Oil Independence for a Stronger America Act of 2010

Bill: 111-s-3601
Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced: 2010-07-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Air quality
Alternative and renewable resources
Building construction
Business investment and capital
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Commuting
Congressional oversight
Department of Transportation
Education programs funding
Electric power generation and transmission
Employment and training programs
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy research
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental technology
Executive Office of the President
Executive agency funding and structure
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Higher education
Hybrid, electric, and advanced technology vehicles
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Land use and conservation
Lighting and heating
Lighting, heating, cooling
Manufacturing
Motor fuels
Motor vehicles
Oil and gas
Public contracts and procurement
Public utilities and utility rates
Railroads
Research and development
Residential rehabilitation and home repair
Roads and highways
Securities
Solid waste and recycling
Vocational and technical education

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-15
text: 
Oil Independence for a Stronger America Act of 2010 - Establishes in the Executive Office of the President a national energy security program to coordinate federal activities and policies to reduce oil consumption by 8 million barrels per day by calendar 2030. Directs the President to develop a national oil independence plan to meet or exceed such goal.
 
Establishes also in the Executive Office a National Energy Security Council to assist and advise the President in setting and meeting the national oil independence goal.
 
Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate joint regulations establishing corporate average fuel economy standards and greenhouse gas emissions limitations for: (1) light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles manufactured for each of model years 2017-2030; and (2) nonroad vehicles.
 
Establishes within the Department of Energy (DOE) a national electric drive vehicle deployment program and a targeted electric drive vehicle deployment communities program.
 
Requires the Secretary of Energy to develop a national plan for electric drive vehicle deployment, including specified goals for deployment of plug-in electric drive vehicles.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a refundable personal tax credit to a qualified deployment community taxpayer who purchases a new qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle and resides in a selected deployment community; (2) revise the new qualified hybrid motor vehicle credit; and (3) extend and revise the credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property.
 
Creates tax-exempt qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle refueling property bonds.
 
Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to require each electric utility to develop a plan to support the use of plug-in electric drive vehicles.
 
 
Requires the Federal Energy Management Program and the General Services Administration (GSA) to assess the conversion of federal government fleets to plug-in electric drive vehicles. Directs the GSA Administrator to acquire such vehicles and charging infrastructure and deploy them in a range of locations in the federal fleet.
 
Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish the Advanced Batteries for Tomorrow Prize to advance research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of a 500-mile vehicle battery. Creates in the Treasury a 500-mile Battery Fund.
 
 
Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish a research and development funding program for advanced batteries, electric drive vehicle components, electric drive infrastructure, and other related technologies.
 
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to study and report to Congress on the supply of raw materials needed for the manufacture of plug-in electric drive vehicles, batteries, and related components and for supporting infrastructure.
 
Establishes the Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Technical Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary of Energy.
 
Directs the President to establish a Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Interagency Task Force.
 
Requires disposal of an advanced battery from a plug-in electric drive vehicle in accordance with the Solid Waste Disposal Act.
 
Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to direct the Secretary of Energy to guarantee loans to eligible entities for the aggregate purchase of not fewer than 200 qualified automotive batteries (designed for use in qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles but purchased for nonautomotive applications) in a calendar year with a total minimum power rating of one megawatt and advanced battery technology.
 
Requires the Secretary of Energy to: (1) develop and publish model building codes, permitting and inspection processes, and zoning or parking rules; and (2) award grants to institutions of higher education and others for programs to train and educate vocational workforce through centers of excellence.
 
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for grid-interactive plug-in vehicles.
 
Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the EPA Administrator to promulgate regulations to establish: (1) national transportation-related goals for reducing oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions; and (2) standardized models and related methods for states, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and air quality agencies to address oil savings and emission reduction goals.
 
Requires metropolitan planning areas and states to develop surface transportation-related oil savings and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, as well as strategies to meet those targets.
 
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to distribute funds to states and MPOs for investing in transportation greenhouse gas emission reduction programs.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase to $230 the amount of qualified transportation fringe (commuter) benefits excluded from an employee's gross income.
 
Makes it the goal of the United States to shift at least 10% of freight shipped by truck to rail or marine shipping by calendar 2020.
 
Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop a national freight transportation options plan; and (2) make grants to states for the capital costs of facilities, infrastructure, and equipment for high priority rail corridor projects necessary to reduce congestion in freight rail transportation.
 
Requires the Comptroller General to study and reported to specified congressional committees on the benefits and costs of electrification of rail corridors.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an investment tax credit for advanced biofuel facilities as well as grants in lieu of credits for advanced biofuel facility property (under division B of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009). Includes algae-based biofuel in the definition of cellulosic biofuel. Extends: (1) the cellulosic biofuel producer credit; (2) the special allowance for cellulosic biofuel plant property; (3) certain credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel; and (4) alcohol fuels tax credits.
 
Allows a tax credit for qualified natural gas motor vehicles, and creates tax-exempt natural gas vehicle bonds. Allows an expensing deduction for manufacturing facilities producing vehicles fueled by compressed or liquefied natural gas.
 Directs the GSA Administrator to study and report to Congress on means of increasing the number of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas vehicles in the federal fleet.
 
Establishes in DOE an Energy Efficiency Improvement for Heating Oil, Propane, and Kerosene Program to fund state participation in programs operated by a national oilheat research alliance or the Propane Education and Research Council to carry out cost-effective energy efficiency programs for homes and buildings that use home heating oil, propane, and kerosene.
 
Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a renewable biomass thermal energy loan program of grants to states to support financial assistance by qualified program delivery entities to replace with certain wood or wood-pellet fired boilers any thermal energy systems in commercial or multifamily residential buildings that use heating oil or another petroleum product.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2010-07-15
text: Introduced in Senate