[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 14675-14679]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1150
                          H-PRIZE ACT OF 2007

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 632) to authorize the Secretary of Energy to establish 
monetary prizes for achievements in overcoming scientific and technical 
barriers associated with hydrogen energy, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 632

       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 ``H-Prize Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Administering entity.--The term ``administering 
     entity'' means the entity with which the Secretary enters 
     into an agreement under section 3(c).
       (2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
     Department of Energy.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Energy.

     SEC. 3. PRIZE AUTHORITY.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a program to 
     competitively award cash prizes in conformity with this Act 
     to advance the research, development, demonstration, and 
     commercial application of hydrogen energy technologies.
       (b) Advertising and Solicitation of Competitors.--
       (1) Advertising.--The Secretary shall widely advertise 
     prize competitions to encourage broad participation, 
     including by individuals, universities (including 
     historically Black colleges and universities and other 
     minority serving institutions), and large and small 
     businesses (including businesses owned or controlled by 
     socially and economically disadvantaged persons).
       (2) Announcement through federal register notice.--The 
     Secretary shall announce each prize competition by publishing 
     a notice in the Federal Register. This notice shall include 
     essential elements of the competition such as the subject of 
     the competition, the duration of the competition, the 
     eligibility requirements for participation in the 
     competition, the process for participants to register for the 
     competition, the amount of the prize, and the criteria for 
     awarding the prize.
       (c) Administering the Competitions.--The Secretary shall 
     enter into an agreement with a private, nonprofit entity to 
     administer the prize competitions, subject to the provisions 
     of this Act. The duties of the administering entity under the 
     agreement shall include--
       (1) advertising prize competitions and their results;
       (2) raising funds from private entities and individuals to 
     pay for administrative costs and to contribute to cash 
     prizes, including funds provided in exchange for the right to 
     name a prize awarded under this section;
       (3) developing, in consultation with and subject to the 
     final approval of the Secretary, the criteria for selecting 
     winners in prize competitions, based on goals provided by the 
     Secretary;
       (4) determining, in consultation with the Secretary, the 
     appropriate amount and funding sources for each prize to be 
     awarded, subject to the final approval of the Secretary with 
     respect to Federal funding;
       (5) providing advice and consultation to the Secretary on 
     the selection of judges in accordance with section 4(d), 
     using criteria developed in consultation with and subject to 
     the final approval of the Secretary; and
       (6) protecting against the entity's unauthorized use or 
     disclosure of a registered participant's trade secrets and 
     confidential business information. Any information properly 
     identified as trade secrets or confidential business 
     information that is submitted by a participant as part of a 
     competitive program under this Act may be withheld from 
     public disclosure.
       (d) Funding Sources.--Prizes under this Act shall consist 
     of Federal appropriated funds and any funds provided by the 
     administering entity (including funds raised pursuant to 
     subsection (c)(2)) for such cash prize programs. The 
     Secretary may accept funds from other Federal agencies for 
     such cash prizes and, notwithstanding section 3302(b) of 
     title 31, United States Code, may use such funds for the cash 
     prize program. Other than publication of the names of prize 
     sponsors, the Secretary may not give any special 
     consideration to any private sector entity or individual in 
     return for a donation to the Secretary or administering 
     entity.
       (e) Announcement of Prizes.--The Secretary may not issue a 
     notice required by subsection (b)(2) until all the funds 
     needed to pay out the announced amount of the prize have been 
     appropriated or committed in writing by the administering 
     entity. The Secretary may increase the amount of a prize 
     after an initial announcement is made under subsection (b)(2) 
     if--
       (1) notice of the increase is provided in the same manner 
     as the initial notice of the prize; and
       (2) the funds needed to pay out the announced amount of the 
     increase have been appropriated or committed in writing by 
     the administering entity.
       (f) Sunset.--The authority to announce prize competitions 
     under this Act shall terminate on September 30, 2018.

     SEC. 4. PRIZE CATEGORIES.

