Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Energy Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-821
Sponsor: Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA]
Introduced: 2003-04-08 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Alternative energy sources
Biomass energy
Building construction
Commerce
Condominium (Housing)
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Cooperative housing
Corporation taxes
Depreciation and amortization
Economics and Public Finance
Electric vehicles
Energy efficiency
Energy research
Energy storage
Energy transportation
Environmental Protection
Executive reorganization
Federal advisory bodies
Federal installations
Federal office buildings
Fuel
Fuel cells
Fuel consumption
Government Operations and Politics
Government procurement
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Heating
Housing and Community Development
Hydrogen
Income tax
International Affairs
International cooperation in science
Motor vehicle pollution control
Motor vehicles
Research and development
Science, Technology, Communications
Service stations
Solar energy
Sustainable development
Tax credits
Tax deductions
Taxation
Technology transfer
Transportation and Public Works
Trucks
Wind power

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: 
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Energy Act of 2003 - George E. Brown, Jr. and Robert S. Walker Hydrogen Future Act of 2003 - Reauthorizes through FY 2010 and revises the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990 to emphasize fuel cell research, development, and demonstration activities.
 

 
Renames the Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Technical Advisory Panel.
 
Directs the President shall establish an interagency task force to coordinate Federal hydrogen and fuel cell energy activities.
 

 
Directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct a public education program designed to increase public interest in and acceptance of hydrogen energy and fuel cell technologies.
 
Mandates implementation of pilot projects to demonstrate the viability of: (1) fuel cells and associated hydrogen fueling infrastructure; (2) hydrogen-powered vehicles and hydrogen fueling infrastructure along major transportation routes or in entire regions; and (3) fuel cells and associated hydrogen fueling infrastructure in foreign countries. Requires a program of demonstration projects to test the technical and commercial viability of hydrogen production from renewable resources.
 
Amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to direct the Secretary to revise Federal building energy efficiency performance standards to require the use of fuel cells as a primary power source in new Federal buildings.
 
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to prescribe increasing percentages of zero-emission vehicles in Federal fleets from ten percent in FY 2007 up to 75 percent in FY 2013.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide as a credit against tax for: (1) acquisition of fuel cell and hydrogen motor vehicles; (2) installation of qualified hydrogen-fuel vehicle refueling property; (3) retail sale of hydrogen fuel as motor vehicle fuel; and (4) expenditures for energy-efficient building property, both business and nonbusiness.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4969-4970)
action_date: 2003-04-08
text: Introduced in Senate