zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Renewable Fuel Pipeline Act of 2011 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to allow federally-guaranteed loans for renewable fuel pipelines in amounts equal to 80% of the project cost as estimated at the time the guarantee is issued. Defines "renewable fuel" as fuel that: (1) is produced from renewable biomass and that is used to replace or reduce the quantity of fossil fuel present in a transportation fuel; and (2) includes all types of ethanol and biodiesel. Prohibits the Secretary of Energy (DOE) from requiring a demonstration of existing contractual obligations for a specific minimum capacity of pipeline usage in determining whether there is a reasonable prospect of repayment with respect to a renewable fuel pipeline project. Authorizes the Secretary to make guarantees for projects that commence construction not later than September 30, 2013, for the installation of sufficient infrastructure to allow for the cost-effective deployment of clean energy technologies appropriate to each region of the United States, including renewable fuel pipelines.

Date: 2011-04-13
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Fuel Cell Industrial Vehicle Jobs Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a $4,000 new qualified fuel cell motor vehicle tax credit for motor vehicles weighing not more than 8,500 pounds that are manufactured primarily for use in carrying or towing loads or materials for commercial or industrial purposes (off-highway vehicles); (2) continue the maximum dollar amount of $8,000 for motor vehicles with at least 4 wheels weighing not more than 8,500 pounds that are manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads and highways; (3) allow an enhanced credit for light (not more than 8,500 pounds) and heavy (more than 8,500 pounds) vehicles if such vehicles' fuel cell systems achieve a specified electricity generation efficiency rating; and (4) allow a new energy tax credit, through December 31, 2016, for qualified fuel cell property that is manufactured for use in powering qualified motive property. Defines "qualified motive property" as property which is manufactured primarily for carrying loads or materials for commercial or industrial purposes not on public streets, road, highways, or rails or operated primarily for recreational purposes.

Date: 2011-04-15
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
American-Made Energy Act of 2011 - Establishes in the Treasury the American-Made Energy Trust Fund for alternative and renewable energy incentives and projects (e.g., wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal resources, waste to energy, hydropower, nuclear power, coal to liquid technology, compressed natural gas, and liquified natural gas). Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish, implement, and administer a competitive oil and gas leasing program that will result in an environmentally sound program for the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas resources of the Coastal Plain of Alaska. Repeals the prohibition against production or leasing of oil and gas resources from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Declares that the oil and gas leasing programs and activities in the Coastal Plain authorized by this Act are deemed to be compatible  with the purposes for which ANWR was established. Authorizes the Secretary to designate up to a total of 45,000 acres of the Coastal Plain as a Special Area requiring special management and regulatory protection after consultation with Alaska, Kaktovik, and the North Slope Borough. Requires the Secretary to designate the Sadlerochit Spring area as a Special Area. Permits horizontal drilling technology in such Areas from sites on leases outside such Areas. Prescribes guidelines for implementation of lease sales. Requires the Secretary to administer this Act to: (1) ensure that oil and gas production activities on the Coastal Plain will have no significant adverse effect on fish and wildlife, their habitat, and the environment; (2) require the application of the best commercially available technology for oil and gas exploration, development, and production operations, and (3) minimize the amount of surface acreage covered by production and support facilities. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) compliance with environmental requirements, (2) expedited judicial review, and (3) distribution of revenues. Directs the Secretary to issue rights-of-way and easements across the Coastal Plain for the transportation of oil and gas. Establishes in the Treasury the Coastal Plain Local Government Impact Aid Assistance Fund to assist local governments in mitigating the potential effects of oil and gas exploration and development in their communities and to establish a coordination office by the North Slope Borough in Kaktovik. Terminates all existing federal laws prohibiting expenditures to conduct oil and natural gas leasing and preleasing activities in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Revokes withdrawals of federal submerged lands of the OCS from leasing.

Date: 2011-05-03
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Domestic Fuel for Enhancing National Security Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 and federal defense provisions to extend to 15 the number of years that a federal or Department of Defense (DOD) multiyear contract may be entered into in the case of the purchase of advanced biofuel. (Under current law, federal and DOD multiyear procurement contracts are limited to a five-year period.)