       (a) Categories.--The Secretary shall establish prizes for--
       (1) advancements in technologies, components, or systems 
     related to--
       (A) hydrogen production;
       (B) hydrogen storage;
       (C) hydrogen distribution; and
       (D) hydrogen utilization;
       (2) prototypes of hydrogen-powered vehicles or other 
     hydrogen-based products that best meet or exceed objective 
     performance criteria, such as completion of a race over a 
     certain distance or terrain or generation of energy at 
     certain levels of efficiency; and
       (3) transformational changes in technologies for the 
     distribution or production of hydrogen that meet or exceed 
     far-reaching objective criteria, which shall include minimal 
     carbon emissions and which may include cost criteria designed 
     to facilitate the eventual market success of a winning 
     technology.
       (b) Awards.--
       (1) Advancements.--To the extent permitted under section 
     3(e), the prizes authorized under subsection (a)(1) shall be 
     awarded biennially to the most significant advance made in 
     each of the four subcategories described in subparagraphs (A) 
     through (D) of subsection (a)(1) since the submission 
     deadline of the previous prize competition in the same 
     category under subsection (a)(1) or the date of enactment of 
     this Act, whichever is later, unless no such advance is 
     significant enough to merit an award. No one such prize may 
     exceed $1,000,000. If less than $4,000,000 is available for a 
     prize competition under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary may 
     omit one or more subcategories, reduce the amount of the 
     prizes, or not hold a prize competition.
       (2) Prototypes.--To the extent permitted under section 
     3(e), prizes authorized under subsection (a)(2) shall be 
     awarded biennially in alternate years from the prizes 
     authorized under subsection (a)(1). The Secretary is 
     authorized to award up to one prize in this category in each 
     2-year period. No such prize may exceed $4,000,000. If no 
     registered participants meet the objective performance 
     criteria established pursuant to subsection (c) for a 
     competition under this paragraph, the Secretary shall not 
     award a prize.
       (3) Transformational technologies.--To the extent permitted 
     under section 3(e), the Secretary shall announce one prize 
     competition authorized under subsection (a)(3) as soon after 
     the date of enactment of this Act as is practicable. A prize 
     offered under this paragraph shall be not less than 
     $10,000,000, paid to the winner in a lump sum, and an 
     additional amount paid to the winner as a match for each 
     dollar of private funding raised by the winner for the 
     hydrogen technology beginning on the date the winner was 
     named. The match shall be provided for 3 years after the date 
     the prize winner is named or until the full amount of the 
     prize has been paid out, whichever occurs first. A prize 
     winner may elect to have the match amount paid to another 
     entity that is continuing the development of the winning 
     technology. The Secretary shall announce the rules for 
     receiving the match in the notice required by section 
     3(b)(2). The Secretary shall award a prize under this 
     paragraph only when a registered participant has met the 
     objective criteria established for the prize pursuant to 
     subsection (c) and announced pursuant to section 3(b)(2). Not 
     more than $10,000,000 in Federal funds may be used for the 
     prize award under this paragraph. The administering entity 
     shall seek to raise $40,000,000 toward the matching award 
     under this paragraph.
       (c) Criteria.--In establishing the criteria required by 
     this Act, the Secretary--
       (1) shall consult with the Department's Hydrogen Technical 
     and Fuel Cell Advisory Committee;
       (2) shall consult with other Federal agencies, including 
     the National Science Foundation; and
       (3) may consult with other experts such as private 
     organizations, including professional societies, industry 
     associations, and the National Academy of Sciences and the 
     National Academy of Engineering.
       (d) Judges.--For each prize competition, the Secretary in 
     consultation with the administering entity shall assemble a 
     panel of qualified judges to select the winner or winners on 
     the basis of the criteria established under subsection (c). 
     Judges for each prize competition shall include individuals 
     from outside the Department, including from the private 
     sector. A judge, spouse, minor children, and members of the 
     judge's household may not--
       (1) have personal or financial interests in, or be an 
     employee, officer, director, or agent of, any entity that is 
     a registered participant in the prize competition for which 
     he or she will serve as a judge; or
       (2) have a familial or financial relationship with an 
     individual who is a registered participant in the prize 
     competition for which he or she will serve as a judge.

