[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1637 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1637

  To establish a geothermal heat pump technology acceleration program 
        relating to General Services Administration facilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 15, 2007

  Mr. Inhofe introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a geothermal heat pump technology acceleration program 
        relating to General Services Administration facilities.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATION PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of General Services.
            (2) General services administration facility.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``General Services 
                Administration facility'' means any building, 
                structure, or facility, in whole or in part (including 
                the associated support systems of the building, 
                structure, or facility), that--
                            (i) is constructed (including facilities 
                        constructed for lease), renovated, or 
                        purchased, in whole or in part, by the 
                        Administrator for use by the Federal 
                        Government; or
                            (ii) is leased, in whole or in part, by the 
                        Administrator for use by the Federal 
                        Government--
                                    (I) except as provided in subclause 
                                (II), for a term of not less than 5 
                                years; or
                                    (II) for a term of less than 5 
                                years, if the Administrator determines 
                                that use of cost-effective technologies 
                                and practices would result in the 
                                payback of expenses.
                    (B) Inclusion.--The term ``General Services 
                Administration facility'' includes any group of 
                buildings, structures, or facilities described in 
                subparagraph (A) (including the associated energy-
                consuming support systems of the buildings, structures, 
                and facilities).
                    (C) Exemption.--The Administrator may exempt from 
                the definition of ``General Services Administration 
                facility'' under this paragraph a building, structure, 
                or facility that meets the requirements of section 
                543(c) of Public Law 95-619 (42 U.S.C. 8253(c)).
    (b) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall establish a 
        program to accelerate the use of geothermal heat pumps at 
        General Services Administration facilities.
            (2) Requirements.--The program established under this 
        subsection shall--
                    (A) ensure centralized responsibility for the 
                coordination of geothermal heat pump recommendations, 
                practices, and activities of all relevant Federal 
                agencies;
                    (B) provide technical assistance and operational 
                guidance to applicable tenants to achieve the goal 
                identified in subsection (c)(2)(B)(ii); and
                    (C) establish methods to track the success of 
                Federal departments and agencies with respect to that 
                goal.
    (c) Accelerated Use of Geothermal Heat Pump Technologies.--
            (1) Review.--
                    (A) In general.--As part of the program under this 
                section, not later than 90 days after the date of 
                enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall conduct 
                a review of--
                            (i) current use of geothermal heat pump 
                        technologies in General Services Administration 
                        facilities; and
                            (ii) the availability to managers of 
                        General Services Administration facilities of 
                        geothermal heat pumps.
                    (B) Requirements.--The review under subparagraph 
                (A) shall--
                            (i) examine the use of geothermal heat 
                        pumps by Federal agencies in General Services 
                        Administration facilities; and
                            (ii) as prepared in consultation with the 
                        Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
                        Agency, identify geothermal heat pump 
                        technology standards that could be used for all 
                        types of General Services Administration 
                        facilities.
            (2) Replacement.--
                    (A) In general.--As part of the program under this 
                section, not later than 180 days after the date of 
                enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
                establish, using available appropriations, a geothermal 
                heat pump technology acceleration program to achieve 
                maximum feasible replacement of existing heating and 
                cooling technologies with geothermal heat pump 
                technologies in each General Services Administration 
                facility.
                    (B) Acceleration plan timetable.--
                            (i) In general.--To implement the program 
                        established under subparagraph (A), not later 
                        than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
                        Act, the Administrator shall establish a 
                        timetable, including milestones for specific 
                        activities needed to replace existing heating 
                        and cooling technologies with geothermal heat 
                        pump technologies, to the maximum extent 
                        feasible (including at the maximum rate 
                        feasible), at each General Services 
                        Administration facility.
                            (ii) Goal.--The goal of the timetable under 
                        clause (i) shall be to complete, using 
                        available appropriations, maximum feasible 
                        replacement of existing heating and cooling 
                        technologies with geothermal heat pump 
                        technologies by not later than the date that is 
                        5 years after the date of enactment of this 
                        Act.
    (d) General Services Administration Facility Geothermal Heat Pump 
Technologies and Practices.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Administrator 
shall--
            (1) ensure that a manager responsible for accelerating the 
        use of geothermal heat pump technologies is designated for each 
        General Services Administration facility geothermal heat pump 
        technologies and practices facility; and
            (2) submit to Congress a plan, to be implemented to the 
        maximum extent feasible (including at the maximum rate 
        feasible) using available appropriations, by not later than the 
        date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
        that--
                    (A) includes an estimate of the funds necessary to 
                carry out this section;
                    (B) describes the status of the implementation of 
                geothermal heat pump technologies and practices at 
                General Services Administration facilities, including--
                            (i) the extent to which programs, including 
                        the program established under subsection (b), 
                        are being carried out in accordance with this 
                        Act; and
                            (ii) the status of funding requests and 
                        appropriations for those programs;
                    (C) identifies within the planning, budgeting, and 
                construction processes, all types of General Services 
                Administration facility-related procedures that inhibit 
                new and existing General Services Administration 
                facilities from implementing geothermal heat pump 
                technologies;
                    (D) recommends language for uniform standards for 
                use by Federal agencies in implementing geothermal heat 
                pump technologies and practices;
                    (E) in coordination with the Office of Management 
                and Budget, reviews the budget process for capital 
                programs with respect to alternatives for--
                            (i) permitting Federal agencies to retain 
                        all identified savings accrued as a result of 
                        the use of geothermal heat pump technologies; 
                        and
                            (ii) identifying short- and long-term cost 
                        savings that accrue from the use of geothermal 
                        heat pump technologies and practices;
                    (F) achieves substantial operational cost savings 
                through the application of geothermal heat pump 
                technologies; and
                    (G) includes recommendations to address each of the 
                matters, and a plan for implementation of each 
                recommendation, described in subparagraphs (A) through 
                (F).
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section, to 
remain available until expended.
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