Date: 2011-05-11
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Fuel Feedstock Freedom Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to revise the renewable fuel program by: (1) requiring the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that transportation fuel sold or introduced into commerce in the United States, on an annual average basis, contains at least the applicable volume of "next generation biofuel" (currently "cellulosic biofuel"); and (2) replacing the term "cellulosic biofuel" with "next generation biofuel." Defines "next generation biofuel" to mean: (1) renewable fuel that is derived from any cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, or algae that is derived from renewable biomass; or (2) nonethanol renewable fuel that is derived from renewable biomass. Directs the Administrator to allow states that enact a law that elects to not participate in the applicable volume of renewable to not so participate, other than the applicable volumes of renewable fuel required for advanced biofuel, next generation biofuel, and biomass-based diesel.

Date: 2011-05-26
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Environmental protection
Cutting Federal Red Tape to Facilitate Renewable Energy Act - Requires federal agencies, in complying with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) with respect to: (1) any action authorizing or facilitating a proposed renewable energy project, to consider and analyze at the election of the applicant only the proposed action alternative and the no action alternative and to identify and analyze potential mitigation measures only for such alternatives; and (2) a proposed renewable energy project, to only consider public comments that specifically address such alternatives and that are filed within 30 days after publication of a draft environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. Defines a "renewable energy project" as a project on federal lands or in federal waters, including a project on the Outer Continental Shelf, using wind, solar power, geothermal power, biomass, or marine and hydrokinetic energy to generate energy, that is constructed encouraging the use of equipment and materials manufactured in the United States.

Date: 2011-06-14
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Exploring for Geothermal Energy on Federal Lands Act - Exempts projects determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be geothermal exploration test projects from environmental impact statement requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Defines a "geothermal exploration test project" as the drilling of a well to test or explore for geothermal resources on lands leased by the Department of the Interior for the development and production of geothermal resources, that is completed in less than 45 days, that causes less than five acres of soil or vegetation disruption at the location of each well and no more than five additional acres of soil or vegetation disruption during access or egress to the test site, and that is developed: (1) no deeper than 2,500 feet, (2) less than eight inches in diameter, (3) in a manner that does not require off-road motorized access other than to and from the well site along an identified off-road route, (4) without construction of new roads other than upgrading of existing drainage crossings for safety purposes, and (5) with the use of rubber-tired digging or drilling equipment vehicles. Requires the restoration of the project site within three years to approximately the condition that existed at the time the project began, unless the site is subsequently used as part of energy development on the lease. Requires: (1) a leaseholder intending to carry out a geothermal exploration test project to provide notice to the Secretary within 30 days prior to the start of drilling, (2) the Secretary to review a project within 10 days of receipt of such notice and to notify such leaseholder either that such NEPA requirements do not apply or that project deficiencies preclude the NEPA exemption, and (3) the Secretary to allow such leaseholder an opportunity to remedy any such deficiencies prior to the date such leaseholder intended to start drilling.

Date: 2011-06-14
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Utilizing America's Federal Lands for Wind Energy Act - Exempts projects determined by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the Forest Service to be meteorological site testing and monitoring projects from environmental impact statement requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Defines a "meteorological site testing and monitoring project" as a project that is carried out on land administered by BLM or the Forest Service to test or monitor weather using towers or other devices, that is decommissioned within five years of its commencement, that provides meteorological information to such agencies, that causes less than one acre of soil or vegetation disruption at the location of each meteorological tower or other device and no more than five acres of soil or disruption within the proposed right-of-way for the project, and that is installed: (1) using existing access roads, (2) in a manner that does not require off-road motorized access other than one installation activity and one decommissioning activity along an identified off-road route approved by the BLM Director or the Chief of the Forest Service, (3) without construction of new roads other than upgrading of existing minor drainage crossings for safety purposes, and (4) without the use of digging or drilling equipment vehicles other than rubber-tired vehicles with gross weight ratings under 8,500 pounds. Requires the BLM Director or Chief of the Forest Service: (1) to decide whether to issue a permit for such a project within 30 days after receiving an application for such permit; (2) during such period, to provide an opportunity for public comments and to consult with the heads of agencies that would be affected by issuance of the permit; and (3) provide to the applicant reasons why an application is denied and an opportunity to remedy any deficiencies. Requires BLM and the Forest Service to treat the meteorological information provided under this Act as proprietary information and to protect it against disclosure.

