I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2385 

To require the Secretary of Energy to assemble a team of technical, policy, 

and financial experts to address the energy needs of the insular areas 

of the United States and the Freely Associated States through the 

development of action plans aimed at reducing reliance on imported 

fossil fuels and increasing use of indigenous clean-energy resources, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 13, 2009 

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN (for herself, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. 

PIERLUISI, and Mr. SABLAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Energy to assemble a team 

of technical, policy, and financial experts to address the 

energy needs of the insular areas of the United States 

and the Freely Associated States through the development of action plans aimed at reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels and increasing use of indigenous cleanenergy resources, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
2 

•HR 2385 IH

1 SECTION 1. AFFILIATED ISLAND ENERGY INDEPENDENCE 

2 TEAM. 

3 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) AFFILIATED ISLAND.—The term ‘‘affiliated 

5 island’’ means— 

6 (A) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; 

7 (B) Guam; 

8 (C) American Samoa; 

9 (D) the Commonwealth of the Northern 

10 Mariana Islands; 

11 (E) the Federated States of Micronesia; 

12 (F) the Republic of the Marshall Islands; 

13 (G) the Republic of Palau; and 

14 (H) the United States Virgin Islands. 

15 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

16 the Secretary of Energy (acting through the Assist17 ant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 

18 Energy), in consultation with the Secretary of the 

19 Interior and the Secretary of State. 

20 (3) TEAM.—The term ‘‘team’’ means the team 

21 established by the Secretary under subsection (b). 

22 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—As soon as practicable after 

23 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall as24 semble a team of technical, policy, and financial experts 

25 to address the energy needs of each affiliated island— 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
3 

•HR 2385 IH

1 (1) to reduce the reliance and expenditure of 

2 each affiliated island on imported fossil fuels; 

3 (2) to increase the use by each affiliated island 

4 of indigenous, nonfossil fuel energy sources; 

5 (3) to improve the performance of the energy 

6 infrastructure of the affiliated island through 

7 projects— 

8 (A) to improve the energy efficiency of 

9 power generation, transmission, and distribu10 tion; and 

11 (B) to increase consumer energy efficiency; 

12 (4) to improve the performance of the energy 

13 infrastructure of each affiliated island through en14 hanced planning, education, and training; 

15 (5) to adopt research-based and public-private 

16 partnership-based approaches as appropriate; 

17 (6) to stimulate economic development and job 

18 creation; and 

19 (7) to enhance the engagement by the Federal 

20 Government in international efforts to address island 

21 energy needs. 

22 (c) DUTIES OF TEAM.— 

23 (1) ENERGY ACTION PLANS.— 

24 (A) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with 

25 subparagraph (B), the team shall provide techVerDate Nov 24 2008 01:47 May 15, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2385.IH H2385

jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
4 

•HR 2385 IH

1 nical, programmatic, and financial assistance to 

2 each utility of each affiliated island, and the 

3 government of each affiliated island, as appro4 priate, to develop and implement an energy Ac5 tion Plan for each affiliated island to reduce the 

6 reliance of each affiliated island on imported 

7 fossil fuels through increased efficiency and use 

8 of indigenous clean-energy resources. 

9 (B) REQUIREMENTS.—Each Action Plan 

10 described in subparagraph (A) for each affili11 ated island shall require and provide for— 

12 (i) the conduct of 1 or more studies to 

13 assess opportunities to reduce fossil fuel 

14 use through— 

15 (I) the improvement of the en16 ergy efficiency of the affiliated island; 

17 and 

18 (II) the increased use by the af19 filiated island of indigenous clean-en20 ergy resources; 

21 (ii) the identification and implementa22 tion of the most cost-effective strategies 

23 and projects to reduce the dependence of 

24 the affiliated island on fossil fuels; 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
5 

•HR 2385 IH

1 (iii) the promotion of education and 

2 training activities to improve the capacity 

3 of the local utilities of the affiliated island, 

4 and the government of the affiliated island, 

5 as appropriate, to plan for, maintain, and 

6 operate the energy infrastructure of the af7 filiated island through the use of local or 

8 regional institutions, as appropriate; 

9 (iv) the coordination of the activities 

10 described in clause (iii) to leverage the ex11 pertise and resources of international enti12 ties, the Department of Energy, the De13 partment of the Interior, and the regional 

14 utilities of the affiliated island; 

15 (v) the identification, and develop16 ment, as appropriate, of research-based 

17 and private-public, partnership approaches 

18 to implement the Action Plan; and 

19 (vi) any other component that the 

20 Secretary determines to be necessary to re21 duce successfully the use by each affiliated 

22 island of fossil fuels. 

23 (2) REPORTS TO SECRETARY.—Not later than 

24 1 year after the date on which the Secretary estab25 lishes the team and biannually thereafter, the team 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
6 

•HR 2385 IH

1 shall submit to the Secretary a report that contains 

2 a description of the progress of each affiliated island 

3 in— 

4 (A) implementing the Action Plan of the 

5 affiliated island developed under paragraph 

6 (1)(A); and 

7 (B) reducing the reliance of the affiliated 

8 island on fossil fuels. 

9 (d) USE OF REGIONAL UTILITY ORGANIZATIONS.— 

10 To provide expertise to affiliated islands to assist the af11 filiated islands in meeting the purposes of this section, the 

12 Secretary shall consider— 

13 (1) including regional utility organizations in 

14 the establishment of the team; and 

15 (2) providing assistance through regional utility 

16 organizations. 

17 (e) ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later 

18 than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary re19 ceives a report submitted by the team under subsection 

20 (c)(2), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate com21 mittees of Congress a report that contains a summary of 

22 the report of the team. 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
7 

•HR 2385 IH

1 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

2 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are nec3 essary to carry out this section. 

Æ 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS