[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 18 (Monday, February 1, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S448]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3178. Mr. MERKLEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 2953 proposed by Ms. Murkowski to the bill S. 2012, to 
provide for the modernization of the energy policy of the United 
States, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; 
as follows:

       Strike subsection (e) of section 1306 (relating to a 
     vehicle research and development program) and insert the 
     following:
       (e) Federal Demonstration of Technologies.--
       (1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
       (A) Electric transportation technology.--The term 
     ``electric transportation technology'' has the meaning given 
     the term in section 131(a) of the Energy Independence and 
     Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17011(a)).
       (B) Transportation technology.--The term ``transportation 
     technology'' means transportation technology other than 
     electric transportation technology.
       (2) Assessment and report.--The Secretary, in coordination 
     with the Administrator of General Services, shall--
       (A) make information available to procurement programs of 
     Federal agencies regarding the potential to demonstrate 
     technologies resulting from activities funded through 
     programs under this Act; and
       (B) complete an assessment of the electric transportation 
     technology of each Federal agency, including the vehicle 
     fleets of the United States Postal Service and the Department 
     of Defense, and submit to Congress a report that describes--
       (i) for each Federal agency, which types of transportation 
     technology the agency uses that would or would not be 
     suitable for near-term and medium-term conversion to electric 
     transportation technology, taking into account the types of 
     transportation technology for which electric transportation 
     technology could provide comparable functionality and 
     lifecycle costs;
       (ii) how many plug-in electric drive vehicles and other 
     electric transportation technologies could be deployed by the 
     Federal Government in the 5-year-period and the 10-year-
     period following the date of the report, assuming that 
     electric transportation technologies are available and are 
     purchased when new transportation technologies are needed or 
     existing transportation technologies are replaced;
       (iii) the estimated cost to the Federal Government, 
     including estimated fuel and operating costs savings over the 
     life of the transportation technology and the estimated 
     payback period, for transportation technology purchases under 
     clause (ii);
       (iv) a description of any updates to the assessment and 
     report based on new market data; and
       (v) a description of--

       (I) how the United States Postal Service is carrying out 
     its plan to replace the fleet of Long Life Vehicles of the 
     United States Postal Service; and
       (II) what steps are being taken to ensure that--

       (aa) the procurement takes advantage of new fuel saving 
     technologies through regular transition of the fleet; and
       (bb) best industry practices that take into account fuel 
     efficiency, including the use of electric transport 
     technology, are followed.
       (3) Inventory and data collection.--
       (A) In general.--In carrying out the assessment and report 
     under paragraph (2), the Secretary, in consultation with the 
     Administrator of General Services, shall--
       (i) develop an information request for each Federal agency 
     that operates a fleet of not fewer than 20 motor vehicles; 
     and
       (ii) establish guidelines for each Federal agency to use in 
     developing a plan to deploy electric transportation 
     technologies.
       (B) Agency responses.--Each Federal agency that operates a 
     fleet of not fewer than 20 motor vehicles shall--
       (i) collect information on the vehicle fleet and other 
     transportation technologies of the agency in response to the 
     information request described in subparagraph (A)(i); and
       (ii) develop a plan to deploy electric transportation 
     technologies.
       (C) Analysis of responses.--The Secretary shall--
       (i) analyze the information submitted by each Federal 
     agency under subparagraph (B)(i);
       (ii) approve or suggest amendments to the plan of each 
     Federal agency to ensure that the plan is consistent with the 
     goals and requirements of this Act; and
       (iii) submit a plan to Congress and the Administrator of 
     General Services to be used in developing the pilot program 
     described in paragraph (4).
       (4) Pilot program to deploy electric transportation 
     technologies in the federal transportation technology 
     fleet.--
       (A) In general.--The Administrator of General Services 
     shall acquire electric transportation technologies and the 
     requisite charging infrastructure to be deployed in a range 
     of locations in the Federal fleet during the 5-year period 
     beginning on the date of enactment of this Act.
       (B) Data collection.--The Administrator of General Services 
     shall collect data regarding--
       (i) the cost, performance, and use of electric 
     transportation technologies in the Federal fleet;
       (ii) the deployment and integration of electric 
     transportation technologies in the Federal fleet; and
       (iii) the contribution of electric transportation 
     technologies in the Federal fleet toward reducing the use of 
     fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.
       (C) Report.--Not later than 6 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator of General Services 
     shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a 
     report that--
       (i) describes the status of electric transportation 
     technologies in the Federal fleet; and
       (ii) includes an analysis of the data collected under this 
     paragraph.
       (5) Federal reporting requirements.--Electricity consumed 
     by Federal agencies to fuel electric transportation 
     technologies shall be--
       (A) considered to be an alternative fuel as defined in--
       (i) section 400AA(g) of the Energy Policy and Conservation 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 6374(g)); and
       (ii) section 301 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (42 
     U.S.C. 13211)); and
       (B) accounted for under Federal fleet management reporting 
     requirements rather than under Federal building management 
     reporting requirements.
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