Date: 2011-06-14
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Advancing Offshore Wind Production Act - Exempts any project determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be an offshore meteorological site testing and monitoring project from environmental impact statement requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Defines an "offshore meteorological site testing and monitoring project" as a project that is administered by the Department of the Interior and carried out on or in the waters of the Outer Continental Shelf to test or monitor weather (including wind, tidal, current, and solar energy) using towers, buoys, or other temporary ocean infrastructure and that: (1) causes less than one acre of surface or seafloor disruption at the location of each meteorological tower or other device and no more than five acres of surface or seafloor disruption within the proposed area affected by the project (including hazards to navigation), (2) is decommissioned within five years of its commencement, and (3) provides meteorological information to the Secretary of the Interior. Directs the Secretary to: (1) require that any applicant seeking to conduct an offshore meteorological site testing and monitoring project on the outer Continental Shelf obtain a permit and right of way for the project; (2) decide whether to issue such a permit and right of way within 30 days after receiving an application; (3) provide an opportunity for submission of comments by the public; (4) consult with the Secretary of Defense (DOD), the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and the heads of other federal, state, and local agencies that would be affected by issuance of the permit and right of way; and (5) provide an applicant the opportunity to remedy deficiencies in a permit application that was denied.

Date: 2011-06-14
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Clean Energy Promotion Act - Requires the United States to annually deposit into the BLM Wind Energy and Solar Energy Permit Processing Improvement Fund up to $5 million received as annual wind energy and solar energy right-of-way authorization fees under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Makes the amounts deposited available for salaries and expenses related to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offices dedicated to the coordination and processing of wind energy and solar energy permit applications. Authorizes the expenditure or transfer of such amounts as are necessary to: (1) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), (2) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and (3) state agencies involved in the processing of wind and solar permits on federal lands under the jurisdiction of the BLM.

Date: 2011-06-14
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Federal Renewable Energy Expansion Act or FREE Act - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 with respect to renewable energy purchase requirements for the federal government. Directs the President, utilizing the Western Area Power Administration for electric energy procurement when practicable, to increase the maximum percentage of electric energy the federal government consumes during any fiscal year which must be renewable energy. Specifies increasing percentages from FY2014 up to FY2025 and beyond. Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to seek to maximize the amounts of renewable energy produced on federal lands and Indian land for compliance with this Act.

Date: 2011-06-15
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Grants for Renewable Energy Education for the Nation Act or the GREEN Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to partnerships of local educational agencies (LEAs), postsecondary institutions, and clean and renewable energy industry representatives to develop programs of study focused on emerging careers and jobs in the fields of clean and renewable energy. Requires a priority be given to grant applications that: (1) use online learning or other innovative methods to deliver a program of study to individuals outside the partnership, and (2) focus on low-performing students and special populations. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants to LEAs and postsecondary institutions to promote development of career and technical educational facilities that are energy efficient and use renewable energy practices.

Date: 2011-06-16
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Education
Ethanol Modernization and Deficit Reduction Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to advance the termination date of the income and excise tax credits for ethanol from December 31, 2011, to June 30, 2011; (2) extend the tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property expenditures and the cellulosic biofuel producer tax credit; (3) extend the bonus depreciation allowance for cellulosic biofuel plant property; and (4) revise the definition of cellulosic biofuel for purposes of the cellulosic biofuel producer tax credit. Exempts the budgetary effects of this Act from PAYGO scorecard requirements under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.

Date: 2011-06-16
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise the income and excise tax credits for biodiesel used as fuel to: (1) allow a $1.00 tax credit for each gallon of biodiesel produced, (2) provide for an increased income tax credit for small biodiesel producers, (3) revise the definitions of "biodiesel" and "small biodiesel producer," (4) treat renewable diesel in the same manner as biodiesel for income tax purposes, and (5) treat biodiesel as a taxable fuel for excise tax purposes. Extends the biodiesel income and excise tax credits through December 31, 2014. Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress by June 30, 2015, on tax preferences for the production of fuel and electricity from renewables and fossil fuels and their benefits and costs to the environment and the economy.

