I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5548 
To provide for the establishment of clean technology consortia to enhance 
the economic, environmental, and energy security of the United States 
by promoting domestic development, manufacture, and deployment of 
clean technologies, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 
Mr. CARTWRIGHT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for the establishment of clean technology con-
sortia to enhance the economic, environmental, and en-
ergy security of the United States by promoting domestic 
development, manufacture, and deployment of clean tech-
nologies, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Consortia-Led Energy 
and Advanced Manufacturing Networks Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CLEAN
TECHNOLOGY.—The term ‘‘clean 
technology’’ means a technology, production process, 
or methodology that— 
(A) produces energy from solar, wind, geo-
thermal, biomass, tidal, wave, ocean, or another 
renewable energy source (as defined in section 
609 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies 
Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 918c)); 
(B) more efficiently transmits, distributes, 
or stores energy; 
(C) enhances energy efficiency for build-
ings and industry, including combined heat and 
power; 
(D) enables the development of a Smart 
Grid (as described in section 1301 of the En-
ergy Independence and Security Act of 2007 
(42 U.S.C. 17381)), including integration of re-
newable energy sources and distributed genera-
tion, demand response, demand side manage-
ment, and systems analysis; 
(E) produces an advanced or sustainable 
material with energy or energy efficiency appli-
cations; 
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(F) improves energy efficiency for trans-
portation, including electric vehicles; 
(G) enhances water security through im-
proved water management, conservation, dis-
tribution, or end use applications; or 
(H) addresses challenges in advanced man-
ufacturing and supply chain integration related 
to a technology, production process, or method-
ology described in subparagraphs (A) through 
(G). 
(2) ADVANCED
MANUFACTURING.—The term 
‘‘advanced manufacturing’’— 
(A) means a family of activities that— 
(i) depend on the use and coordina-
tion of information, automation, computa-
tion, software, sensing, and networking; or 
(ii) make use of cutting edge mate-
rials and emerging capabilities enabled by 
the physical or biological sciences, includ-
ing nanotechnology, chemistry, and biol-
ogy; and 
(B) includes both new ways to manufac-
ture existing products and the manufacture of 
new products emerging from new advanced 
technologies. 
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(3) CLUSTER.—The term ‘‘cluster’’ means a 
network of entities directly involved in the research, 
development, finance, and commercial application of 
clean technologies and advanced manufacturing 
whose geographic proximity facilitates the use and 
sharing of skilled human resources, infrastructure, 
research facilities, educational and training institu-
tions, venture capital, and input suppliers. 
(4) CONSORTIUM.—The term ‘‘consortium’’ 
means a clean technology consortium established in 
accordance with this Act. 
(5) PROJECT.—The term ‘‘project’’ means an 
activity with respect to which a consortium provides 
support under this Act. 
(6) QUALIFYING
ENTITY.—The term ‘‘quali-
fying entity’’ means— 
(A) a research university; 
(B) a Federal or State institution with a 
focus on developing clean technologies or clus-
ters; or 
(C) a nongovernmental organization with 
expertise in translational research, clean tech-
nology, or cluster development. 
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Commerce. 
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(8) TRANSLATIONAL
RESEARCH.—The term 
‘‘translational research’’ means the coordination of 
basic or applied research with technical applications 
to enable promising discoveries or inventions to 
achieve commercial application. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF CLEAN TECHNOLOGY CON-
SORTIA PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish and 
carry out a program to establish clean technology con-
sortia to enhance the economic, environmental, and energy 
security of the United States by promoting domestic devel-
opment, manufacture, and deployment of clean, state-of- 
the-art technologies. 
(b) PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall carry out the 
program established under subsection (a) by leveraging 
the expertise and resources of private research commu-
nities, institutions of higher education, industry, venture 
capital, National Laboratories (as defined in section 2 of 
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801)), and 
other participants in technology innovation— 
(1) to support collaborative, cross-disciplinary 
research and development in clean technologies and 
advanced manufacturing; and 
(2) to develop and accelerate the commercial 
application of innovative clean technologies. 
