A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to assemble a team of technical, policy, and financial experts to address the energy needs of the insular areas of the United States and the Freely Associated States through the development of energy action plans aimed at promoting access to affordable, reliable energy, including increasing use of indigenous clean-energy resources, and for other purposes.

Bill: 113-s-2986
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI]
Introduced: 2014-12-04
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: American Samoa

Energy efficiency and conservation

Energy storage, supplies, demand

Foreign labor

Guam

Immigration status and procedures

Marshall Islands

Micronesia

Northern Mariana Islands

Palau

Public utilities and utility rates

Puerto Rico

U.S. territories and protectorates

Virgin Islands
Latest action: action_date: 2014-12-04
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-12-04
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Requires the Department of the Interior to establish within the Empowering Insular Communities activity a team of technical, policy, and financial experts to: (1) develop an energy action plan addressing the energy needs of each of the insular areas (American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands) and Freely Associated States (Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau); and (2) assist each of the insular areas and Freely Associated States in implementing the plan. </p> <p>Requires the plan to include: (1) recommendations to reduce reliance and expenditures on fuel shipped to the insular areas and Freely Associated States from ports outside the United States, to develop and utilize domestic fuel energy sources, and to improve performance of energy infrastructure and overall energy efficiency; (2) a schedule for implementation of the recommendations and identification and prioritization of specific projects; (3) a financial and engineering plan for implementing and sustaining projects; and (4) benchmarks for measuring progress toward implementation.</p> <p>Requires Interior to approve the plan before it is implemented.</p> <p>Extends the federal immigration law transition period for the Northern Mariana Islands through December 31, 2019, including the annual reduction of nonimmigrant workers who may be admitted during such period.</p>

tv_txt: II 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2986 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 4, 2014 Mr. Schatz introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To require the Secretary of the Interior to assemble a team of technical, policy, and financial experts to address the energy needs of the insular areas of the United States and the Freely Associated States through the development of energy action plans aimed at promoting access to affordable, reliable energy, including increasing use of indigenous clean-energy resources, and for other purposes.

1. Study of electric rates in the insular areas (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Comprehensive energy plan The term comprehensive energy plan means a comprehensive energy plan prepared and updated under subsections (c) and (e) of section 604 of the Act entitled An Act to authorize appropriations for certain insular areas of the United States, and for other purposes , approved December 24, 1980 ( 48 U.S.C. 1492 ). (2) Energy action plan The term energy action plan means the plan required by subsection (d). (3) Freely associated states The term Freely Associated States means the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. (4) Insular areas The term insular areas means American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. (5) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. (6) Team The term team means the team established by the Secretary under subsection (b). (b) Establishment Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, within the Empowering Insular Communities activity, establish a team of technical, policy, and financial experts— (1) to develop an energy action plan addressing the energy needs of each of the insular areas and Freely Associated States; and (2) to assist each of the insular areas and Freely Associated States in implementing such plan. (c) Participation of regional utility organizations In establishing the team, the Secretary shall consider including regional utility organizations. (d) Energy action plan In accordance with subsection (b), the energy action plan shall include— (1) recommendations, based on the comprehensive energy plan where applicable, to— (A) reduce reliance and expenditures on fuel shipped to the insular areas and Freely Associated States from ports outside the United States; (B) develop and utilize domestic fuel energy sources; and (C) improve performance of energy infrastructure and overall energy efficiency; (2) a schedule for implementation of such recommendations and identification and prioritization of specific projects; (3) a financial and engineering plan for implementing and sustaining projects; and (4) benchmarks for measuring progress toward implementation. (e) Reports to secretary Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Secretary establishes the team and annually thereafter, the team shall submit to the Secretary a report detailing progress made in fulfilling its charge and in implementing the energy action plan. (f) Annual reports to congress Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary receives a report submitted by the team under subsection (e), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a summary of the report of the team. (g) Approval of secretary required The energy action plan shall not be implemented until the Secretary approves the energy action plan. 2. Amendments to the consolidated natural resources act Section 6 of Public Law 94–241 (90 Stat. 263; 122 Stat. 854) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking December 31, 2014, except as provided in subsections (b) and (d) and inserting December 31, 2019 ; and (2) in subsection (d)— (A) in the third sentence of paragraph (2), by striking not to extend beyond December 31, 2014, unless extended pursuant to paragraph 5 of this subsection and inserting ending on December 31, 2019 ; (B) by striking paragraph (5); and (C) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (5).