     SEC. 5. ELIGIBILITY.

       To be eligible to win a prize under this Act, an individual 
     or entity--
       (1) shall have complied with all the requirements in 
     accordance with the Federal Register notice required under 
     section 3(b)(2);
       (2) in the case of a private entity, shall be incorporated 
     in and maintain a primary place of business in the United 
     States, and in the case of an individual, whether 
     participating singly or in a group, shall be a citizen of, or 
     an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in, the 
     United States; and

[[Page 14676]]

       (3) shall not be a Federal entity, a Federal employee 
     acting within the scope of his employment, or an employee of 
     a national laboratory acting within the scope of his 
     employment.

     SEC. 6. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

       The Federal Government shall not, by virtue of offering or 
     awarding a prize under this Act, be entitled to any 
     intellectual property rights derived as a consequence of, or 
     direct relation to, the participation by a registered 
     participant in a competition authorized by this Act. This 
     section shall not be construed to prevent the Federal 
     Government from negotiating a license for the use of 
     intellectual property developed for a prize competition under 
     this Act.

     SEC. 7. LIABILITY.

       (a) Waiver of Liability.--The Secretary may require 
     registered participants to waive claims against the Federal 
     Government and the administering entity (except claims for 
     willful misconduct) for any injury, death, damage, or loss of 
     property, revenue, or profits arising from the registered 
     participants' participation in a competition under this Act. 
     The Secretary shall give notice of any waiver required under 
     this subsection in the notice required by section 3(b)(2). 
     The Secretary may not require a registered participant to 
     waive claims against the administering entity arising out of 
     the unauthorized use or disclosure by the administering 
     entity of the registered participant's trade secrets or 
     confidential business information.
       (b) Liability Insurance.--
       (1) Requirements.--Registered participants shall be 
     required to obtain liability insurance or demonstrate 
     financial responsibility, in amounts determined by the 
     Secretary, for claims by--
       (A) a third party for death, bodily injury, or property 
     damage or loss resulting from an activity carried out in 
     connection with participation in a competition under this 
     Act; and
       (B) the Federal Government for damage or loss to Government 
     property resulting from such an activity.
       (2) Federal government insured.--The Federal Government 
     shall be named as an additional insured under a registered 
     participant's insurance policy required under paragraph 
     (1)(A), and registered participants shall be required to 
     agree to indemnify the Federal Government against third party 
     claims for damages arising from or related to competition 
     activities.

     SEC. 8. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

       Not later than 60 days after the awarding of the first 
     prize under this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary 
     shall transmit to the Congress a report that--
       (1) identifies each award recipient;
       (2) describes the technologies developed by each award 
     recipient; and
       (3) specifies actions being taken toward commercial 
     application of all technologies with respect to which a prize 
     has been awarded under this Act.

     SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       (1) Awards.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
     Secretary for the period encompassing fiscal years 2008 
     through 2017 for carrying out this Act--
       (A) $20,000,000 for awards described in section (4)(a)(1);
       (B) $20,000,000 for awards described in section 4(a)(2); 
     and
       (C) $10,000,000 for the award described in section 4(a)(3).
       (2) Administration.--In addition to the amounts authorized 
     in paragraph (1), there are authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Secretary for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009 
     $2,000,000 for the administrative costs of carrying out this 
     Act.
       (b) Carryover of Funds.--Funds appropriated for prize 
     awards under this Act shall remain available until expended, 
     and may be transferred, reprogrammed, or expended for other 
     purposes only after the expiration of 10 fiscal years after 
     the fiscal year for which the funds were originally 
     appropriated. No provision in this Act permits obligation or 
     payment of funds in violation of section 1341 of title 31 of 
     the United States Code (commonly referred to as the Anti-
     Deficiency Act).

     SEC. 10. NONSUBSTITUTION.

       The programs created under this Act shall not be considered 
     a substitute for Federal research and development programs.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. 
Inglis) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on H.R. 632, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 632, the H-Prize Act of 
2007, an innovative bill I introduced, along with Mr. Inglis of South 
Carolina, and that we passed in this House last year by a vote of 416-
6.
  America faces a great challenge today, finding a new clean energy 
source that will free us from our dependence on foreign oil and will 
combat global climate change. Hydrogen has great potential to be this 
new source and the H-Prize Act will help focus America's technological 
and entrepreneurial talent on making it happen.
  Hydrogen-fuel cars already exist. Last year I had the opportunity to 
drive a hydrogen-fuel car. It didn't drive much differently than a gas-
powered car, except for the silence, silence that I am used to somewhat 
from driving a hybrid. But that was the only real performance 
difference. There is no performance difference. The only difference I 
know of is the silence.
  But there are really currently significant technical and economic 
barriers that must still be overcome before we can put a hydrogen car 
in every American garage. Current hydrogen-powered vehicles cost about 
$1 million. But while several significant technological advances are 
necessary, they are within reach.
  Just yesterday, it was reported in the Chicago Tribune that engineers 
at Purdue University are researching methods of producing hydrogen gas 
by combining aluminum with another metal, gallium, and adding water. 
This research could yield ways of overcoming hydrogen storage problems, 
allowing automobile engines to burn this gas with little modification.
  While we must continue to invest in traditional grants to fund 
university research, we in Congress have the responsibility to find 
creative and new ways to inspire researchers, business leaders and our 
youth to solve the problems that society faces today.
  The H-Prize will help expand the possibility of hydrogen research, 
promoting people not normally involved in Federal research to explore 
one of the greatest challenges facing us today.
  Specifically, this legislation would establish competitively awarded 
cash prizes to spur innovations that advance the use of hydrogen as a 
fuel for transportation. Every 2 years, four $1 million prizes would be 
given for advances in the production, storage, distribution and 
utilization of hydrogen, and one $4 million prize would be awarded for 
advances in prototype hydrogen vehicles. At the end of 10 years, one 
grand prize of $10 million would be given for a transformational 
advance in hydrogen energy technology.
  In addition to this $10 million grand prize, we are also seeking to 
raise up to $40 million to add to that grand prize, $40 million in 
private contributions.
  When these advances are made, hydrogen can fill critical energy needs 
even beyond transportation. Hydrogen will also be used to provide heat 
and generate electricity. The future possibilities of this energy 
source are enormous.
  Most importantly, hydrogen will be a clean, domestic energy source. 
When used for energy, hydrogen produces no emissions besides water, 
zero emissions, an amazing advance over current energy resources. By 
utilizing hydrogen, we can improve our national security by lessening 
our dependence on foreign oil that often comes from unstable countries.
  Mr. Speaker, America has always been at the forefront of 
technological breakthroughs. We have responded to great challenges, 
perhaps most famously, President John F. Kennedy's challenge to land a 
man on the moon before the end of the 1960s. We have seen that prizes 
have been an effective way to inspire technological advances.
  Perhaps most famously the prize won by Lindbergh for his successful 
nonstop flight across the Atlantic. More recently, the Ansari X-Prize 
given to the first private team to build and fly a spaceship 100 
kilometers above earth. The H-Prize is patterned after this X-Prize.
  We have seen that challenges and prizes help to spark the imagination 
of scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs, who invest blood, sweat, 
tears and often large sums of money, sums of money even larger than the 
prizes being given, to achieve a great goal.

[[Page 14677]]

