American Alternative Fuels Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2036
Sponsor: Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9]
Introduced: 2011-05-26 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advanced technology and technological innovations
Air quality
Alternative and renewable resources
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Congressional oversight
Department of Defense
Electric power generation and transmission
Government lending and loan guarantees
Hybrid, electric, and advanced technology vehicles
Military procurement, research, weapons development
Public contracts and procurement

Summary:
action_date: 2011-05-26
text: 
American Alternative Fuels Act of 2011 - Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal the requirement that any federal agency procurement contract for an alternative or synthetic fuel, including those from nonconventional petroleum sources, for any mobility-related use (except research or testing) specify that lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with the fuel must, on an ongoing basis, be less than or equal to such emissions from equivalent conventional fuel produced from conventional petroleum sources.
 
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to: (1) require the Secretary of Energy to report to certain congressional committees the reasons for any delayed approval of an application for a loan guarantee for a substitute natural gas, chemical feedstock, or liquid transportation fuel project; and (2) make certain substitute natural gas production facilities eligible for loan guarantees.
 
Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as an algae-based fuel incentive when calculating the applicable volume of renewable fuel for each calendar year, to consider each gallon of renewable biomass produced from algae to be equal to three gallons of renewable fuel if the algae-based fuel was produced using carbon dioxide captured in a manner that prevented its uncontrolled release into the atmosphere during a separate energy production process.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Defense (DOD), the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the Air Force, the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to enter into multiyear procurement contracts for alternative fuels, subject to certain requirements. 
 
Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the permitting authority, when establishing the best available control technology for a major emitting facility that is an electric generating facility located in a region in which demand for electricity has increased significantly due to the volume of electric vehicles, to take into account the extent to which emissions of a pollutant have been reduced as a result of the increased use of such vehicles.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-06-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.
action_date: 2011-06-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform .
action_date: 2011-06-09
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
action_date: 2011-06-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
action_date: 2011-05-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, and Science, Space, and Technology, 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: 2011-05-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, and Science, Space, and Technology, 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: 2011-05-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, and Science, Space, and Technology, 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: 2011-05-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, and Science, Space, and Technology, 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: 2011-05-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-05-26
text: Introduced in House