Energy Research, Development, Demonstration, and Commercial Application Act of 2006

Bill: 109-hr-5656
Sponsor: Rep. Biggert, Judy [R-IL-13]
Introduced: 2006-06-21 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Agricultural colleges
Agricultural extension work
Agriculture and Food
Air pollution control
Alcohol as fuel
Alternative energy sources
Architecture
Armed Forces and National Security
Arms control
Arts, Culture, Religion
Biomass energy
Black colleges
Building construction
Carbon dioxide
Cellulose
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Coal
Cogeneration of electric power and heat
Commercialization
Congress
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Cost accounting
Cost effectiveness
Curricula
Department of Energy
Diesel motor
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Electric batteries
Electric power production
Electric vehicles
Energy conservation
Energy efficiency
Energy research
Energy storage
Engineering
Environmental Protection
Executive reorganization
Federal aid to education
Federal aid to research
Federal aid to transportation
Fuel cells
Genetic engineering
Geothermal resources
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Governmental investigations
Graduate education
Grants-in-aid
Higher education
Hydroelectric power
Hydrogen
Infrastructure
Laboratories
Mercury
Minorities
Minority education
Motor vehicle pollution control
Natural gas vehicles
Nitrogen oxides
Nuclear fuels
Nuclear nonproliferation
Nuclear power
Nuclear reactors
Ocean energy resources
Plastics
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Radioactive wastes
Recycling of waste products
Research and development
Research and development facilities
Research grants
Scholarships
Science, Technology, Communications
Smog
Solar energy
Sulphur
Sulphur dioxide
Technological innovations
Technology transfer
Transportation and Public Works
Waste reduction
Wind power

Summary:
action_date: 2006-06-21
text: 
Energy Research, Development, Demonstration, and Commercial Application Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to implement the following energy research, development and commercial application projects: (1) advanced clean coal energy technology; (2) advanced nuclear fuel cycle technologies for generating electricity and industrial process heat from nuclear power; (3) advanced battery technologies for use in motor vehicles, particularly for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; (4) production of liquid fuels from biomass; (5) technologies to enable practical onboard storage of hydrogen for use as a fuel for light-duty motor vehicles; (6) advanced solar photovoltaic technologies; and (7) advanced wind energy technologies.
 
Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary to conduct a research, development, and commercial application program on technologies needed for the development of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
 
Solar Utilization Now Demonstration Act of 2006, or the SUN Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary to establish a grants program: (1) for states to demonstrate advanced photovoltaic technology; (2) for businesses and organizations for new construction or renovation of energy efficient buildings; and (3) for Cooperative Extension services or offices, states, local governments, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit institutions with expertise in energy research or extension to conduct activities to transfer knowledge and information about advanced energy technologies that increase efficiency of energy use.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to contribute funds to the National Science Foundation: (1) for the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program; and (2) for improvement of interdisciplinary engineering and architecture education related to the design and construction of high performance buildings.
 
Directs the Secretary to arrange with the National Academy of Sciences to study and make further recommendations to Congress on the October 2005 National Academy of Sciences recommendation to establish an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).

action_date: 2006-07-28
text: 
Energy Research, Development, Demonstration, and Commercial Application Act of 2006 - (Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary of Energy to implement the following energy research, development and commercial application (RDCA) projects: (1) advanced clean coal energy (FutureGen) technology; (2) advanced nuclear fuel cycle technologies for generating electricity and industrial process heat from nuclear power; (3) advanced battery technologies for use in motor vehicles, particularly for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; (4) production of motor and other liquid fuels from biomass; (5) technologies to enable practical onboard storage of hydrogen for use as a fuel for light-duty motor vehicles; (6) advanced solar photovoltaic technologies; and (7) advanced wind energy technologies.
 
(Sec. 8) Authorizes appropriations for: (1) for advanced biofuel technologies for FY2007-FY2009; and (2) advanced solar photovoltaic and wind energy technologies for FY2007-FY2010.
 
(Sec. 9) Directs the Secretary to continue to implement RDCA and demonstration activities previously authorized in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 for: (1) distributed energy; (2) micro-cogeneration technology; (3) geothermal energy; (4) hydropower; and (5) ocean energy.
 
(Sec. 10) Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct an RDCA program for technologies needed in the development of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and electric drive transportation; and (2) establish a pilot plug-in hybrid electric vehicle demonstration program to provide up to 25 competitive grants annually to governmental and public entities, and metropolitan transportation authorities. Authorizes appropriations for FY2007-FY2011.
 
(Sec. 11) Solar Utilization Now Demonstration Act of 2006, or the SUN Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary to establish a grants program for states to demonstrate advanced photovoltaic technology. Authorizes appropriations for FY2007-FY2011.
 
(Sec. 12) Directs the Secretary to establish a grants program for businesses and organizations for new construction or renovation of energy efficient buildings (giving due consideration to proposals for buildings that are likely to serve low and moderate income populations). Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012.
 
(Sec. 13) Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to revise requirements for the Advanced Energy Technology Transfer Centers grant program.
 
Includes the cooperative extension services of land-grant colleges and universities among eligible grant recipients. Requires a geographically dispersed network of such Centers.
 

 

 
Gives grant priority to applicants already operating or partnered with an outreach program capable of transferring knowledge and information about advanced energy efficiency methods and technologies.
 
Requires the Secretary to ensure that, to the extent practicable, the program enables the transfer of knowledge and information about a variety of technologies and in a variety of geographic areas.
 
Requires preference be given to applicants that would significantly expand on or fill a gap in existing programs in a geographical region.
 
Specifies activities grant funds may be used for, as well as minimum application requirements.
 
Makes the initial grant period five years, which may be extended an additional three years for grantees receiving a positive evaluation.
 
Prohibits the use of grant funds for construction of facilities.
 
(Sec. 14) Authorizes the Secretary to contribute (grant) funds to the National Science Foundation for: (1) the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (Green Education) program; and (2) improvement of interdisciplinary engineering and architecture education related to the design and construction of high performance buildings.
 
Directs the Secretary give grant fund: (1) priority to applications from departments, programs, or centers of a school of engineering partnered with schools, departments, or programs of design, architecture, and city, regional, or urban planning; and (2) due consideration to applications from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority serving institutions.
 
(Sec. 15) Directs the Secretary to arrange with the National Academy of Sciences to study and make further recommendations to Congress regarding its October 2005 recommendation to establish an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
 

 
(Sec. 16) Directs the Secretary to establish a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of coal gasification facilities that convert coal into pipeline quality gaseous fuels for direct use or subsequent chemical or physical conversion.
 
(Sec. 17) Directs the Secretary to implement a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of additives to alternative biobased fuels and Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuels to make them more compatible with existing infrastructure used to store and deliver petroleum-based fuels to the point of final sale. 
 
Requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop a physical properties data base and standard reference materials for alternative fuels, maintained and updated as additional alternative fuels become available.
 
(Sec. 18) Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to authorize allocation of appropriations for FY2007-FY2009 for renewable energy RDCA and demonstration programs.
 
Directs the Secretary, in making awards for the program to demonstrate the commercial application of integrated biorefineries, to encourage the commercial application of technologies for biodegradable natural plastics made from biomass. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-07-28
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 352.
action_date: 2006-07-28
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science. H. Rept. 109-611.
action_date: 2006-07-28
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science. H. Rept. 109-611.
action_date: 2006-06-27
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2006-06-27
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2006-06-21
text: Referred to the House Committee on Science.
action_date: 2006-06-21
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-06-21
text: Introduced in House