  I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill today. Perhaps 
one day we will look back on the H-Prize as a catalyst to a better, 
cleaner, more secure America and world.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to one 
of the co-chairs of the House Hydrogen Caucus, Charlie Dent from 
Pennsylvania.
  Mr. DENT. I too want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Lipinski) and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Inglis) for 
working together so well to bring this important piece of legislation 
to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I was proud to join 415 of my colleagues in supporting 
this bill last Congress, and I am pleased that the H-Prize Act has been 
brought up again so that we can have an opportunity to enact this 
important legislation into law.
  I rise in strong support of H.R. 632, the H-Prize Act. The 
Constitution of the United States provides that Congress has the power 
to promote the progress of science and the useful arts. We, in 
Congress, have an opportunity and obligation to promote scientific 
advancement today. For more than a century, America's industry, 
transportation, and households have been heavily reliant on foreign 
oil. We must now face newer realities.
  Petroleum is a finite resource. No matter how much we explore and 
discover, we will one day run out and booming worldwide demand is 
burning up resources and driving up prices. We must search for 
alternatives to wean us off our addiction to foreign sources of oil. 
The drive to produce energy economically can be advanced to American 
innovation and competition.
  Fossil fuel technology was the impetus for 20th century industrial 
development. Today, hydrogen holds a promise of being the driver for 
the economy of the future and ushering in a new generation of an 
American energy independence.
  Hydrogen makes up 98 percent of the known universe, and it is the 
third most abundant element of the earth's surface. It is the lightest 
of all gases, the coldest of all liquids, next to helium. As a 
component of water, minerals and acids, it makes up a fundamental part 
of all hydrocarbons and organic substances. Hydrogen is renewable, 
abundant, efficient and clean. Unlike carbon-based fuels, it does not 
create fumes or other harmful emissions.
  In fact, using hydrogen in fuel cells produces only electricity and 
pure water. By awarding prizes in three of the most critical areas of 
technological development, the H-Prize Act will incentivize the 
realization of scientific advancements that will break down the 
obstacles that stand in the way of the hydrogen economy.
  Specifically, H-Prize will promote technological advancements in 
hydrogen production, storage, distribution and utilization. Prizes will 
be awarded for the development of hydrogen vehicle prototypes that meet 
ambitious performance goals. Finally, the bill will award the 
implementation of critical transformational technologies.
  We are not that far away from making hydrogen a functional source of 
energy. H.R. 632 will speed the development of breakthrough 
technologies that will make hydrogen a practical alternative to oil in 
our transportation sector and set our Nation on a path toward energy 
independence. I strongly urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 632.
  Again, I do want to commend the two gentlemen, Mr. Lipinski of 
Illinois and Mr. Inglis of South Carolina, for their strong advocacy on 
this critical issue.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in very strong support of the H-Prize bill 
that we have before us, H.R. 632.
  This legislation encourages the best of what this House can offer, 
and that is ingenuity and the genius of the American inventor. We have 
always known that when the American people in our free markets put our 
minds to a problem, there is no stopping them. When we faced the 
challenges of World War II, for the run-away inflation of the 1970s, 
American genius and the free market prevailed and delivered our 
solutions.
  Today's challenge is for us to reduce our dependence on foreign oil 
sources. Our goal is to create a free market diversified portfolio of 
energy sources, so that we are never again reliant on one single source 
for our energy needs. Whether with wind, solar, nuclear or biofuel, 
this Congress' goal should be to protect the environment with as little 
prejudice for or against alternative energy sources as possible.
  One might ask why? As we are already seeing with ethanol, we should 
never forget the law of unintended consequences. By forcing ethanol 
into our gas tanks, Congress has unfortunately raised the price of our 
gas and the price of feed for our livestock.

