or applied research with technical applications to en-
able promising discoveries or inventions to achieve 
commercial application of energy technology. 
(c) ROLE
OF
THE
SECRETARY.—The Secretary 
shall— 
(1) have ultimate responsibility for, and over-
sight of, all aspects of the program under this sec-
tion; 
(2) select recipients of grants for the establish-
ment and operation of Consortia through a competi-
tive selection process; 
(3) coordinate the innovation activities of Con-
sortia with those occurring through other Depart-
ment of Energy entities, including the National Lab-
oratories, the Advanced Research Projects Agency— 
Energy, Energy Innovation Hubs, and Energy Fron-
tier Research Collaborations, and within industry, 
including by annually— 
(A) issuing guidance regarding national 
energy research and development priorities and 
strategic objectives; and 
(B) convening a conference of staff of the 
Department of Energy and representatives from 
such other entities to share research results, 
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program plans, and opportunities for collabora-
tion. 
(d) ENTITIES ELIGIBLE FOR SUPPORT.—A consor-
tium shall be eligible to receive support under this section 
if— 
(1) it is composed of— 
(A) 2 research universities with a com-
bined annual research budget of $500,000,000; 
and 
(B) 1 or more additional qualifying enti-
ties; 
(2) its members have established a binding 
agreement that documents— 
(A) the structure of the partnership agree-
ment; 
(B) a governance and management struc-
ture to enable cost-effective implementation of 
the program; 
(C) a conflicts of interest policy consistent 
with subsection (e)(1)(B); 
(D) an accounting structure that meets the 
requirements of the Department of Energy and 
can be audited under subsection (f)(4); and 
(E) that it has an External Advisory Com-
mittee consistent with subsection (e)(3); 
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(3) it receives funding from States, consortium 
participants, or other non-Federal sources, to be 
used to support project awards pursuant to sub-
section (e); 
(4) it is part of an existing cluster or dem-
onstrates high potential to develop a new cluster; 
and 
(5) it operates as a nonprofit organization. 
(e) CLEAN ENERGY CONSORTIA.— 
(1) 
ROLE.—A 
Consortium 
shall 
support 
translational research activities leading to commer-
cial application of clean energy technologies, in ac-
cordance with the purposes of this section, through 
issuance of awards to projects managed by quali-
fying entities and other entities meeting the Consor-
tium’s project criteria. Each Consortium shall— 
(A) develop and make available to the pub-
lic through the Department of Energy’s Web 
site proposed plans, programs, project selection 
criteria, and terms for individual project awards 
under this subsection; 
(B) establish conflict of interest proce-
dures, consistent with those of the Department 
of Energy, to ensure that employees and des-
ignees for Consortium activities who are in deci-
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sionmaking capacities disclose all material con-
flicts of interest, including financial, organiza-
tional, and personal conflicts of interest; 
(C) establish policies— 
(i) to prevent resources provided to 
the Consortium from being used to dis-
place 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 energy 
technologies to perform due diligence on 
award proposals, to participate in the 
award review process, and to provide guid-
ance to projects supported by the Consor-
tium; and 
(iii) to facilitate the participation of 
parties with a demonstrated history of 
commercial application of clean energy 
technologies in the development of Consor-
tium projects; 
(D) oversee project solicitations, review 
proposed projects, and select projects for 
awards; and 
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(E) monitor project implementation. 
(2) DISTRIBUTION
OF
AWARDS.—Consortia, 
with prior approval of the Secretary, shall distribute 
awards under this subsection to support clean en-
ergy technology projects conducting translational re-
search, provided that at least 50 percent of such 
support shall be provided to projects related to a 
Consortium’s clean energy technology development 
focus. Upon approval by the Secretary, all remaining 
funds shall be available to support any clean energy 
technology projects conducting translational re-
search. 
(3) EXTERNAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Each Consortium shall 
establish an External Advisory Committee, the 
members of which shall have extensive and rel-
evant scientific, technical, industry, financial, or 
research management expertise. The External 
Advisory Committee shall review the Consor-
tium’s proposed plans, programs, project selec-
tion criteria, and projects and shall ensure that 
projects selected for awards meet the conflict of 
interest policies of the Consortium. External 
Advisory Committee members other than those 
representing Consortium members shall serve 
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for no more than 3 years. All External Advisory 
Committee members shall comply with the Con-
sortium’s conflict of interest policies and proce-
dures. 
(B) MEMBERS.—The External Advisory 
Committee shall consist of— 
(i) 5 members selected by the Consor-
tium’s research universities; 
(ii) 2 members selected by the Consor-
tium’s other qualifying entities; 
(iii) 2 members selected at large by 
other External Advisory Committee mem-
bers to represent the entrepreneur and 
venture capital communities; and 
(iv) 1 member appointed by the Sec-
retary. 
(4) CONFLICT
OF
INTEREST.—The Secretary 
may disqualify an application or revoke funds dis-
tributed to a Consortium if the Secretary discovers 
a failure to comply with conflict of interest proce-
dures established under paragraph (1)(B). 
(f) GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make 
grants under this section in accordance with section 
989 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
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16353). The Secretary shall award grants, on a 
competitive basis, to 6 regional Consortia, each for 
an initial period not to exceed 5 years. The Sec-
retary may extend the term of such award by up to 
5 additional years, and a Consortium may compete 
to receive an increase in funding that it shall receive 
during any such extension. A Consortium shall be el-
igible to compete for a new award after the expira-
tion of the term of any award, including any exten-
sion of such term, under this subsection. 
(2) AMOUNT.—Grants under this subsection 
shall be in an aggregate amount not greater than 
$120,000,000 per fiscal year. 
(3) USE.—Grants distributed under this section 
shall be used exclusively to support project awards 
pursuant to subsection (e)(1) and (2), provided that 
a Consortium may use not more than 10 percent of 
the amount of its grant for its administrative ex-
penses related to making such awards. Grants made 
under this section shall not be used for construction 
of new buildings or facilities, and construction of 
new buildings or facilities shall not be considered as 
part of the non-Federal share of a cost sharing 
agreement under this section. 
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(4) AUDIT.—Consortia shall conduct, in accord-
ance with such requirements as the Secretary may 
prescribe, annual audits to determine the extent to 
which grants distributed to Consortia under this 
subsection, and awards under subsection (e), have 
been utilized in a manner consistent with this sec-
tion. Auditors shall transmit a report of the results 
of each audit to the Secretary and to the Govern-
ment Accountability Office. The Secretary shall in-
clude such reports in an annual report to Congress, 
along with a plan to remedy any deficiencies cited in 
the reports. The Government Accountability Office 
may review such audits as appropriate and shall 
have full access to the books, records, and personnel 
of Consortia to ensure that grants distributed to 
Consortia under this subsection, and awards made 
under subsection (e), have been utilized in a manner 
consistent with this section. 
(5) REVOCATION OF AWARDS.—The Secretary 
shall have authority to review awards made under 
this subsection and to revoke such awards if the Sec-
retary determines that a Consortium has used the 
award in a manner not consistent with the require-
ments of this section. 
Æ 
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