Fulfilling U.S. Energy Leadership Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1220
Sponsor: Sen. Conrad, Kent [D-ND]
Introduced: 2011-06-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advanced technology and technological innovations
Advisory bodies
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Agriculture and Food
Air quality
Alabama
Alternative and renewable resources
Appropriations
Building construction
Business investment and capital
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Coal
Congressional oversight
Consumer affairs
Department of Energy
Department of the Interior
Electric power generation and transmission
Employment and training programs
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy prices
Energy research
Energy revenues and royalties
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental regulatory procedures
Environmental technology
Executive agency funding and structure
Florida
Georgia
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Gulf of Mexico
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Hybrid, electric, and advanced technology vehicles
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Infrastructure development
Land use and conservation
Louisiana
Manufacturing
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine pollution
Marketing and advertising
Materials
Metals
Mississippi
Motor vehicles
North Carolina
Nuclear power
Oil and gas
Pipelines
Public contracts and procurement
Public utilities and utility rates
Research administration and funding
Research and development
Rural conditions and development
Sales and excise taxes
Securities
Solid waste and recycling
South Carolina
State and local government operations
Taxation
Technology transfer and commercialization
Texas
Transportation programs funding
Unemployment
Virginia

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-16
text: 
Fulfilling U.S. Energy Leadership Act of 2011 - Sets forth energy production programs for: (1)advanced and plug-in vehicle deployment, (2) research and development (R&D) for advanced batteries and raw materials, (3) tax credits for advanced and fuel-efficient motor vehicles, (4) oil and gas development on the outer Continental Shelf (OCS), (5) alternative fuel deployment, (6) clean sources of electricity, (7) financing clean energy initiatives, and (8) rural energy savings.
 
Directs the Secretary of Energy (Secretary) to conduct an R&D and commercial application program for alternative fuel transportation technology. 
 
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to direct the Secretary promulgate regulations governing reduced petroleum consumption by the federal fleet 
 
Establishes within the Department of Energy (DOE) a national plug-in electric drive vehicle deployment program. 
 
Directs the Secretary to implement a national assessment and develop a national plan for plug-in electric drive vehicle deployment.
 
Establishes a communities program for targeted plug-in electric drive vehicle deployment. 
 
Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) an R&D funding program for technologies supporting the development, manufacture, and deployment of plug-in electric drive vehicles and related charging infrastructure; (2) a clean energy standard that promotes the use of renewable and other low-carbon sources of electricity; and (3) the Next Step Energy Storage Research Center.
 
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study the supply of raw materials.
 
Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act to require electric utilities to develop a plan to support the use of plug-in electric drive vehicles, including medium- and heavy-duty hybrid electric vehicles. 
 
Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to require the Secretary to guarantee loans for specified automotive battery purchases that use advanced battery technology. Authorizes loan guarantees also for renewable fuel pipelines. 
 
Establishes the Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Technical Advisory Committee.
 
Directs the President to establish the Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Interagency Task Force.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) modify criteria for consumer tax credits for advanced vehicles; (2) allow a tax credit for certain new fuel-efficient motor vehicles; (3) allow an idling reduction tax credit; (4) revise excise tax credits based on the price of crude oil; (4) modify the alternative fuel vehicle refueling property credit; (5) extend the tax credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel; (6) prescribe a special rule for systems installed on coal-fired electric generation units; (7) allow a tax credit for carbon sequestration from coal facilities; (8) modify the tax credit for carbon dioxide sequestration; (9) create a clean energy coal bond; (10) allow seven-year accelerated depreciation for new nuclear power facilities; (11) allow a tax credit for advanced energy manufacturing; (12) modify and extend the tax credit for steel industry fuel; and (13) extend the tax credit for producing fuel from coke or coke gas.
 
Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to offer for leasing any moratorium area in the Gulf of Mexico more than 50 miles off the coastline.
 
Prohibits the export of oil and natural gas produced on the OCS.
 
Establishes the Alternative Fuel Trust Fund.
 
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to: (1) instruct the Secretary of Energy to conduct a seismic inventory of oil and natural gas, and prepare a summary of marine resources on the OCS in the Atlantic Region, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and the Alaska Region; (2) authorize appropriations for bioenergy research and development, (3) set forth a large-scale carbon storage program, (4) authorize appropriations for nuclear energy workforce training, and (5) require a small modular reactor initiative.
 
Amends the OCSLA to establish the Offshore Safety Bureau.
 
Increases loan guarantees for nuclear power and other innovative sources.
 
Establishes an interagency working group to promote a domestic manufacturing base for nuclear components and equipment.
 
Establishes: (1) the Clean Energy Investment Fund, and (2) the Clean Energy Deployment Administration.
 
Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to instruct the Secretary of Agriculture to make loans to eligible entities that agree to use such funds to make loans to qualified consumers for the purpose of implementing energy efficiency measures.
 
Extends the tax deduction for energy-efficient commercial buildings and the tax credits for energy-efficient homes (new and existing) and energy-efficient appliances.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2011-06-16
text: Introduced in Senate