[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 1 (Thursday, January 4, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S164-S165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. BOXER:
  S. 167. A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to require the Secretary of 
Energy to provide grants to eligible entities to carry out research, 
development, and demonstration projects of cellulosic ethanol and 
construct infrastructure that enables retail gas stations to dispense 
cellulosic ethanol for vehicle fuel to reduce the consumption of 
petroleum-based fuel; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Cellulosic 
Ethanol Development and Implementation Act of 2007.
   As a Nation, we should be striving for greater energy independence 
and for more environmentally friendly sources of fuel for our 
automobiles. Cellulosic ethanol is fuel ethanol made from glucose, a 
sugar derived from the cellolose in biomass. It is chemically identical 
to ethanol made from food crops like corn and sugar cane. Cellulosic 
ethanol is more difficult to make, because cellulose is a tough 
structural material that gives plants their strength.
  However, making ethanol from cellulose lets us tap into a much larger 
source of sugars, and, therefore, potentially make much larger amounts 
of fuel ethanol, tens of billions of gallons or more. An additional 
benefit is that cellulosic ethanol made from biomass is likely to 
produce smaller amounts of greenhouse gases than corn ethanol, and far 
less greenhouse gases than gasoline it will replace. With continued 
technology improvements, it should be cheaper than gasoline. Because it 
is locally made, it reduces the need for oil imports.
  An April 2005 study by the Department of Energy and Agriculture 
indicates that the country currently has a supply of biomass sufficient 
to displace 30 percent of the country's present petroleum use.
  I am introducing this bill because I believe we should be doing more 
to harness our Nation's cellulosic ethanol potential. I have been a 
strong proponent of using alternative transportation fuels and 
efficiency measures to reduce oil dependence. Last Congress, we took a 
good first step in the development of cellulosic ethanol. The Energy 
Policy Act of 2005, known as EPAct 05, requires that at least one-third 
of the Nation's ethanol be produced from cellulose by 2013.
  In addition, EPAct 05 also created a new ethanol section of the Clean 
Air Act (Section 212). In that section, one subsection, section 212(e), 
includes language I authored to establish a new cellulosic production 
conversion assistance grant program. That program, housed at the 
Department of Energy, provides financial assistance to encourage the 
building of new cellulosic facilities in the U.S. The program was 
authorized to receive $250 million in fiscal year 2006 and $400 million 
in fiscal year 2007.
  Though Congress has taken the steps I've just described, I believe we 
can and should do more, and the bill I introduce today does just that.
  It would add two new cellulosic ethanol programs to the Clean Air 
Act. The first is a new competitive grant program for cellulosic motor 
vehicle fuel research and demonstration projects. Funded at $1 billion 
over 6 years, universities, Federal and State research labs, private 
industry, nonprofit groups, or partnerships between any of these 
groups, would be able to compete for funds.
  My bill would also create a new pilot program for the installation of 
ethanol fuel pumps at gas stations or any other needed infrastructure 
required to dispense ethanol fuel, such as a storage tank, for example. 
Funded at $1 billion over 6 years, the same entities that would 
participate in the research section of the bill would also be able to 
compete for funds under this program. Successful applicants would have 
to provide 20 percent of the grant in matching funds.
  Finally, my bill also extends the authorization for the original 
cellulosic grant program that is currently authorized in EPAct 05. The 
authorization expires at the end of this year, and the bill I introduce 
today would extend it at $400 million per year thru 2010. This 
extension will ensure the program continues.
  As Chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I believe 
that our Nation's energy policy must focus on conservation, 
improvements in energy efficiency, and the development of clean, 
renewable energy technology. I continue to support measures to 
accomplish these goals, including the promotion of cellulosic ethanol. 
I believe this bill is an important next step in achieving these 
objectives. I ask content that a copy of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 167

       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 ``Cellulosic Ethanol 
     Development and Implementation Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. CELLULOSIC ETHANOL FUEL DEVELOPMENT AND 
                   IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM.

       Section 212 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7546) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(f) Cellulosic Ethanol Fuel Grant Program.--
       ``(1) Definition of eligible entity.--In this subsection, 
     the term `eligible entity' means--

[[Page S165]]

       ``(A) an institution of higher education;
       ``(B) a National Laboratory;
       ``(C) a Federal research agency;
       ``(D) a State research agency;
       ``(E) a private sector entity;
       ``(F) a nonprofit organization; or
       ``(G) a consortium of 2 or more entities described in 
     subparagraphs (A) through (F).
       ``(2) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a 
     program to provide grants to eligible entities for use in 
     carrying out research, development, and demonstration 
     projects relating to the use of cellulosic ethanol fuel for 
     motor vehicles.
       ``(3) Application.--An eligible entity that seeks to 
     receive a grant under this subsection shall submit to the 
     grant review committee described in paragraph (4) an 
     application for the grant at such time, in such form, and 
     containing such information as the grant review committee may 
     require.
       ``(4) Grant review committee.--Applications for grants 
     under this subsection shall be reviewed, and approved or 
     disapproved, by a grant review committee composed of an equal 
     number of representatives of--
       ``(A) the Department of Energy, to be appointed by the 
     Secretary;
       ``(B) the Department of Agriculture, to be appointed by the 
     Secretary of Agriculture;
       ``(C) the Environmental Protection Agency, to be appointed 
     by the Administrator; and
       ``(D) experts that are not full-time employees of the 
     Federal Government, to be appointed by the President.
       ``(5) Priority.--In awarding grants under this subsection, 
     the grant review committee shall give priority to eligible 
     entitles that propose to carry out--
       ``(A) projects that use alternative or renewable energy 
     sources in the production of cellulosic ethanol fuel; and
       ``(B) demonstration projects.
       ``(6) Matching funds.--As a condition of receiving a grant 
     under this subsection, an eligible entity shall provide 
     matching funds in the amount of 20 percent of the total 
     amount of the grant.
       ``(7) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
     $1,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2007 through 
     2013.
       ``(g) Infrastructure Pilot Program for Cellulosic Ethanol 
     Fuel.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a pilot 
     program to provide grants to eligible entities (as described 
     in subsection (d)(2) or defined in subsection (f)) for use in 
     installing infrastructure (such as pumps) that would enable 
     retail gas stations to sell and dispense ethanol fuel.
       ``(2) Application.--An eligible entity that seeks to 
     receive a grant under this subsection shall submit to the 
     Secretary an application for the grant at such time, in such 
     form, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
     require.
       ``(3) Matching funds.--As a condition of receiving a grant 
     under this subsection, an eligible entity shall provide 
     matching funds in the amount of 20 percent of the total 
     amount of the grant.
       ``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
     $1,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2007 through 
     2013.''.

     SEC. 3. CELLULOSIC BIOMASS ETHANOL CONVERSION ASSISTANCE.

       Section 212(e) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7546(e)) is 
     amended by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
     $400,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2010.''.
                                 ______