I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2626
To authorize research, development, demonstration, and commercial applica-
tion activities relating to clean coal technologies, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 25, 2001
Mr. BOEHLERT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science
A BILL
To authorize research, development, demonstration, and com-
mercial application activities relating to clean coal 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 ‘‘Clean Coal Power Ini-
tiative Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that—
(1) reliable, affordable, increasingly clean elec-
tricity will continue to power the growing United
States economy;
(2) an increasing use of electrotechnologies, the
desire for continuous environmental improvement, a
more competitive electricity market, and concerns
about rising energy prices add importance to the
need for reliable, affordable, increasingly clean elec-
tricity;
(3) coal, which, as of the date of enactment of
this Act, accounts for more than 1⁄2 of all electricity
generated in the United States, is the most abun-
dant fossil energy resource of the United States;
(4) coal comprises more than 85 percent of all
fossil resources in the United States and exists in
quantities sufficient to supply the United States for
250 years at current usage rates;
(5) investments in electricity generating facility
emissions control technology over the past 30 years
have reduced the aggregate emissions of pollutants
from coal-based generating facilities by 21 percent,
even as coal use for electricity generation has nearly
tripled; and
(6) continued environmental improvement in
coal-based generation through continued research,
development, demonstration, and commercial appli-
cation toward an ultimate goal of near-zero emis-
sions is important and desirable.
SEC. 3. CLEAN COAL POWER INITIATIVE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Energy (in this
Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall carry out a pro-
gram of research on and development, demonstration, and
commercial application of clean coal technologies under—
(1) this Act;
(2) the Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research
and Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5901 et
seq.);
(3) the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (42
U.S.C. 5801 et seq.); and
(4) title XIII of the Energy Policy Act of 1992
(42 U.S.C. 13331 et seq.).
(b) CONDITIONS.—The research, development, dem-
onstration, and commercial application program described
in subsection (a) shall be designed to achieve cost and per-
formance-based goals established by the Secretary under
section 4.
SEC. 4. COST AND PERFORMANCE-BASED GOALS.
(a) REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary shall
perform an assessment that establishes measurable cost
and performance-based goals for 2005, 2010, 2015, and
2020 for the programs authorized by this Act. Such as-
sessment shall be based on the latest scientific and tech-
nical knowledge, and shall also take into consideration, as
appropriate, the comparative environmental impacts (in-
cluding emissions of greenhouse gases) of the energy saved
or produced by specific programs.
(b) CONSULTATION.—In establishing the measurable
cost and performance-based goals under subsection (a),
the Secretary shall consult with the private sector, institu-
tions of higher learning, national laboratories, environ-
mental organizations, professional and technical societies,
and any other persons as the Secretary considers appro-
priate.
(c) SCHEDULE.—The Secretary shall—
(1) issue and publish in the Federal Register a
set of draft measurable cost and performance-based
goals for the programs authorized by this Act for
public comment—
(A) in the case of a program established
before the date of the enactment of this Act,
not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act; and
(B) in the case of a program not estab-
lished before the date of the enactment of this
Act, not later than 120 days after the date of
establishment of the program;
(2) not later than 60 days after the date of
publication under paragraph (1), after taking into
consideration any public comments received, trans-