To reauthorize the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, and for other purposes.

Summary: ARPA-E Reauthorization Act of 2010 - Amends the America COMPETES Act to instruct the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) of the Department of Energy (DOE) to achieve the goals of ARPA-E through energy technology projects which: (1) identify and promote revolutionary advances in applied sciences; and (2) promote the commercial application of advanced energy technologies.

Includes as a responsibility of the Director of ARPA-E the research and development of advanced manufacturing process and technologies for the domestic manufacturing of novel energy technologies.

Requires the Director to: (1) make awards through grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, cash prizes, and other transactions to carry out ARPA-E; and (2) establish within ARPA-E a staff to enable ARPA-E to carry out its responsibilities separately and distinctly from the operations of the rest of DOE.

Includes as responsibilities of program directors the identification of: (1) innovative cost-sharing arrangements for ARPA-E projects; and (2) mechanisms for commercial application of successful energy technology development projects.



Authorizes the Director to select exceptional early career and senior scientific, legal, business, and technical personnel to serve as fellows to work at ARPA-E for two-year terms.

Extends the deadlines for submission of the strategic vision roadmaps to Congress.

Instructs the Director to seek opportunities to partner with purchasing and procurement programs of federal agencies to demonstrate energy technologies resulting from activities funded through ARPA-E.

Authorizes the Director to convene events that further ARPA-E objectives, including events that facilitate discussion of the commercial application of energy technologies.



Authorizes appropriations for FY2011-FY2020 to the Director to carry out the purposes of ARPA-E.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``ARPA-E Reauthorization Act of 
2010''.

SEC. 2. ARPA-E AMENDMENTS.

    Section 5012 of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16538) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)(2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``and 
                applied'' after ``advances in fundamental'';
                    (B) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph 
                (B);
                    (C) by striking the period at the end of 
                subparagraph (C) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(D) promoting the commercial application of 
                advanced energy technologies.'';
            (2) in subsection (e)(3), by amending subparagraph (C) to 
        read as follows:
                    ``(C) research and development of advanced 
                manufacturing process and technologies for the domestic 
                manufacturing of novel energy technologies; and'';
            (3) by redesignating subsections (f) through (m) as 
        subsections (g), (h), (i), (j), (l), (m), (n), and (o), 
        respectively;
            (4) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(f) Awards.--In carrying out this section, the Director shall 
initiate and execute awards in the form of grants, contracts, 
cooperative agreements, cash prizes, and other transactions.'';
            (5) in subsection (g), as so redesignated by paragraph (3) 
        of this section--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
                paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively;
                    (B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so 
                redesignated by subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the 
                following new paragraph:
            ``(1) In general.--The Director shall establish and 
        maintain within ARPA-E a staff, including legal counsel, 
        contracting personnel, and program directors, with sufficient 
        qualifications and expertise to enable ARPA-E to carry out its 
        responsibilities under this section separate and distinct from 
        the operations of the rest of the Department.'';
                    (C) in paragraph (2)(A), as so redesignated by 
                subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, by striking ``each 
                of'';
                    (D) in paragraph (2)(B), as so redesignated by 
                subparagraph (A) of this paragraph--
                            (i) in clause (iv), by striking ``, with 
                        advice under subsection (j) as appropriate,'';
                            (ii) by redesignating clauses (v) and (vi) 
                        as clauses (vi) and (viii), respectively;
                            (iii) by inserting after clause (iv) the 
                        following new clause:
                            ``(v) identifying innovative cost-sharing 
                        arrangements for ARPA-E projects, including 
                        through use of the authority under section 
                        988(b)(3) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
                        U.S.C. 16352(b)(3));'';
                            (iv) in clause (vi), as so redesignated by 
                        clause (ii) of this subparagraph, by striking 
                        ``; and'' and inserting a semicolon; and
                            (v) by inserting after clause (vi), as so 
                        redesignated by clause (ii) of this 
                        subparagraph, the following new clause:
                            ``(vii) identifying mechanisms for 
                        commercial application of successful energy 
                        technology development projects, including 
                        through establishment of partnerships between 
                        awardees and commercial entities; and'';
                    (E) in paragraph (2)(C), as so redesignated by 
                subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, by inserting ``up 
                to'' after ``shall be'';
                    (F) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated by 
                subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, by striking 
                subparagraph (B) and redesignating subparagraphs (C) 
                and (D) as subparagraphs (B) and (C), respectively;
                    (G) by striking ``program managers'' each place it 
                appears and inserting ``program directors'';
                    (H) by striking ``program manager'' each place it 
                appears and inserting ``program director''; and
                    (I) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(4) Fellowships.--The Director is authorized to select 
        exceptional early career and senior scientific, legal, 
        business, and technical personnel to serve as fellows to work 
        at ARPA-E for terms not to exceed two years. Responsibilities 
        of fellows may include--
                    ``(A) supporting program managers in program 
                creation, design, implementation, and management;
                    ``(B) exploring technical fields for future ARPA-E 
                program areas;
                    ``(C) assisting the Director in the creation of the 
                strategic vision for ARPA-E referred to in subsection 
                (h)(2);
                    ``(D) preparing energy technology and economic 
                analyses; and
                    ``(E) any other appropriate responsibilities 
                identified by the Director.'';
            (6) in subsection (h)(2), as so redesignated by paragraph 
        (3) of this section--
                    (A) by striking ``2008'' and inserting ``2010''; 
                and
                    (B) by striking ``2011'' and inserting ``2013'';
            (7) by amending subsection (j), as so redesignated by 
        paragraph (3) of this section, to read as follows:
    ``(j) Federal Demonstration of Technologies.--The Director shall 
seek opportunities to partner with purchasing and procurement programs 
of Federal agencies to demonstrate energy technologies resulting from 
activities funded through ARPA-E.'';
            (8) by inserting after such subsection (j) the following 
        new subsection:
    ``(k) Events.--The Director is authorized to convene, organize, and 
sponsor events that further the objectives of ARPA-E, including events 
that assemble awardees, the most promising applicants for ARPA-E 
funding, and a broad range of ARPA-E stakeholders (which may include 
members of relevant scientific research and academic communities, 
government officials, financial institutions, private investors, 
entrepreneurs, and other private entities), for the purposes of--
            ``(1) demonstrating projects of ARPA-E awardees;
            ``(2) demonstrating projects of finalists for ARPA-E awards 
        and other energy technology projects;
            ``(3) facilitating discussion of the commercial application 
        of energy technologies developed under ARPA-E and other 
        government-sponsored research and development programs; or
            ``(4) such other purposes as the Director considers 
        appropriate.'';
            (9) in subsection (m)(1), as so redesignated by paragraph 
        (3) of this section, by striking ``4 years'' and inserting ``6 
        years'';
            (10) in section (m)(2)(B), as so redesignated by paragraph 
        (3) of this section, by inserting ``, and how those lessons may 
        apply to the operation of other programs within the Department 
        of Energy'' after ``ARPA-E'';
            (11) by amending subsection (o)(2), as so redesignated by 
        paragraph (3) of this section, to read as follows:
            ``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--Subject to 
        paragraph (4), there are authorized to be appropriated to the 
        Director for deposit in the Fund, without fiscal year 
        limitation--
                    ``(A) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
                    ``(B) $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
                    ``(C) $700,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
                    ``(D) $900,000,000 for fiscal year 2014;
                    ``(E) $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
                    ``(F) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal 
                years 2016 through 2020.''; and
            (12) in subsection (o), as so redesignated by paragraph (3) 
        of this section, by--
                    (A) striking paragraph (4); and
                    (B) redesignated paragraph (5) as paragraph (4).