213 
(2) CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.— 
(A) PROCEDURES.—Hubs shall maintain 
conflict of interest procedures, consistent with 
those of the Department of Energy, to ensure 
that employees and consortia designees for Hub 
activities who are in decisionmaking capacities 
disclose all material conflicts of interest. 
(B) 
DISQUALIFICATION
AND
REVOCA-
TION.—The Secretary may disqualify an appli-
cation or revoke funds distributed to a Hub if 
the Secretary discovers a failure to comply with 
conflict of interest procedures established under 
subparagraph (A). 
(3) PROHIBITION ON CONSTRUCTION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—No funds provided pur-
suant to this section may be used for construc-
tion of new buildings or facilities for Hubs. 
Construction of new buildings or facilities shall 
not be considered as part of the non-Federal 
share of a Hub cost-sharing agreement. 
(B) TEST BED AND RENOVATION EXCEP-
TION.—Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit 
the use of funds provided pursuant to this sec-
tion, or non-Federal cost share funds, for re-
search or for the construction of a test bed or 
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214 
renovations to existing buildings or facilities for 
the purposes of research if the Secretary deter-
mines that the test bed or renovations are lim-
ited to a scope and scale necessary for the re-
search to be conducted. 
(e) TERMINATION.—Consistent with the existing au-
thorities of the Department, the Secretary may terminate 
an underperforming Hub for cause during the perform-
ance period. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 
(1) ADVANCED
ENERGY
TECHNOLOGY.—The 
term ‘‘advanced energy technology’’ means— 
(A) an innovative technology— 
(i) that produces energy from solar, 
wind, geothermal, biomass, tidal, wave, 
ocean, or other renewable energy resources; 
(ii) that produces nuclear energy; 
(iii) for carbon capture and sequestra-
tion; 
(iv) that enables advanced vehicles, 
vehicle components, and related tech-
nologies that result in significant energy 
savings; 
(v) that generates, transmits, distrib-
utes, utilizes, or stores energy more effi-
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ciently than conventional technologies, in-
cluding through Smart Grid technologies; 
or 
(vi) that enhances the energy inde-
pendence and security of the United States 
by enabling improved or expanded supply 
and production of domestic energy re-
sources, including coal, oil, and natural 
gas; 
(B) research, development, demonstration, 
and commercial application activities necessary 
to ensure the long-term, secure, and sustainable 
supply of energy critical elements; or 
(C) another innovative energy technology 
area identified by the Secretary. 
(2) ENERGY
CRITICAL
ELEMENT.—The term 
‘‘energy critical element’’ means any of a class of 
chemical elements that have a high risk of a supply 
disruption and are critical to one or more new, en-
ergy-related technologies such that a shortage of 
such element would significantly inhibit large-scale 
deployment of technologies that produce, transmit, 
store, or conserve energy. 
(3) HUB.—The term ‘‘Hub’’ means an Energy 
Innovation Hub established or operating in accord-
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