Date: 2011-06-16
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
Renewable Energy Parity Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate after 2012 the reduction in the rate of the tax credit for electricity produced from open-loop biomass, small irrigation power, landfill gas, trash combustion, and hydropower facilities (thus allowing the same credit rate for all renewable resource facilities).

Date: 2011-06-22
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
Ethanol Subsidy Repeal Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the income and excise tax credits for ethanol blenders. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to repeal the additional tariff on ethyl alcohol (ethanol).

Date: 2011-06-23
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
Renewable Energy for a Brighter Future Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an electric utility: (1) a renewable electricity integration tax credit for the purchase or production of renewable power, or (2) a payment in lieu of such credit for sales of renewable electricity to retail customers.

Date: 2011-06-24
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
Geothermal Tax Parity Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow through 2016 a 30% energy tax credit for investment in geothermal energy property.

Date: 2011-07-06
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
Geothermal Production Expansion Act of 2011 - Amends competitive lease provisions of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to allow an area of qualified federal land (land that is otherwise available for leasing under that Act) that adjoins other land for which a qualified lessee holds a legal right to develop geothermal resources to be available for a noncompetitive lease to such lessee at fair market value per acre if: (1) the area of qualified federal land consists of not less than one acre and not more than 640 acres and is not already leased or nominated to be leased; (2) the qualified lessee has not previously received a noncompetitive lease in connection with the valid discovery for which data has been submitted; and (3) sufficient technical data prepared by a qualified geothermal professional has been submitted by the qualified lessee to the applicable federal land management agency that would lead individuals who are experienced in the subject matter to believe that there is a valid discovery of geothermal resources on the land and that such thermal feature extends into the adjoining areas. Defines "fair market value per acre" as a dollar amount per acre that shall be: (1) equal to the market value per acre as determined by the Secretary of the Interior within 90 days after the Secretary receives an application for a lease, and (2) not less than the greater of 4 times the median amount paid per acre for all land leased under such Act during the preceding year or $50. Directs the Secretary to: (1) publish a notice of any request for such a lease; (2) determine fair market value in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary; (3) provide to a qualified lessee and publish, with an opportunity for public comment for a period of 30 days, any proposed determination of the fair market value of the area the qualified lessee seeks to lease; and (4) provide the lessee and any adversely affected party an opportunity to appeal the final determination of fair market value in an administrative proceeding before the applicable federal land management agency. Prohibits the Secretary from accepting any nomination of land for leasing after publication of a notice of request to lease such land unless the request has been denied or withdrawn.

Date: 2011-08-01
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Heat is Power Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow through 2017: (1) an energy tax credit for investment in wasted heat to electricity property; and (2) a tax credit for the production of electricity from renewable resources for wasted heat. Defines "wasted heat to electricity property" as property comprising a system which generates electricity through the recovery of a qualified wasted heat resource (e.g., exhaust heat or flared gas from any industrial process or waste gas or industrial tail gas, but not a heat resource from a process whose primary purpose is the generation of electricity using a fossil fuel).

Date: 2011-08-05
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
Green Export Promotion and Job Creation Act - Amends the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 to revise provisions relating to export promotion to require the Under Secretary for International Trade to establish an online directory for foreign buyers to identify U.S. manufacturers and service providers that are prepared to export products and services in: (1) clean and efficient energy generation, distribution, and use; (2) remediation of air and water pollution; (3) water supply; (4) sanitation, solid waste disposal, and chemical and hazardous waste treatment and containment; and (5) equipment and services for testing, monitoring, and analysis with respect to such areas or otherwise with respect to environmental hazards. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) establish a database, to be accessible only to U.S. government personnel, that identifies potential sales opportunities abroad for U.S. manufacturers and service providers that are prepared to export products and services in such areas; (2) develop and implement a system to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of U.S. export promotion activities with respect to clean and efficient energy and environmental products and services; and (3) establish, through the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, standards for specified actions with respect to the export promotion activities concerning clean and efficient energy and environmental products and services that are engaged in by any federal agency. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to work with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to identify countries that receive assistance from IRENA that improve the deployment and adoption of renewable energy in order to promote U.S. exports in clean and efficient energy and environmental products and services to that country.

