[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1586 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1586

   To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a Clean Energy 
 Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Program, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 21, 2011

  Mr. Pryor (for himself and Mr. Udall of New Mexico) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a Clean Energy 
 Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Program, 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 ``Clean Energy Technology 
Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT ASSISTANCE 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Clean energy technology.--The term ``clean energy 
        technology'' means a technology related to the production, use, 
        transmission, storage, control, or conservation of energy that 
        is designed to--
                    (A) reduce the need for additional energy 
                supplies--
                            (i) by using existing energy supplies with 
                        greater efficiency; or
                            (ii) by transmitting, distributing, or 
                        transporting energy with greater effectiveness 
                        through the infrastructure of the United 
                        States;
                    (B) diversify the sources of the energy supply of 
                the United States to strengthen energy security and to 
                increase supplies of energy with a favorable balance of 
                environmental effects if the entire technology system 
                is considered; or
                    (C) contribute to a stabilization of atmospheric 
                greenhouse gas concentrations through reduction, 
                avoidance, or long-term sequestration of energy-related 
                emissions.
            (2) Small- and medium-sized businesses.--The term ``small- 
        and medium-sized businesses'' means businesses with not more 
        than 500 employees.
            (3) Under secretary.--The term ``Under Secretary'' means 
        the Under Secretary for International Trade of the Department 
        of Commerce.
    (b) Establishment.--The Secretary of Commerce shall establish a 
Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Program, to 
be carried out by the Under Secretary, for the purposes of--
            (1) promoting policies to reduce production costs and 
        encourage innovation, investment, and productivity among 
        businesses in the United States that produce or export clean 
        energy technologies or related services;
            (2) implementing a national strategy with respect to the 
        exportation of clean energy technologies and related services 
        from the United States; and
            (3) ensuring that businesses in the United States that 
        produce or export clean energy technologies or related 
        services, including suppliers of parts for the production of 
        clean energy technologies and engineering and design firms, 
        have the information and assistance necessary--
                    (A) to be competitive; and
                    (B) to create and maintain clean energy technology 
                jobs in the United States.
    (c) Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--The Under Secretary shall, consistent with 
        the National Export Initiative (established by Executive Order 
        13534 (75 Fed. Reg. 12433)), provide information and other 
        assistance under the program established under subsection (b) 
        to businesses in the United States, particularly small- and 
        medium-sized businesses, to promote the production and 
        exportation of clean energy technologies and related services.
            (2) Types of assistance.--The assistance provided under 
        paragraph (1) shall include--
                    (A) analyzing and making recommendations with 
                respect to policies to reduce production costs and 
                encourage innovation, investment, and productivity 
                among businesses in the United States that produce or 
                export clean energy technologies or related services;
                    (B) providing information to businesses in the 
                United States with respect to--
                            (i) the process of exporting clean energy 
                        technologies and related services to foreign 
                        countries;
                            (ii) opportunities for the exportation of 
                        such technologies and services to foreign 
                        countries;
                            (iii) tailoring their products and 
                        activities to the needs of specific markets in 
                        foreign countries; and
                            (iv) conducting business in foreign 
                        countries, including with respect to the 
                        financing, marketing, and assembly of exported 
                        products and other logistics with respect to 
                        those products; and
                    (C) assisting businesses in the United States in 
                expressing their views and providing input with respect 
                to any policy developments relating to the production 
                or exportation of clean energy technologies or related 
                services.
    (d) Reports to Congress.--
            (1) Report on implementation of program.--Not later than 
        180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under 
        Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing how the 
        program established under subsection (b) will be used to--
                    (A) encourage the production and exportation of 
                clean energy technologies and related services in the 
                United States;
                    (B) encourage the creation and maintenance of clean 
                energy technology jobs in the United States; and
                    (C) benefit small- and medium-sized businesses in 
                the United States.
            (2) Report on effectiveness of program.--Not later than 
        January 1, 2015, the Under Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
        report on the program established under subsection (b) that 
        includes--
                    (A) an assessment of the extent to which the 
                program has been successful--
                            (i) in analyzing and making recommendations 
                        with respect to policies to reduce production 
                        costs and encourage innovation, investment, and 
                        productivity among businesses in the United 
                        States that produce or export clean energy 
                        technologies or related services;
                            (ii) in increasing the competitiveness of 
                        businesses in the United States that export 
                        clean energy technologies or related services 
                        to foreign countries;
                            (iii) in assisting businesses in the United 
                        States, particularly small- and medium-sized 
                        businesses, in exporting clean energy 
                        technologies and related services;
                            (iv) in creating and maintaining clean 
                        energy technology jobs in the United States; 
                        and
                            (v) in assisting businesses in the United 
                        States in expressing their views and providing 
                        input with respect to any policy developments 
                        relating to the production or exportation of 
                        clean energy technologies or related services;
                    (B) detailed information with respect to the 
                nature, location, and duration of any jobs created or 
                maintained as a result of the program established under 
                subsection (b) and a description of the methodology 
                used by the Under Secretary to compile that 
                information; and
                    (C) any recommendations with respect to continuing 
                or improving the program.
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