[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 144 (Thursday, September 11, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8386-S8387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. FEINGOLD:
  S. 3472. A bill to amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 
of

[[Page S8387]]

2002 to further the adoption of technologies developed by the 
Department of Agriculture, to encourage small business partnerships in 
the development of energy through biorefineries, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Energy and 
Technology Advancement, ETA, Act of 2008. At its heart, this bill will 
increase partnerships between the Federal Government and businesses to 
help spur the commercialization of energy, forestry, and other 
technologies--in other words, to increase the ETA, or estimated time of 
arrival, for bringing new technologies to market.
  This bill is among the bills I have introduced this week as part of 
my E4 Initiative, dubbed E4 because of its focus on Economy, 
Employment, Education, and Energy.
  Particularly in the area of energy, we must do more to make new 
energy solutions, like next generation biofuels, a reality. My bill 
will help make the Federal Government a better business partner for the 
many businesses that are researching and developing innovative 
technology solutions our country needs. We are squandering the Federal 
investment of billions into research and development by not doing 
enough to prevent new technologies from sitting on the shelf or being 
shipped to another country. Helping these new energy technologies get 
off the ground is not only a promising way to develop the next 
generation of energy technology that will help break our addiction to 
oil, it will also help to spur job creation and enhance rural 
development.
  One obstacle identified by the Forest Service's Wisconsin-based 
Forest Products Lab which conducts forestry and energy technology 
research with businesses and others, is lack of Federal support for 
moving technologies from the research and development phase to 
commercialization. My bill will bridge this gap by authorizing the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, USDA, which includes the Forest Service, to 
work with businesses and provide access to resources to assist with 
getting technologies to market.
  By encouraging the USDA to act as a ``business incubator,'' we can 
increase the rate of success and reduce the length of time for bringing 
technologies to the market. By providing a bridge to move new 
technologies beyond the research and development phase to 
commercialization, the Federal Government will accelerate the 
development of new technologies and create increased opportunities for 
small businesses, local and State government, and others.
  All energy, forestry, and other technologies will benefit from my ETA 
Act because it will help new technologies come to the market. It does 
so by promoting the Federal Government as a better business incubator, 
encouraging the USDA to provide business support services, and 
authorizing USDA employees and private-sector employees to work 
together in Federal or private experimental or product facilities. My 
bill will also increase cooperation between the Federal Government and 
innovative businesses by encouraging the USDA to allow rental of 
Federal equipment and property for the development-of new technology. 
The cost of the legislation is fully offset so as to not increase the 
Federal deficit.
  Lastly, a specific partnership encouraged by my Energy and Technology 
Advancement Act will spur the commercialization of biofuels. My bill 
requires the USDA to pursue a biorefinery pilot plant that will allow 
businesses to partner with the Federal Government to test various 
biofuels technologies derived from a variety of feedstocks, including 
woody and agriculture waste.
  Certainly one of today's greatest challenges--energy--is also one of 
tomorrow's greatest opportunities. Today, the transportation sector 
accounts for 70 percent of our oil consumption. However, there are 
promising efforts to significantly lessen our dependence on oil by 
reducing fuel consumption through increased efficiency and by 
aggressively pursuing renewable fuels, or biofuels. The 
commercialization of biofuels will also create job opportunities, 
support rural development and industries such as forestry, and develop 
the next generation of fuels that are sustainable and from diverse 
sources.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text 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. 3472

       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 ``Energy and Technology 
     Advancement Act of 2008''.

     SEC. 2. FEDERAL ENERGY AND FORESTRY BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.

       Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 
     2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:

     ``SEC. 9014. FEDERAL ENERGY AND FORESTRY BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.

       ``(a) Support for Business Incubators.--
       ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
       ``(A) Business incubator.--The term `business incubator' 
     means the programs and assistance designed to accelerate the 
     successful development of new or existing small businesses 
     through an array of support resources and services, developed 
     and managed by the Secretary.
       ``(B) Department.--The term `Department' means the 
     Department of Agriculture.
       ``(2) Duty of secretary.--To further the adoption of 
     technologies developed by the Department, the Secretary shall 
     establish criteria and procedures to facilitate and encourage 
     businesses and other organizations--
       ``(A) to rent equipment and property owned by the Federal 
     Government for the development of new and improved products 
     and processes (including the production of reasonable 
     quantities of product for sale);
       ``(B) to authorize employees of the Department and 
     employees of the private sector to work together in 
     experimental or production facilities owned by--
       ``(i) the Federal Government; or
       ``(ii) a private entity;
       ``(C) to provide business support services to start-up and 
     small businesses; and
       ``(D) to enter into cooperative agreements with Indian 
     tribes, States, counties, institutions of higher education, 
     and other educational and governmental units to support 
     business incubators for businesses that use technologies and 
     products of interest to the Secretary.
       ``(b) Establishment of Biorefinery Pilot Plant.--
       ``(1) Duty of secretary.--Not later than 90 days after the 
     date of enactment of this section, in accordance with 
     paragraph (2), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate 
     committees of Congress a plan for the development and 
     construction of a biorefinery pilot plant.
       ``(2) Cost estimates.--The Secretary shall include in the 
     plan described in paragraph (1) a comprehensive estimate of 
     each cost relating to the development and construction of the 
     biorefinery pilot plant that is the subject of the plan.
       ``(3) Design requirements.--The biorefinery pilot plant 
     that is the subject of the plan described in paragraph (1) 
     shall be designed to enable the plant--
       ``(A) to produce liquid fuels from woody, agricultural, and 
     other biomass--
       ``(i) in a flexible, multi-bioproduct manner;
       ``(ii) in a sustainable manner that addresses life-cycle 
     inputs and outputs; and
       ``(iii) in quantities sufficient--

       ``(I) to provide proof of process; and
       ``(II) to allow for business incubator and support services 
     described in subsection (a); and

       ``(B) to employ, at a minimum, thermochemical and 
     biochemical conversion processes in the production of liquid 
     fuels.
       ``(c) Funding.--Of the amounts made available to the 
     Secretary for programmatic and administrative expenditures, 
     the Secretary shall use such sums as are necessary to carry 
     out this section.''.
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