Date: 2011-09-21
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Foreign trade and international finance
Renewable Fuel Standard Flexibility Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): (1) by August 1 and by the end of November each year, to determine and publish the U.S. corn stocks-to-use ratio for the current crop year; and (2) to waive the renewable fuel program's requirements for the rest of the calendar year following the August determination or for the next calendar year following the November determination by reducing the national quantity of renewable fuel otherwise required by specified amounts based on the ratio determined. Prohibits: (1) waivers granted under this Act from affecting the volume of advanced biofuel under such program, or (2) the Administrator from allowing any volume of conventional biofuel to be used to satisfy the requirement for advanced biofuel.

Date: 2011-10-05
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Renewable Fuel Standard Elimination Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) renewable fuel program.

Date: 2011-10-05
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Repeals a provision of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 which prohibits a federal agency from entering into a contract for procurement of an alternative or synthetic fuel unless the contract specifies that the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with such fuel are less than or equal to emissions from the equivalent conventional fuel produced from conventional petroleum sources.

Date: 2011-10-05
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1)  allow a 30% tax credit for investment in a qualifying offshore wind facility (an offshore facility using wind to produce electricity), and (2) direct the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a qualifying credit for offshore wind facilities program to consider and award certifications for investments eligible for such a credit to qualifying offshore wind facility sponsors. Requires the Secretary to review credits allocated under this Act and authorizes the Secretary to reallocate such credits upon determining that: (1) there is an insufficient quantity of qualifying applications for certification pending at the time of the review, or (2) scheduled placed-in-service dates of previously certified facilities have been significantly delayed and the applicant will not meet the required timeline.

Date: 2011-10-18
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
American Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Extension Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2016 the date by which specified alternative or renewable energy facilities (i.e., wind, biomass, geothermal or solar energy, landfill gas, trash, qualified hydropower, and marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy facilities) must be placed in service to qualify for the electricity production tax credit.

Date: 2011-11-02
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
Federal Accounting of Renewable Energy Act of 2011 or FARE Act of 2011 - Requires the head of each federal agency to submit to Congress an accounting for all FY2009-FY2011 financial support (including grants, loans, loan guarantees, and direct payments) made by the agency to promote the production or use of renewable energy. Directs the agencies to include in such accounting: (1) a list of the projects that directly led to the production or use of renewable energy; (2) the quantity of renewable energy or products on the market as a direct result of such support and the gross sales of the recipient company during a recent fiscal year; and (3) the total quantity of financial support, the number of jobs created, and the average cost to the recipient company of each full-time job created. Requires, for each project, a full accounting of: (1) the employment, sales, and revenue targets submitted by each recipient company before receiving support and a list of the companies that substantially failed to meet targets; (2) a list of all recipient companies that received support but are no longer in operation or have moved any portion of their operations to a location outside the United States; and (3) a list of all venture capital firms involved in submitting the proposal for awarded support. Directs the Inspector General of an agency that provided support to a company that is no longer in existence, or is unlikely to achieve substantially the purpose of the support, to conduct a preliminary investigation of the documents submitted by the company to determine whether fraud was committed in obtaining such support. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to prohibit the Secretary of Energy (DOE) from guaranteeing a project loan unless an independent review, paid for by the applicant, demonstrates the applicant's ability to repay such loan.

Date: 2011-11-02
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Solar Energy Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to: (1) establish a program to provide competitive grants and/or challenge grants to local governments that have adopted best practices for solar permitting for properties located in the United States, (2) provide voluntary certification and recognition for such governments, and (3) implement specified criteria for awarding such grants. Authorizes the use of funds for competitive grants for: (1) training and the development of materials and tools for making the local permitting process for solar energy systems more standardized, efficient, and less expensive; and (2) solar energy system deployment projects or programs to pilot new permitting strategies or processes. Authorizes the use of funds for challenge grants for: (1) solar energy system deployment projects, and (2) programs to pilot new permitting strategies or processes. Requires the Secretary to rescind grant funds provided to any grant recipient that receives funds based on a commitment to adopt best practices for solar permitting but that is unable to implement the steps necessary to adopt such practices. Makes each eligible entity receiving funds responsible for a matching amount not to exceed 50% of the funds provided.

Date: 2011-12-14
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Enabling Energy Saving Innovations Act - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to exempt a walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer component manufactured on or after January 1, 2009, from the requirement that it contain wall, ceiling, and door insulation of at least R-25 for coolers and R-32 for freezers, if the manufacturer has demonstrated to the Secretary of Energy (DOE) that such component model reduces energy consumption at least as much as if such requirement were to apply.

