II 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2196 

To authorize the Secretary of Energy to establish the position of Assistant 

Secretary for Advanced Energy Research, Technology Development, and 

Deployment to implement an innovative energy research, technology development, and deployment program. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 25, 2006 

Mrs. CLINTON (for herself, Mr. REID, and Mr. BINGAMAN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Energy to establish the position of Assistant Secretary for Advanced Energy Research, Technology Development, and Deployment to implement an innovative energy research, technology development, and deployment program. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Advanced Research 

5 Projects Energy Act (ARPA–E) Act’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ADVANCED ENERGY 

2 RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT, 

3 AND DEPLOYMENT. 

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Energy 

6 shall establish in the Department of Energy the po7 sition of Assistant Secretary for Advanced Energy 

8 Research, Technology Development, and Deployment 

9 (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Assistant Sec10 retary’’), to be headed by, and to report to, the Sec11 retary. 

12 (2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Assistant Secretary 

13 shall be an individual with— 

14 (A) an advanced education degree in en15 ergy technology; and 

16 (B) substantial commercial research and 

17 technology development and deployment experi18 ence. 

19 (b) MISSION.—The mission of the Assistant Sec20 retary is— 

21 (1) to implement an innovative energy research, 

22 technology development, and deployment program 

23 to— 

24 (A) increase national security by signifi25 cantly reducing petroleum and imported fuels 

26 consumption; 
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1 (B) significantly improve the efficiency of 

2 electricity use and the reliability of the elec3 tricity system; and 

4 (C) significantly reduce greenhouse gas 

5 emissions; and 

6 (2) to sponsor a diverse portfolio of cutting7 edge, high-payoff research, development, and deploy8 ment projects to carry out the program. 

9 (c) EXPERIMENTAL PERSONNEL AUTHORITY.—The 

10 Assistant Secretary may staff the office of the Assistant 

11 Secretary primarily using a program of experimental use 

12 of special personnel management authority in order to fa13 cilitate recruitment of eminent experts in science or engi14 neering for management of research and development 

15 projects and programs administered by the Assistant Sec16 retary under similar terms and conditions as the authority 

17 is exercised under section 1101 of the Strom Thurmond 

18 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 

19 (Public Law 105–261; 5 U.S.C. 3104 note), as determined 

20 by the Assistant Secretary. 

21 (d) TRANSACTIONS OTHER THAN CONTRACTS AND

22 GRANTS.—To carry out projects under this Act, the As23 sistant Secretary may enter into transactions to carry out 

24 advanced research projects under this subsection under 

25 similar terms and conditions as the authority is exercised 
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1 under section 646(g) of the Department of Energy Orga2 nization Act (42 U.S.C. 7256(g)). 

3 (e) PRIZES FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY ACHIEVE4 MENTS.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2) 

6 through (4), the Assistant Secretary may carry out 

7 a program to award cash prizes in recognition of 

8 outstanding achievements in basic, advanced, and 

9 applied research, technology development, and proto10 type development that have the potential to advance 

11 the mission described in subsection (b) under similar 

12 terms and conditions as the authority is exercised 

13 under section 1008 of the Energy Policy Act of 

14 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16396). 

15 (2) COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS.—In car16 rying out this subsection, the Assistant Secretary 

17 shall— 

18 (A) use a competitive process for the selec19 tion of recipients of cash prizes; and 

20 (B) conduct widely-advertised solicitation 

21 of submissions of research results, technology 

22 developments, and prototypes. 

23 (3) MAXIMUM AMOUNT FOR ALL CASH

24 PRIZES.—The total amount of all cash prizes award-
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1 ed for a fiscal year under this subsection may not 

2 exceed $50,000,000. 

3 (4) MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF INDIVIDUAL CASH

4 PRIZES.—The amount of an individual cash prize 

5 awarded under this subsection may not exceed 

6 $10,000,000 unless the amount of the award is ap7 proved by the Secretary of Energy. 

8 (f) ANNUAL REPORTS.—As soon as practicable after 

9 the end of each fiscal year for which the Assistant Sec10 retary receives funds under subsection (h), the Assistant 

11 Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 

12 Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on 

13 Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Science, of 

14 the House of Representatives a report on the progress, 

15 challenges, future milestones, and strategic plan of the As16 sistant Secretary, including— 

17 (1) a description of, and rationale for, any 

18 changes in the strategic plan; 

19 (2) the adequacy of human and financial re20 sources necessary to achieve the mission described in 

21 subsection (b); and 

22 (3) in the case of cash prizes awarded under 

23 subsection (e), a description of— 
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1 (A) the applications of the research, tech2 nology, or prototypes for which prizes were 

3 awarded; 

4 (B) the total amount of the prizes that 

5 were awarded; 

6 (C) the methods used for solicitation and 

7 evaluation of submissions and an assessment of 

8 the effectiveness of those methods; and 

9 (D) recommendations to improve the prize 

10 program. 

11 (g) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER AUTHORITY.—The 

12 program under this Act may be carried out in conjunction 

13 with, or in addition to, the exercise of any other authority 

14 of the Assistant Secretary to acquire, support, or stimu15 late basic, advanced, and applied research, technology de16 velopment, or prototype projects. 

17 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

18 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act— 

19 (1) $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and 

20 (2) $2,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

21 2008 through 2011. 

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