                              {time}  1200

  Listen up, America. Our experience with ethanol should be a 
cautionary reminder of the burdens government regulation places on our 
economy and the everyday lives of American families.
  What is so brilliant about the H-Prize is that, unlike most of the 
programs coming out of Congress, this bill doesn't mandate a specific 
form of technology or add additional regulatory burden. Indeed, 
instead, the H-Prize encourages the inventor and the market to generate 
the ideas and solutions.
  Mr. Speaker, Republicans pretty much have been shut out of debate and 
denied amendments, but this bill was one of our ideas from the last 
Congress which I voted for then, and I certainly will vote for now. I 
commend you for moving a free market approach through to the floor so 
that the 110th Congress can also do the right thing.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  First of all, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Illinois 
(Mr. Lipinski) for his work on a number of energy initiatives that 
we're collaborating on. This is one of those. I think it's a very 
exciting bill that won't solve all of our challenges, but it will get 
us down the road toward a brighter energy future.
  And it's always helpful to have a picture tell a thousand words. This 
is a picture of a gas line in a province in China on August 17, 2005. 
That's a line of cars waiting to buy gas.
  ExxonMobil tells us the global energy demand is expected to grow by 
60 percent between now and 2030. So we've got to find something to do 
in order to get to a brighter energy future, one that does not involve 
the restricted supply that we have when it comes to petroleum. So what 
we've come up with is an idea of using the incentives of a prize to 
make it happen, to make some breakthroughs happen when it comes to 
hydrogen.
  Well, the good news is we've done prizes before. In 1927, Charles 
Lindbergh won a prize for being the first to make a successful 
transatlantic flight. It worked with flight, and it worked again here 
more recently when the Ansari X-Prize was created to incentivize space 
flight. On October 4, 2004, Burt Rutan's Spaceship 1 became the first 
private spacecraft with commercial potential, succeeding in going into 
space twice within 2 weeks; and the result was they won the Ansari X-
Prize.
  So the concept here is to build on that kind of legacy and create the 
H-Prize. The good news for our colleagues is this shouldn't be a 
terribly controversial vote. The last time we did it, we got 416 votes 
in favor of the H-Prize. So it's a do-over with a 416-6 margin last 
time. So we're hoping that it's going to be successful here today on 
the floor.
  As my colleague from Illinois just said, Mr. Lipinski was telling us 
that the concept is to incentivize breakthroughs in hydrogen 
technology; and, as he said, technical breakthroughs would be rewarded 
with a $1 million prize and then prototypes every other

[[Page 14678]]

year, $4 million. And then the transformational technology prize, the 
big one, would be a $10 million prize, hopefully augmented by up to $40 
million of private money that's authorized under the bill.
  So the concept is to, basically, create the most nongovernmental way 
to achieve a governmental purpose, which is to break this dependence on 
oil. So we've created the H-Prize. It's a way of incentivizing 
entrepreneurs and inventors to come together and to create teams that 
can make this breakthrough.
  The beauty of a prize, two beauties of the prizes to point out here 
to our colleagues, one is, if nobody does it, you don't pay the prize 
money out, so they've got to win it in order for us to incur the 
obligation to pay the money out. That's a good thing about prizes.
  The second thing that's very important about prizes is the 
breakthroughs may come from way outside the normal realm that you would 
expect; and it could be that it's not the normal people or the normal 
suspects that might come forward with a breakthrough. It may be 
somebody way afield.
  For example, hydrogen breakthroughs may come from biological agents 
that create hydrogen as part of their metabolism. That's way outside 
the field of where a lot of people are expecting hydrogen production to 
come from. But if you have a prize that isn't restricted as to how you 
create the hydrogen, then you get a lot more entrants, and you get 
interest from a broad range of fields that may come in with the out-of-
the-box thinking that can transform our energy supply.
  So I'm very pleased that we've got it on the floor today. I thank the 
gentleman from Illinois once again for his collaboration on these 
topics. I'm hopeful that today we'll pass it with a large margin and 
that we'll be successful with the other body and then a signature by 
the President, and this will be one of the ways that we can break this 
addiction to oil and move to a more stable energy future for America.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation is another great example of what we 
have been able to do on the Science and Technology Committee by working 
together in a bipartisan manner. Led by Chairman Gordon, working with 
Ranking Member Hall, I hope that we can continue this cooperation on 
other critical issues related to America's future technological 
competitiveness, energy dependence and global climate change. This is 
the type of bipartisan work we need to continue to be doing to make 
progress.
  I'd also like to thank Mr. Inglis for all the work he has done on 
this. We worked on this bill last year. We worked together on that, and 
Mr. Inglis is the one who came forward at that time with the original 
idea on this. He's worked very well. We have continued to work to make 
progress, and I'm very hopeful that this year we have worked with the 
Senate and the administration. We can get this past not just the House 
but signed into law. Because I think this H-Prize act has really great 
potential. It has the great potential to solve the great energy 
challenge we face today. But perhaps it may be most important in 
spurring the imagination of our youth, our most valuable resource in 
this country.
  I remember in the 1970s there was great excitement about alternative 
energy. There was an environmental movement, and there was the gasoline 
crisis, and there was great interest in helping clean up the 
environment, investing in alternative energy.
  It's something that really got me excited. I was caught up in it when 
I was in grade school back in the 1970s. I remember I did my eighth 
grade science fair project on solar energy. That was back in 1980. We 
saw, unfortunately, though, that the interest in alternative energy 
really dropped off after that time. Not only interest, but then Federal 
funding dropped off.

