474
tional ambient air quality standard for ozone due to the
effect of transported ozone or ozone precursors into the
areas. The Administrator shall work with State and local
officials to determine the extent of ozone and ozone pre-
cursor transport, to assess alternatives to achieve compli-
ance with the 8 hour standard apart from local controls,
and to determine the timeframe in which such compliance
could take place. The Administrator shall complete this
demonstration project no later than 2 years after the date
of enactment of this section and shall not impose any re-
quirement or sanction that might otherwise apply during
the pendency of the demonstration project.
SEC. 968B. WESTERN HEMISPHERE ENERGY COOPERATION.
(a) PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall carry out a pro-
gram to promote cooperation on energy issues with West-
ern Hemisphere countries.
(b) ACTIVITIES.—Under the program, the Secretary
shall fund activities to work with Western Hemisphere
countries to—
(1) assist the countries in formulating and
adopting changes in economic policies and other poli-
cies to—
(A) increase the production of energy sup-
plies; and
(B) improve energy efficiency; and
475
(2) assist in the development and transfer of
energy supply and efficiency technologies that would
have a beneficial impact on world energy markets.
(c) UNIVERSITY PARTICIPATION.—To the extent
practicable, the Secretary shall carry out the program
under this section with the participation of universities so
as to take advantage of the acceptance of universities by
Western Hemisphere countries as sources of unbiased
technical and policy expertise when assisting the Secretary
in—
(1) evaluating new technologies;
(2) resolving technical issues;
(3) working with those countries in the develop-
ment of new policies; and
(4) training policymakers, particularly in the
case of universities that involve the participation of
minority students, such as Hispanic-serving institu-
tions and Historically Black Colleges and Univer-
sities.
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
section—
(1) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
(2) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;
(3) $13,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
476
(4) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
(5) $19,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
SEC. 968C. ARCTIC ENGINEERING RESEARCH CENTER.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Energy (referred
to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’) in consultation with
the Secretary of Transportation and the United States
Arctic Research Commission shall provide annual grants
to a university located adjacent to the Arctic Energy Of-
fice of the Department of Energy, to establish and operate
a university research center to be headquartered in Fair-
banks and to be known as the ‘‘Arctic Engineering Re-
search Center’’ (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Cen-
ter’’).
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Center shall be
to conduct research on, and develop improved methods of,
construction and use of materials to improve the overall
performance of roads, bridges, residential, commercial,
and industrial structures, and other infrastructure in the
Arctic region, with an emphasis on developing—
(1) new construction techniques for roads,
bridges, rail, and related transportation infrastruc-
ture and residential, commercial, and industrial in-
frastructure that are capable of withstanding the
Arctic environment and using limited energy re-
sources as efficiently as possible;
477
(2) technologies and procedures for increasing
road, bridge, rail, and related transportation infra-
structure and residential, commercial, and industrial
infrastructure safety, reliability, and integrity in the
Arctic region;
(3) new materials and improving the perform-
ance and energy efficiency of existing materials for
the construction of roads, bridges, rail, and related
transportation infrastructure and residential, com-
mercial, and industrial infrastructure in the Arctic
region; and
(4) recommendations for new local, regional,
and State permitting and building codes to ensure
transportation and building safety and efficient en-
ergy use when constructing, using, and occupying
such infrastructure in the Arctic region.
(c) OBJECTIVES.—The Center shall carry out—
(1) basic and applied research in the subjects
described in subsection (b), the products of which
shall be judged by peers or other experts in the field
to advance the body of knowledge in road, bridge,
rail, and infrastructure engineering in the Arctic re-
gion; and