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(c) ROLE
OF
THE
SECRETARY.—The Secretary 
shall— 
(1) carry out and oversee all aspects of the pro-
gram established under subsection (a); 
(2) select recipients of grants for the establish-
ment and operation of consortia through a competi-
tive selection process; and 
(3) coordinate the innovation activities of con-
sortia with activities carried out by the Secretary of 
Energy, the Secretary of Defense, other Federal 
agency heads, industry, and institutions of higher 
education, including by annually— 
(A) issuing guidance regarding national 
clean technology development priorities and 
strategic objectives; and 
(B) convening a conference relating to 
clean technology, which shall bring together 
representatives of Federal agencies, industry, 
institutions of higher education, and other enti-
ties to share research and commercialization re-
sults, program plans, and opportunities for col-
laboration. 
(d) ROLE OF CONSORTIA.—The consortia shall— 
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(1) promote new innovative clean technologies 
that have demonstrated interest and potential for 
commercialization; 
(2) expand advanced manufacturing capabili-
ties, networks, supply chains, and assets, in the area 
of clean technologies, that contribute to regional and 
national manufacturing competitiveness and poten-
tial for growth; 
(3) promote job creation and entrepreneurship 
through the establishment of new companies, the ex-
pansion of existing companies, and commercializa-
tion of clean technologies; 
(4) provide technical or financial assistance to 
companies looking to invest in clean technologies, 
new products or services, or enhanced processes that 
will grow sales and jobs; 
(5) determine opportunities and challenges that 
companies are facing and how to improve their use 
or production of clean technologies; 
(6) equip individual small- and medium-sized 
enterprises with the capacity and agility to change 
through the adoption and utilization of new clean 
technologies and related business practices; 
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(7) accelerate investment in and deployment of 
clean technologies through public-private partner-
ships; 
(8) encourage partnering between and among 
emerging and established clean technology and ad-
vanced manufacturing enterprises; and 
(9) demonstrate a comprehensive and successful 
model for commercialization of clean technologies for 
promotion and emulation. 
SEC. 4. APPLICATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—To receive a grant under this Act, 
a consortium shall submit to the Secretary an application 
in such manner, at such time, and containing such infor-
mation as the Secretary determines to be necessary. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—A consortium shall be eligible to 
receive a grant under this Act if— 
(1) the consortium consists of— 
(A) 1 or more research universities that 
can demonstrate a significant annual clean 
technology research budget, entrepreneurial 
support programs, and technology licensing ex-
pertise; and 
(B) a total of 5 or more qualifying entities 
that can demonstrate expertise in translational 
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research, clean technology, and cluster develop-
ment; 
(2) the members of the consortium have estab-
lished a binding agreement that documents— 
(A) the structure of the partnership agree-
ment; 
(B) a governance and management struc-
ture that enables cost-effective implementation 
of the program; 
(C) a conflicts-of-interest policy, including 
procedures, consistent with those of the Depart-
ment of Commerce, to ensure that employees 
and designees for consortium activities who are 
in decisionmaking capacities disclose all mate-
rial conflicts of interest, including financial, or-
ganizational, and personal conflicts of interest; 
(D) an accounting structure that meets the 
requirements of the Secretary and that may be 
audited under this Act; and 
(E) the existence of an external advisory 
committee; 
(3) the consortium receives funding from non- 
Federal sources, such as a State and participants of 
the consortium, that may be used to support 
projects; 
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(4) the consortium is part of an existing cluster 
or demonstrates high potential to develop a new 
cluster; and 
(5) the consortium operates as a nonprofit or-
ganization or as a public-private partnership under 
an operating agreement led by a nonprofit organiza-
tion. 
(c) DISQUALIFICATION.—The Secretary may dis-
qualify an application from a consortium under this Act 
if the Secretary determines that the conflicts-of-interest 
policy of the consortium is inadequate. 
(d) EXTERNAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this Act, a consortium shall establish an 
external advisory committee, the members of which 
shall have extensive and relevant scientific, technical, 
industry, financial, or research management exper-
tise. 
(2) DUTIES.—An external advisory committee 
shall— 
(A) review the proposed plans, programs, 
project selection criteria, and projects of the 
consortium; and 
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(B) ensure that projects selected by the 
consortium meet the applicable conflicts-of-in-
terest policy of the consortium. 
