[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1275 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1275

To establish a Financing Energy Efficient Manufacturing Program in the 
Department of Energy to provide financial assistance to promote energy 
   efficiency and onsite renewable technologies in manufacturing and 
                         industrial facilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 11, 2015

  Mr. Merkley introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a Financing Energy Efficient Manufacturing Program in the 
Department of Energy to provide financial assistance to promote energy 
   efficiency and onsite renewable technologies in manufacturing and 
                         industrial facilities.

    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 ``Job Creation through Energy 
Efficient Manufacturing Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to encourage widespread deployment of 
energy efficiency and onsite renewable energy technologies in 
manufacturing and industrial facilities throughout the United States 
through the establishment of a Financing Energy Efficient Manufacturing 
Program that would--
            (1) encourage the widespread availability of financial 
        products and programs with attractive rates and terms that 
        significantly reduce or eliminate upfront expenses to allow 
        manufacturing and industrial businesses to invest in energy 
        efficiency measures, onsite clean and renewable energy systems, 
        smart grid systems, and alternative vehicle fleets by providing 
        credit support, credit enhancement, secondary markets, and 
        other support to originators of the financial products and 
        sponsors of the financing programs; and
            (2) help building owners to invest in measures and systems 
        that reduce energy costs, in many cases creating a net cost 
        savings that can be realized in the short-term, and may also 
        allow manufacturing and industrial business owners to defer 
        capital expenditures, save money to hire new workers, and 
        increase the value, comfort, and sustainability of the property 
        of the owners.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Covered program.--The term ``covered program'' means a 
        program to finance energy efficiency retrofit, onsite clean and 
        renewable energy, smart grid, and alternative vehicle fleet 
        projects for industrial businesses.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
            (3) State.--The term ``State'' means--
                    (A) a State;
                    (B) the District of Columbia;
                    (C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and
                    (D) any other territory or possession of the United 
                States.

SEC. 4. FINANCING ENERGY EFFICIENT MANUFACTURING PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a program, to be 
known as the ``Financing Energy Efficient Manufacturing Program'', 
under which the Secretary shall provide grants to States to establish 
or expand covered programs.
    (b) Applications.--
            (1) In general.--A State may apply to the Secretary for a 
        grant under subsection (a) to establish or expand covered 
        programs.
            (2) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall evaluate applications 
        submitted by States under paragraph (1) on the basis of--
                    (A) the likelihood that the covered program would--
                            (i) be established or expanded; and
                            (ii) increase the total investment and 
                        energy savings of retrofit projects to be 
                        supported;
                    (B) in the case of industrial business efficiency 
                financing initiatives conducted under subsection (c), 
                evidence of multistate cooperation and coordination 
                with lenders, financiers, and owners; and
                    (C) other factors that would advance the purposes 
                of this Act, as determined by the Secretary.
    (c) Multistate Facilitation.--The Secretary shall consult with 
States and relevant stakeholders with applicable expertise to establish 
a process to identify financing opportunities for manufacturing and 
industrial business with asset portfolios across multiple States.
    (d) Administration.--A State receiving a grant under subsection (a) 
shall give a higher priority to covered programs that--
            (1) leverage private and non-Federal sources of funding; 
        and
            (2) aim explicitly to expand the use of energy efficiency 
        project financing using private sources of funding.
    (e) Davis-Bacon Compliance.--
            (1) In general.--All laborers and mechanics employed on 
        projects funded directly by or assisted in whole or in part by 
        this Act shall be paid wages at rates not less than those 
        prevailing on projects of a character similar in the locality 
        as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with 
        subchapter IV of chapter 31 of part A of subtitle II of title 
        40, United States Code (commonly referred to as the ``Davis-
        Bacon Act'').
            (2) Authority.--With respect to the labor standards 
        specified in this subsection, the Secretary of Labor shall have 
        the authority and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan 
        Numbered 14 of 1950 (64 Stat. 1267; 5 U.S.C. App.) and section 
        3145 of title 40, United States Code.
    (f) Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        receipt of a grant under this Act, a State shall submit to the 
        Secretary, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
        Senate, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 
        of Representatives a report that describes the performance of 
        covered programs carried out using the grant funds.
            (2) Data.--
                    (A) In general.--A State receiving a grant under 
                this Act, in cooperation with the Secretary, shall--
                            (i) collect and share data resulting from 
                        covered programs carried out under this Act; 
                        and
                            (ii) include in the report submitted under 
                        paragraph (1) any data collected under clause 
                        (i).
                    (B) Department databases.--The Secretary shall 
                incorporate data described in subparagraph (A) into 
                appropriate databases of the Department of Energy, with 
                provisions for the protection of confidential business 
                data.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act $250,000,000, to remain available until expended.
    (b) State Energy Offices.--Funds provided to a State under this Act 
shall be provided to the office within the State that is responsible 
for developing the State energy plan for the State under part D of 
title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6321 et 
seq).
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