655 
SEC. 9074. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Energy 
shall, with funds appropriated for this purpose, implement 
a program of information dissemination and technical as-
sistance to institutional entities to assist them in identi-
fying, evaluating, designing, and implementing sustainable 
energy infrastructure. 
(b) INFORMATION DISSEMINATION.—The Secretary 
shall develop and disseminate information and assessment 
tools addressing— 
(1) identification of opportunities for sustain-
able energy infrastructure; 
(2) technical and economic characteristics of 
sustainable energy infrastructure; 
(3) utility interconnection, and negotiation of 
power and fuel contracts; 
(4) financing alternatives; 
(5) permitting and siting issues; 
(6) case studies of successful sustainable energy 
infrastructure systems; and 
(7) computer software for assessment, design, 
and operation and maintenance of sustainable en-
ergy infrastructure systems. 
(c) ELIGIBLE COSTS.—Upon application by an insti-
tutional entity, the Secretary may make grants to such 
applicant to fund— 
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(1) 75 percent of the cost of feasibility studies 
to assess the potential for implementation or im-
provement of sustainable energy infrastructure; 
(2) 60 percent of the cost of guidance on over-
coming barriers to project implementation, including 
financial, contracting, siting, and permitting bar-
riers; and 
(3) 45 percent of the cost of detailed engineer-
ing and design of sustainable energy infrastructure. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$15,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, $15,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2009, and $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2010. 
SEC. 9075. REVOLVING FUND. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Energy 
shall, with funds appropriated for this purpose, create a 
Sustainable Institutions Revolving Fund for the purpose 
of establishing and operating a Sustainable Institutions 
Revolving Fund (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘SIRF’’) for the purpose of providing loans for the con-
struction or improvement of sustainable energy infrastruc-
ture to serve institutional entities. 
(b) ELIGIBLE COSTS.—A loan provided from the 
SIRF shall be for no more than 70 percent of the total 
capital costs of a project, and shall not exceed 
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$15,000,000. Such loans shall be for constructing sustain-
able energy infrastructure, including— 
(1) plant facilities used for producing thermal 
energy, electricity, or both; 
(2) facilities for storing thermal energy; 
(3) facilities for distribution of thermal energy; 
and 
(4) costs for converting buildings to use ther-
mal energy from sustainable energy sources. 
(c) QUALIFICATIONS.—Loans from the SIRF may be 
made to institutional entities for projects meeting the 
qualifications and conditions established by the Secretary, 
including the following minimum qualifications: 
(1) The project shall be technically and eco-
nomically feasible as determined by a detailed feasi-
bility analysis performed or corroborated by an inde-
pendent consultant. 
(2) The borrower shall demonstrate that ade-
quate and comparable financing was not found to be 
reasonably available from other sources, and that 
the project is economically more feasible with the 
availability of the SIRF loan. 
(3) The borrower shall obtain commitments for 
the remaining capital required to implement the 
project, contingent on approval of the SIRF loan. 
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(4) The borrower shall provide to the Secretary 
reasonable assurance that all laborers and mechanics 
employed by contractors or subcontractors in the 
performance of construction work financed in whole 
or in part with a loan provided under this section 
will be paid wages at rates not less than those pre-
vailing on similar work in the locality as determined 
by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with sub-
chapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States 
Code (commonly referred to as the Davis-Bacon 
Act). 
(d) FINANCING TERMS.—(1) Interest on a loan under 
this section may be a fixed rate or floating rate, and shall 
be equal to the Federal cost of funds consistent with the 
loan type and term, minus 1.5 percent. 
(2) Interest shall accrue from the date of the loan, 
but the first payment of interest shall be deferred, if de-
sired by the borrower, for a period ending not later than 
3 years after the initial date of operation of the system. 
(3) Interest attributable to the period of deferred 
payment shall be amortized over the remainder of the loan 
term. 
(4) Principal shall be repaid on a schedule established 
at the time the loan is made. Such payments shall begin 
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not later than 3 years after the initial date of operation 
of the system. 
(5) Loans made from the SIRF shall be repayable 
over a period ending not more than 20 years after the 
date the loan is made. 
(6) Loans shall be prepayable at any time without 
penalty. 
(7) SIRF loans shall be subordinate to other loans 
for the project. 
(e) FUNDING CYCLES.—Applications for loans from 
the SIRF shall be received on a periodic basis at least 
semiannually. 
(f) APPLICATION OF REPAYMENTS FOR DEFICIT RE-
DUCTION.—Loans from the SIRF shall be made, with 
funds available for this purpose, during the 10 years start-
ing from the date that the first loan from the fund is 
made. Until this 10-year period ends, funds repaid by bor-
rowers shall be deposited in the SIRF to be made available 
for additional loans. Once loans from the SIRF are no 
longer being made, repayments shall go directly into the 
United States Treasury. 
(g) PRIORITIES.—In evaluating projects for funding, 
priority shall be given to projects which— 
(1) maximize energy efficiency; 
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(2) minimize environmental impacts, including 
from regulated air pollutants, greenhouse gas emis-
sions, and the use of refrigerants known to cause 
ozone depletion; 
(3) use renewable energy resources; 
(4) maximize oil displacement; and 
(5) benefit economically-depressed areas. 
(h) REGULATIONS.—Not later than one year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy 
shall develop a plan and adopt rules and procedures for 
establishing and operating the SIRF. 
(i) PROGRAM REVIEW.—Every two years the Sec-
retary shall report to the Congress on the status and 
progress of the SIRF. 
(j) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$250,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and $500,000,000 for 
each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2012. 
SEC. 9076. REAUTHORIZATION OF STATE ENERGY PRO-
GRAMS. 
Section 365(f) of the Energy Policy and Conservation 
Act (42 U.S.C. 6325(f)) is amended by striking 
‘‘$100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 and 2007 
and $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2008’’ and inserting 
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