                              {time}  1210

  Just in talking to the Science Coalition this morning, they talked 
about how critical that was when that research funding dropped off. We 
can't afford to let that happen again. But what did happen with me is 
it really inspired me, got me interested. I went out and got a degree 
in mechanical engineering, and although I did not continue down that 
road, today I bring that background to this House and continue to work 
on these issues, understanding the importance of this issue and 
understanding the importance of the Federal Government's really 
investing in our future and especially in alternative energy. And these 
challenges are great. We must really confront them.
  So today maybe this H-Prize Act will inspire another child out there 
today. He or she may become an engineer or a scientist or an 
entrepreneur who plays a hand in the next technological breakthrough. 
So there is great hope with this H-Prize Act. And today, Mr. Speaker, I 
ask my colleagues to join me by passing this bill, and hopefully in the 
future we can look back to today and see it as a major change and a 
major move forward for America and for the world.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of 
H.R. 632, the H-Prize Act of 2007.
  The federal government should become more involved in supporting 
cutting-edge technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move 
our nation toward renewable energy.
  As a member of the House Committee on Science and Technology, I 
committed toward supporting a variety of renewable energy 
technologies--including hydrogen.
  H.R. 632 would create competitive cash prizes to reward innovative 
research, development commercial application of hydrogen energy 
technologies.
  Hydrogen cars and other vehicles would make such a difference in air 
quality, Mr. Speaker, especially in Texas. Cities in Texas have some of 
the poorest air quality in the Nation.
  Hydrogen-powered vehicles could be designed for mass-scale use. These 
vehicles would emit only water vapor as a byproduct and reduce our 
dependence on foreign oil in the long term.
  Hydrogen, solar, wind, geothermal, and nuclear are all cleaner energy 
sources than fossil fuels. H.R. 632 is a positive step toward 
developing energy technologies that create a brighter future for our 
children and grandchildren.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
the H-Prize Act of 2007, H.R. 632, an important step forward in making 
America more competitive and energy independent. As a founding member 
of the House Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Caucus and a cosponsor of this 
bill, I believe we must move forward in fostering innovation and 
competition in hydrogen technology, in order to end our addiction to 
oil.
  According to the Department of Energy, major advances must be made in 
hydrogen production, distribution, and storage before it can be widely 
used as a fuel source. The H-Prize Act would excite and attract 
innovators throughout the country to take up this important task. 
Specifically, the bill would authorize $50 million from fiscal year 
2008 through fiscal year 2017 to be awarded in cash prizes to non-
federal entities in three categories--technologies created to assist in 
the distribution or production of hydrogen; development of hydrogen 
powered vehicles; and ``transformational technology'' related to 
production, storage, distribution, or use of hydrogen fuel. And 
importantly, the cash prizes would only go to individuals who produce 
breakthrough results in these categories, spurring competition and 
innovation into much needed technology.
  Solution to our energy crisis can be found in our backyard. Hydrogen 
can be produced here on American soil. Companies such as UTC Power and 
Fuel Cell Energy in my district in Connecticut produce hydrogen fuel 
cells which are a clean, reliable form of energy. Technology such as 
this can relieve us from our dependence on foreign nations for our 
energy and create a much healthier alternative for our environment.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me today in advancing 
science and supporting H.R. 632. It's time for us to take leadership 
and commit to the safety and health of our nation by inspiring our 
nation's brightest to make hydrogen technology a reality.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Salazar). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 632, as amended.

[[Page 14679]]

  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will 
be postponed.

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