United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act

Bill: 110-s-838
Sponsor: Sen. Smith, Gordon H. [R-OR]
Introduced: 2007-03-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Alternative energy sources
Commerce
Commercialization
Department of Energy
Economics and Public Finance
Energy efficiency
Energy research
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to research
Government Operations and Politics
International Affairs
International cooperation
International cooperation in science
Israel
Joint ventures
Middle East and North Africa
Research and development
Research grants
Revolving funds
Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-12
text: 
 United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act - Instructs the Secretary of Energy to establish a grant program for a joint venture comprising both Israeli and U.S. private business entities, or both Israeli academic persons (who reside and work in Israel) and U.S. academic persons, to engage in research, development, or commercialization of alternative energy, improved energy efficiency, or renewable energy sources.
 
Requires the Secretary, in operating the grant program, to consult with either the Israel-United States Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) or the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF).
 
 
Establishes in the Treasury as a revolving fund the Energy Research and Development Activities Fund.
 
Establishes in the Department of Energy an International Energy Advisory Board to advise the Secretary on the grant program.

action_date: 2007-09-17
text: 
United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act - (Sec. 3) Instructs the Secretary of Energy, in implementing the &quot;Agreement between the Department of Energy of the United States of America and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of Israel Concerning Energy Cooperation,&quot; to establish a grant program to support research, development, and commercialization of renewable energy or energy efficiency.
 
Authorizes grants to promote: (1) solar energy; (2) biomass energy; (3) energy efficiency; (4) wind energy; (5) geothermal energy; (6) wave and tidal energy; and (7) advanced battery technology.
 
Makes eligible for a grant projects that address improved energy efficiency or renewable energy sources, or joint ventures between either: (1) a for-profit business entity, academic institution, National Laboratory, or nonprofit entity in the United States, and one in Israel; or (3) the federal government and the government of Israel.
 
Directs the Secretary to establish an advisory board to: (1) monitor the grants award process; and (2) provide periodic performance reviews.

Authorizes the Secretary to accept and use funds contributed by any person, government entity, or organization to implement this Act.
 
Requires a grant recipient, upon project completion, to report to the Secretary: (1) the method by which the recipient used the grant funds; and (2) an evaluation of the success of each project.
 
Declares that grants shall be awarded only for projects considered to be unclassified by both the United States and Israel.
 
(Sec. 4) Sunsets the grant program and the advisory committee seven years after enactment of this Act.
 
(Sec. 5) Requires the Secretary to use specified funds authorized for appropriation under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to implement this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-09-17
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 374.
action_date: 2007-09-17
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 110-176.
action_date: 2007-09-17
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 110-176.
action_date: 2007-07-25
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2007-05-22
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on Energy. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 110-112.
action_date: 2007-03-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-03-12
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3001-3002)
action_date: 2007-03-12
text: Introduced in Senate