Electric Transportation Advancement Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-2234
Sponsor: Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-17]
Introduced: 2009-05-04 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advanced technology and technological innovations
Advisory bodies
Air quality
Alternative and renewable resources
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Electric power generation and transmission
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy research
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental technology
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Hybrid, electric, and advanced technology vehicles
Oil and gas
Research administration and funding
Research and development
Technology transfer and commercialization
Transportation programs funding

Summary:
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: 
Electric Transportation Advancement Act of 2009 - Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to direct the Secretary of Energy to make loans as well as (under current law) grants for qualified electric transportation projects, especially near-term projects.
 
Directs the Secretary to inventory existing electric transportation technologies and hybrid transportation technologies and markets and implement methods of promoting them.
 
Directs the Secretary to: (1) work with utilities to develop low-cost, simple methods of using off-peak electricity or managing on-peak electricity use; (2) develop systems to enable plug-in electric drive vehicles to enhance the availability of emergency back-up power for consumers and work with utilities to study and demonstrate the implications of the introduction of plug-in electric drive vehicles and other types of electric transportation technology on electrical production from renewable resources; and (3) study and demonstrate the potential value to the electric grid of using energy stored in on-board storage systems of plug-in electric drive vehicles. 
 
Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a program to certify: (1) emissions of criteria pollutants, fuel economy, and petroleum usage of plug-in hybrid electric drive vehicles; and (2) emissions reductions, fuel economy improvements, and petroleum usage reductions from other forms of electric transportation technology.
 
Requires the EPA Administrator to establish a task force to recommend certification protocols.
 
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to study and report to Congress on the benefits of and barriers to the widespread deployment of City Cars with performance capability that exceeds that of low-speed vehicles but is less than that of passenger vehicles, and that may be battery electric, fuel cell electric, or plug-in hybrid electric drive vehicles.
 
Directs the EPA Administrator to: (1) recommend to Congress how vehicle fuel definitions may be changed to be fuel and technology neutral; and (2) report to Congress on how petroleum, emissions, and pollutant reductions may be incorporated into the fuel and technology neutral emissions reduction program. 
 
Limits the amount of certain electric vehicle energy storage research and development funding available to the National Laboratories.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-05-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
action_date: 2009-05-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: Referred to House Science and Technology
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Science and Technology, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-05-04
text: Introduced in House