(3) MEMBERS.—An external advisory com-
mittee shall consist of— 
(A) representatives of the members of the 
consortium; and 
(B) such representatives of industry, in-
cluding entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, 
as the members of the consortium determine to 
be necessary. 
(4) SECRETARY
AS
MEMBER.—The Secretary 
shall join the external advisory committee of a con-
sortium that receives a grant under this Act. 
SEC. 5. GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award grants, 
on a competitive basis, to 6 or more consortia. 
(b) TERMS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The initial term of a grant 
awarded under this Act shall not exceed 5 years. 
(2) EXTENSION.—The Secretary may extend 
the term of a grant awarded under this Act for a 
period of not more than 5 additional years. 
(c) AMOUNTS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—A grant awarded to a con-
sortium under this Act shall not exceed the lesser 
of— 
(A) $30,000,000 per fiscal year; or 
(B) the collective contributions of non-Fed-
eral entities to the consortium, as described 
under section 4(b)(3). 
(2) FLEXIBILITY.—In determining the amount 
of a grant under this section, the Secretary shall 
consider— 
(A) the translational research capacity of 
the consortium; 
(B) the financial, human, and facility re-
sources of the qualifying entities; and 
(C) the cluster of which the consortium is 
a part. 
(3) INCREASES IN AMOUNTS.—Subject to para-
graph (1), a consortium may request an increase in 
the amount of a grant awarded under this Act at the 
time the consortium requests an extension of an ini-
tial grant. 
(d) USE OF AMOUNTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (3), a 
consortium awarded a grant under this Act shall use 
the amounts to support translational research, tech-
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nology development, manufacturing innovation, and 
commercialization activities relating to clean tech-
nology. 
(2) PROJECT SELECTION.—As a condition of 
receiving a grant under this Act, a consortium 
shall— 
(A) develop and make available to the pub-
lic on the Web site of the Department of Com-
merce proposed plans, programs, project selec-
tion criteria, and terms for individual project 
awards; 
(B) establish policies— 
(i) to prevent resources provided to 
the consortium from being used to displace 
private sector investment otherwise likely 
to occur, including investment from private 
sector entities that are members of the 
consortium; 
(ii) to facilitate the participation of 
private entities that invest in clean tech-
nologies to perform due diligence on award 
proposals, to participate in the award re-
view process, and to provide guidance to 
projects supported by the consortium; and 
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(iii) to facilitate the participation of 
parties with a demonstrated history of 
commercial application of clean tech-
nologies in the development of consortium 
projects; 
(C) oversee project solicitations, review 
proposed projects, and select projects for 
awards; and 
(D) monitor project implementation. 
(3) LIMITATIONS.— 
(A) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—A con-
sortium may use not more than 10 percent of 
the amounts awarded to the consortium for ad-
ministrative expenses. 
(B) PROHIBITION ON USE.—A consortium 
may not use any amounts awarded to the con-
sortium under this Act to construct a new 
building or facility. 
(e) AUDITS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A consortium that receives a 
grant under this Act shall carry out, in accordance 
with such requirements as the Secretary may pre-
scribe, an annual audit to determine whether the 
grant has been used in accordance with this Act. 
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(2) REPORT.—The consortium shall submit a 
copy of each audit under paragraph (1) to the Sec-
retary and the Comptroller General of the United 
States. 
(3) GAO REVIEW.—As a condition of receiving 
a grant under this Act, a consortium shall allow the 
Comptroller General of the United States, on the re-
quest of the Comptroller General, full access to the 
books, records, and personnel of consortium. 
(4) REPORTS
TO
CONGRESS.—The Secretary 
shall submit to Congress annually a report that in-
cludes— 
(A) a copy of each audit carried out under 
paragraph (1); and 
(B) any recommendations of the Secretary 
relating to the clean technology consortia pro-
gram. 
(f) REVOCATION OF AWARDS.—The Secretary shall 
have the authority— 
(1) to review grants awarded under this Act; 
and 
(2) to revoke a grant awarded under this Act 
if the Secretary determines that a consortium has 
used the grant in a manner that is not consistent 
with this Act. 
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(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this section $100,000,000. 
Æ 
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