of the funds awarded under this section 
may be used for the construction of facilities.
    ``(h) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) Advanced energy methods and technologies.--The term 
        `advanced energy methods and technologies' means all methods 
        and technologies that promote energy efficiency and 
        conservation, including distributed generation technologies, 
        and life-cycle analysis of energy use.
            ``(2) Center.--The term `Center' means an Advanced Energy 
        Technology Transfer Center established pursuant to this 
        section.
            ``(3) Distributed generation.--The term `distributed 
        generation' means an electric power generation technology, 
        including photovoltaic, small wind and micro-combined heat and 
        power, that is designed to serve retail electric consumers on-
        site.
            ``(4) Cooperative extension.--The term `Cooperative 
        Extension' means the extension services established at the 
        land-grant colleges and universities under the Smith-Lever Act 
        of May 8, 1914.
            ``(5) Land-grant colleges and universities.--The term 
        `land-grant colleges and universities' means--
                    ``(A) 1862 Institutions (as defined in section 2 of 
                the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education 
                Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601));
                    ``(B) 1890 Institutions (as defined in section 2 of 
                that Act); and
                    ``(C) 1994 Institutions (as defined in section 2 of 
                that Act).
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to amounts 
otherwise authorized to be appropriated in section 911, there are 
authorized to be appropriated for the program under this section such 
sums as may be appropriated.''.
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