I 111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5423 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 27, 2010 Mr. Foster (for himself, Mr. Bartlett, and Mr. Ehlers) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to provide for an annual electric production cost report.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Transparent Review of the Affordability and Cost of Electricity (TRACE) Renewable Energy Act of 2010.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)Federal energy-specific subsidies and support to all forms of energy were estimated to be $16.6 billion in 2007, indicating that total Federal energy subsidies have more than doubled over the previous ten years, according to the Federal Financial Interventions and Subsidies in Energy Markets 2007 report by the Energy Information Administration. (2)Research, development, and installation of renewable and other low-emission technologies for electric power generation have been a high priority for the 110th and 111th Congresses. (3)There is a growing need for accurate reporting on the costs associated with each form of alternative energy generation technology because of the significant Federal action and investment in such technology. (4)The costs associated with alternative energy generation technology should be analyzed and made available to assess the ability of each new technology to compete in the marketplace, without Federal subsidy or support, and to optimize the deployment of such technology. (5)The Energy Information Administration has previously created forms and guidelines to collect the necessary information for such reporting and has collected information for several years; however, the program ended due to funding constraints and the lack of an authorization from Congress.

3.

Electric production cost report

Title II of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 is amended by adding after section 214 (16 U.S.C. 824 note) the following:

215.

Electric Production Cost Report

(a)

Electricity report

The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration (in this section referred to as the Administrator), shall prepare and publish an annual report, at the times specified in subsection (c), setting forth the costs of electricity production per kilowatt hour, by sector and energy source, for each type of electric energy generation. The report shall include each of the following for the period covered by the report: (1)The quantity of carbon dioxide emitted per kilowatt hour. (2)The cost of electricity generation in cents per kilowatt hour, or dollars per megawatt hour, for each type of electric energy generation in the United States. (3)The factors used to levelize costs, including amortized capital costs, current and projected fuel costs, regular operation and maintenance, projected equipment, and hardware lifetimes. (4)The costs for constructing new electric transmission lines dedicated to, or intended specifically to benefit, electric generation facilities in each sector and for each energy source, to the extent practicable. (b)

Collection and use of data

(1)

Data collection

The Administrator shall collect data and use all currently available data necessary to complete the report under subsection (a). Such data may be collected from any electric utility, including public utilities, independent power producers, cogenerating and qualified facilities, and all State, local, and federally owned power producers. (2)

Cooperation of other agencies

The heads of other Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States shall assist with the collection of data as necessary to complete the report under subsection (a), including the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service, the Director of the Minerals Management Service, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. (c)

Issuance of Reports

(1)

Reports for data previously collected

As soon as practicable, the Administrator shall prepare and publish reports containing the information specified in subsection (a) for each year for which the data was collected before the date of the enactment of this section. (2)

Annual reports

(A)

First report

For the year 2012, the Administrator shall collect all necessary data for the completion of the report under subsection (a) by January 31, 2013, and shall issue the report based on that data by June 30, 2013. (B)

Subsequent annual reports

For each year after 2012, the Administrator shall collect all necessary data for the completion of the report under subsection (a) by January 31 of the year following the year for which the data was collected, and shall issue the report based on that data not later than April 30 of the year following the year for which the data was collected. (d)

Review of electricity report

Following the completion of each report under subsection (a), the Administrator may review the findings with organizations that have expertise in the energy industry and demonstrated experience generating similar industry reports, for the purpose of improving the utility, accuracy, and timeliness of future reports.

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