I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1806
To provide for the consolidation of the Office of Fossil Energy and the
Office of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of the Department
of Energy.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 5, 1997
Mr. DOYLE (for himself, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr. ROE-
MER, Mr. MOLLOHAN, Mr. COYNE, Mr. COBURN, Mr. GORDON, Mr.
KLINK, Mr. MASCARA, Mr. NEY, Mr. FOLEY, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. ENG-
LISH of Pennsylvania, and Mr. ROHRABACHER) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science
A BILL
To provide for the consolidation of the Office of Fossil En-
ergy and the Office of Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency of the Department of Energy.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil
Energy and Office of Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency are organizationally similar in most areas,
using such procedures as project management, con-
tract authority, grants and contract utilization, and
in-house research and development to meet the en-
ergy research needs of the United States;
(2) the goals of these offices are similar, and
the energy technology missions and objectives over-
lap in areas such as advanced materials, biomass, al-
ternative fuels, high-temperature superconductivity,
and hydrogen;
(3) a unified organizational structure for these
offices could provide appropriate direction and over-
sight of their programmatic work;
(4) a unified organizational structure provides
opportunities to eliminate duplicate work, improve
program integration, and achieve savings in such
crosscutting areas as program planning, policy anal-
ysis, external communications, and administrative
services;
(5) these efficiencies can be achieved without
compromising the Department’s in-house research
and development activities; and
(6) better use could be made of the resources
available in the field offices of these energy offices,
improving collaboration and clarifying the distinction
between operational issues and programmatic issues.
SEC. 2. CONSOLIDATION.
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Before October 1, 1998, the
Secretary of Energy shall consolidate the Office of Fossil
Energy and the Office of Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency into an Office of Energy Technology. Such con-
solidation shall be carried out in a manner that minimizes
delay and disruption to ongoing energy research, develop-
ment, and demonstration programs.
(b) ADMINISTRATIVE CONSOLIDATION.—Through in-
creased efficiencies resulting from the elimination of dupli-
cation of functions in such areas as program planning, pol-
icy analysis, external communications, and administrative
services, the consolidation carried out under subsection (a)
shall result by October 1, 1998, in a reduction by 25 of
the number of headquarters employees, determined on a
full-time equivalent basis, as compared to personnel levels
on the date of the enactment of this Act at the head-
quarters of the two offices being consolidated.
(c) ASSISTANT SECRETARY
FOR ENERGY TECH-
NOLOGY.—(1) There shall be appointed an Assistant Sec-
retary of Energy for Energy Technology, whose duties
shall include the preparation and transmittal to Congress
of the documents required under section 3, and the direc-
tion and supervision of the Office of Energy Technology
established pursuant to this section.
(2) Section 203(a) of the Department of Energy Or-
ganization Act (42 U.S.C. 7133(a)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘eight’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘seven’’.
SEC. 3. POLICY AND PROGRAM PLANS.
The Assistant Secretary for Energy Technology shall,
within 6 months after the date of the enactment of this
Act, prepare and transmit to the Congress—
(1) a strategic plan and policy agenda for the
Office of Energy Technology; and
(2) a multiyear program plan for that Office for
fiscal years 1999 through 2003, including a com-
prehensive strategy for increasing the use of re-
sources available in field offices.
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