To establish Energy Innovation Hubs, and for other purposes.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Energy Innovation Hubs Authorization 
Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. ENERGY INNOVATION HUBS.

    (a) Establishment of Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Energy shall carry out a 
        program to enhance the Nation's economic, environmental, and 
        energy security by making grants to consortia for establishing 
        and operating Energy Innovation Hubs to conduct and support, 
        whenever practicable at one centralized location, 
        multidisciplinary, collaborative research, development, 
        demonstration, and commercial application of advanced energy 
        technologies in areas not being served by the private sector.
            (2) Technology development focus.--The Secretary shall 
        designate for each Hub a unique advanced energy technology 
        development focus.
            (3) Coordination.--The Secretary shall ensure the 
        coordination of, and avoid unnecessary duplication of, the 
        activities of Hubs with those of other Department of Energy 
        research entities, including the National Laboratories, the 
        Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy, and Energy Frontier 
        Research Centers, and within industry. Such coordination shall 
        include convening and consulting with representatives of staff 
        of the Department of Energy, representatives from Hubs and the 
        qualifying entities that are members of the consortia operating 
        the Hubs, and representatives of such other entities as the 
        Secretary considers appropriate, to share research results, 
        program plans, and opportunities for collaboration.
            (4) Administration.--The Secretary shall administer this 
        section with respect to each Hub through the Department program 
        office appropriate to administer the subject matter of the 
        technology development focus assigned under paragraph (2) for 
        the Hub.
    (b) Consortia.--
            (1) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section for the establishment and operation of a Hub, a 
        consortium shall--
                    (A) be composed of no fewer than 2 qualifying 
                entities;
                    (B) operate subject to a binding agreement entered 
                into by its members that documents--
                            (i) the proposed partnership agreement, 
                        including the governance and management 
                        structure of the Hub;
                            (ii) measures to enable cost-effective 
                        implementation of the program under this 
                        section;
                            (iii) a proposed budget, including 
                        financial contributions from non-Federal 
                        sources;
                            (iv) conflict of interest procedures 
                        consistent with subsection (d)(3), all known 
                        material conflicts of interest, and 
                        corresponding mitigation plans;
                            (v) an accounting structure that enables 
                        the Secretary to ensure that the consortium has 
                        complied with the requirements of this section; 
                        and
                            (vi) an external advisory committee 
                        consistent with subsection (d)(2); and
                    (C) operate as a nonprofit organization.
            (2) Application.--A consortium seeking to establish and 
        operate a Hub under this section, acting through a prime 
        applicant, shall transmit to the Secretary an application at 
        such time, in such form, and accompanied by such information as 
        the Secretary shall require, including a detailed description 
        of the elements of the consortium agreement required under 
        paragraph (1)(B).
    (c) Selection and Schedule.--The Secretary shall select consortia 
for grants for the establishment and operation of Hubs through 
competitive selection processes. Grants made to a Hub shall be for a 
period not to exceed 5 years, after which the grant may be renewed, 
subject to a competitive selection process.
    (d) Hub Operations.--
            (1) In general.--Hubs shall conduct or provide for 
        multidisciplinary, collaborative research, development, 
        demonstration, and commercial application of advanced energy 
        technologies within the technology development focus designated 
        for the Hub by the Secretary under subsection (a)(2). Each Hub 
        shall--
                    (A) encourage collaboration and communication among 
                the member qualifying entities of the consortium and 
                awardees by conducting activities whenever practicable 
                at one centralized location;
                    (B) develop and publish on the Department of 
                Energy's website proposed plans and programs;
                    (C) submit an annual report to the Secretary 
                summarizing the Hub's activities, including detailing 
                organizational expenditures, listing external advisory 
                committee members, and describing each project 
                undertaken by the Hub; and
                    (D) monitor project implementation and 
                coordination.
            (2) External advisory committee.--Each Hub shall establish 
        an external advisory committee, the membership of which shall 
        have sufficient expertise to advise and provide guidance on 
        scientific, technical, industry, financial, and research 
        management matters.
            (3) Conflicts of interest.--
                    (A) Procedures.--Hubs shall establish 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, including financial, 
                organizational, and personal conflicts of interest.
                    (B) Disqualification and revocation.--The Secretary 
                may disqualify an application or revoke funds 
                distributed to a Hub if the Secretary discovers a 
                failure to comply with conflict of interest procedures 
                established under subparagraph (A).
    (e) Prohibition on Construction.--No funds provided pursuant to 
this section may be used for construction 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.
    (f) Oversight Board.--The Secretary shall establish and maintain 
within the Department an Oversight Board to oversee the progress of 
Hubs.
    (g) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Advanced energy technology.--The term ``advanced energy 
        technology'' means an innovative technology--
                    (A) that produces energy from solar, wind, 
                geothermal, biomass, tidal, wave, ocean, or other 
                renewable energy resources;
                    (B) that produces nuclear energy;
                    (C) for carbon capture and sequestration; or
                    (D) that generates, transmits, distributes, 
                utilizes, or stores energy more efficiently than 
                conventional technologies.
            (2) Hub.--The term ``Hub'' means an Energy Innovation Hub 
        established in accordance with this section.
            (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (4) Qualifying entity.--The term ``qualifying entity'' 
        means--
                    (A) an institution of higher education;
                    (B) an appropriate State or Federal entity;
                    (C) a nongovernmental organization with expertise 
                in advanced energy technology research, development, 
                demonstration, or commercial application; or
                    (D) any other relevant entity the Secretary 
                considers appropriate.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section--
            (1) $110,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
            (2) $135,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
            (3) $195,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
            (4) $210,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; and
            (5) $210,000,000 for fiscal year 2015.

Summary: Energy Innovation Hubs Authorization Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of Energy to: (1) implement a program to enhance the nation's economic, environmental, and energy security by making grants to nonprofit consortia for establishing and operating Energy Innovation Hubs to conduct and support multidisciplinary, collaborative research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of advanced energy technologies in areas not being served by the private sector; (2) designate for each Hub a unique advanced energy technology development focus; (3) ensure the coordination of the Hub activities with those of other Department of Energy (DOE) research entities; and (4) establish and maintain within DOE an Oversight Board to oversee the progress of Hubs.

Requires each Hub to establish: (1) an advisory committee to provide guidance on scientific, technical, industry, financial, and research management matters; and (2) procedures to ensure that employees and consortia designees for Hub activities who are in decision-making capacities disclose all material conflicts of interest.

Prohibits grant funding from being used for construction of new buildings or facilities for Hubs. Provides that construction of new buildings or facilities is not considered to be part of the non-federal share of a Hub cost-sharing agreement. Defines advanced energy technology to mean an innovative technology: (1) that produces energy from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, tidal, wave, ocean, or other renewable energy resources; (2) that produces nuclear energy; (3) for carbon capture and sequestration; or (4) that generates, transmits, distributes, utilizes, or stores energy more efficiently than conventional technologies.