To establish an alternative fuel vehicle energy demonstration and commercial application of energy technology competitive grant pilot program within the Department of Energy to facilitate the use of alternative fuel vehicles.

Summary: Alternative Fuel Vehicle Acceleration Act of 2001 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish an alternative fuel vehicle energy demonstration and commercial application of energy technology competitive grant pilot program to provide not more than 15 grants to State governments, local governments, or metropolitan transportation authorities to acquire alternative fuel vehicles.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Alternative Fuel Vehicle 
Acceleration Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    For the purposes of this Act, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Alternative fuel vehicle.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), the term ``alternative fuel vehicle'' means a 
                motor vehicle that is powered--
                            (i) in whole or in part by electricity, 
                        including electricity supplied by a fuel cell;
                            (ii) by liquefied natural gas;
                            (iii) by compressed natural gas;
                            (iv) by liquefied petroleum gas;
                            (v) by hydrogen; or
                            (vi) by methanol at no less than 85 percent 
                        by volume.
                    (B) Exclusions.--The term ``alternative fuel 
                vehicle'' does not include--
                            (i) any vehicle designed to operate solely 
                        on gasoline or diesel derived from fossil 
                        fuels, regardless of whether it can also be 
                        operated on an alternative fuel; or
                            (ii) any vehicle that the Secretary 
                        determines, by rule, does not yield substantial 
                        environmental benefits over a vehicle operating 
                        solely on gasoline or diesel derived from 
                        fossil fuels.
            (2) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the 
        competitive grant program established under section 3.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.

SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish an alternative 
fuel vehicle energy demonstration and commercial application of energy 
technology competitive grant pilot program to provide not more than 15 
grants to State governments, local governments, or metropolitan 
transportation authorities to carry out a project or projects for the 
purposes described in subsection (b).
    (b) Grant Purposes.--Grants under this section may be used for the 
following purposes:
            (1) The acquisition of alternative fuel vehicles, 
        including--
                    (A) passenger vehicles;
                    (B) buses used for public transportation or 
                transportation to and from schools;
                    (C) delivery vehicles for goods or services;
                    (D) ground support vehicles at public airports, 
                including vehicles to carry baggage or push airplanes 
                away from terminal gates; and
                    (E) motorized two-wheel bicycles, scooters, or 
                other vehicles for use by law enforcement personnel or 
                other State or local government or metropolitan 
                transportation authority employees.
            (2) Infrastructure necessary to directly support a project 
        funded by the grant, including fueling and other support 
        equipment.
            (3) Operation and maintenance of vehicles, infrastructure, 
        and equipment acquired as part of a project funded by the 
        grant.
    (c) Applications.--
            (1) Requirements.--The Secretary shall issue requirements 
        for applying for grants under the pilot program. At a minimum, 
        the Secretary shall require that applications be submitted by 
        the head of a State or local government or a metropolitan 
        transportation authority, or any combination thereof, and shall 
        include--
                    (A) at least one project to enable passengers or 
                goods to be transferred directly from one alternative 
fuel vehicle to another in a linked transportation system;
                    (B) a description of the projects proposed in the 
                application, including how well they meet the 
                requirements of this Act;
                    (C) an estimate of the ridership or degree of use 
                of the projects proposed in the application;
                    (D) an estimate of the air pollution emissions 
                reduced and fossil fuel displaced as a result of the 
                projects proposed in the application, and a plan to 
                collect and disseminate environmental data, related to 
                the projects to be funded under the grant, over the 
                life of the projects;
                    (E) a description of how the projects proposed in 
                the application will be sustainable without Federal 
                assistance after the completion of the term of the 
                grant;
                    (F) a complete description of the costs of each 
                project proposed in the application, including 
                acquisition, construction, operation, and maintenance 
                costs over the expected life of the project; and
                    (G) a description of which costs of the projects 
                proposed in the application will be supported by 
                Federal assistance and which by assistance from non-
                Federal partners, including State and local 
                governments, metropolitan transportation authorities, 
                and private entities.
            (2) Partners.--An applicant under paragraph (1) may carry 
        out projects under the pilot program in partnership with one or 
        more private entities.
    (d) Selection Criteria.--In evaluating applications under the pilot 
program, the Secretary shall consider each applicant's previous 
experience involving alternative fuel vehicles and shall give priority 
consideration to applications that--
            (1) are most likely to maximize protection of the 
        environment;
            (2) demonstrate the greatest commitment on the part of the 
        applicant to ensure funding for the proposed projects and the 
        greatest likelihood that each project proposed in the 
        application will be maintained or expanded after Federal 
        assistance under this Act is completed; and
            (3) exceed the minimum requirements of subsection 
        (c)(1)(A).
    (e) Pilot Project Requirements.--
            (1) Maximum amount.--The Secretary shall not provide more 
        than $20,000,000 in Federal assistance under the pilot program 
        to any applicant.
            (2) Cost sharing.--The Secretary shall not provide more 
        than 50 percent of the cost, incurred during the period of the 
        grant, of any project under the pilot program.
            (3) Maximum period of grants.--The Secretary shall not fund 
        any applicant under the pilot program for more than 5 years.
            (4) Deployment and distribution.--The Secretary shall seek 
        to the maximum extent practicable to achieve nationwide 
        deployment of alternative fuel vehicles through the pilot 
        program, and shall ensure a broad geographic distribution of 
        project sites.
            (5) Transfer of information and knowledge.--The Secretary 
        shall establish mechanisms to ensure that the information and 
        knowledge gained by participants in the pilot program are 
        transferred among the pilot program participants and to other 
        interested parties, including other applicants that submitted 
        applications.
    (f) Schedule.--
            (1) Publication.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish in the 
        Federal Register, Commerce Business Daily, and elsewhere as 
        appropriate, a request for applications to undertake projects 
        under the pilot program. Applications shall be due within 180 
        days of the publication of the notice.
            (2) Selection.--Not later than 180 days after the date by 
        which applications for grants are due, the Secretary shall 
        select by competitive, peer review all applications for 
        projects to be awarded a grant under the pilot program.

SEC. 4. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Initial Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date grants 
are awarded under this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the 
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report containing--
            (1) an identification of the grant recipients and a 
        description of the projects to be funded;
            (2) an identification of other applicants that submitted 
        applications for the pilot program; and
            (3) a description of the mechanisms used by the Secretary 
        to ensure that the information and knowledge gained by 
        participants in the pilot program are transferred among the 
        pilot program participants and to other interested parties, 
        including other applicants that submitted applications.
    (b) Evaluation.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter until the pilot program ends, the 
Secretary shall transmit to the Committee on Science of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate a report containing an evaluation of the effectiveness of 
the pilot program, including an assessment of the benefits to the 
environment derived from the projects included in the pilot program as 
well as an estimate of the potential benefits to the environment to be 
derived from widespread application of alternative fuel vehicles.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
$200,000,000 to carry out this Act, to remain available until expended.