Date: 2011-12-19
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to authorize the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to take actions to ensure the viability of innovative technology projects to avoid, reduce, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases that are eligible for loan guarantees with potential applicants for such guarantees. Requires a person that fails to achieve technical criteria that is provided in such a loan guarantee agreement to surrender to the Secretary any property leased from the Secretary or otherwise acquired or used using funds provided for such guarantees.

Date: 2011-12-20
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the tax credit for the purchase of new qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles.

Date: 2011-12-30
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
Domestic Alternative Fuels Act of 2012 - Amends the Clean Air Act to revise the Renewable Fuel Program to: (1) provide that the applicable volume of renewable fuel required in transportation fuel sold or introduced into commerce in the United States for 2012 through 2022 shall apply in the aggregate to renewable fuel and domestic alternative fuel; and (2) define "domestic alternative fuel" as ethanol that is produced from domestic fossil fuels other than petroleum and that is used to replace or reduce the quantity of petroleum present in a transportation fuel.

Date: 2012-01-17
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Environmental protection
Clean Energy Jobs Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow additional allocations of credits under the qualifying advanced energy project (i.e., the project for the production of renewable and alternative energy resources) in 2012. Limits or repeals certain tax benefits for major integrated oil companies (defined as companies with annual gross receipts over $1 billion and an average daily worldwide production of crude oil of at least 500,000 barrels), including: (1) the foreign tax credit; (2) the tax deduction for income attributable to oil, natural gas, or primary products thereof; (3) the tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs; (4) the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas wells; and (5) the tax deduction for qualified tertiary injectant expenses. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal royalty relief (suspension of royalties) for: (1) natural gas production from deep wells in shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico; and (2) deep water oil and gas production in the Western and Central Planning Area of the Gulf (including the portion of the Eastern Planning Area encompassing whole lease blocks lying west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes west longitude). Dedicates any increased revenue generated by this Act to the reduction of a federal budget deficit or the federal debt. Provides for compliance of the budgetary effects of this Act with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.

Date: 2012-02-29
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
Small Business Clean Energy Financing Act of 2012 - Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a program to guarantee loans of small businesses that manufacture a clean energy technology in the United States. Requires the Administrator, to the extent practicable, to carry out the program in a manner similar to the SBA 7(a) general business loan program.

Date: 2012-03-08
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Commerce
Domestic Fuels Protection Act of 2012 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to provide that no person shall be liable under any federal, state, or local law, and no provider of financial assurance may deny payment for a claim, because an underground storage tank, underground storage tank system, or associated dispensing equipment at a stationary facility is not compatible with any fuel or fuel additive for use in a motor vehicle, nonroad vehicle, or engine if such tank or equipment has been determined to be compatible pursuant to the guidelines and regulations issued under this Act. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue regulations setting standards for determining whether underground storage tanks and systems and associated dispensing equipment are compatible with any fuel or fuel additive that is authorized and registered by the Administrator or by statute for use in a motor vehicle or engine or nonroad vehicle, engine, or equipment. Deems tanks, systems, and equipment that are listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory as compatible with such a fuel or fuel additive as of the date of enactment of this Act to be compatible under such regulations. Amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit a person selling such fuel who complies with such regulations from being liable under any federal, state, or local law if: (1) a self-service purchaser introduces any such fuel into a vehicle, engine, or equipment for which the fuel has not been approved under such Act; or (2) the introduction of any such fuel voids the warranty of the manufacturer of such vehicles, engines, or equipment. Excludes from such protection: (1) a person who sells a transportation fuel and does not comply with the misfueling regulations adopted by the Administrator, and (2) a person who intentionally misfuels. Prohibits filing or maintaining in any U.S. or state court any civil action or proceeding against an entity engaged in the design, manufacture, sale, or distribution of any qualified product or of any motor vehicle, engine, or nonroad equipment for damages, abatement, restitution, fines, penalties, or other relief resulting from the introduction of any such product into a motor vehicle, engine, or nonroad equipment. Requires actions filed or pending upon enactment of this Act to be dismissed with prejudice. Defines a "qualified product" as any fuel or fuel additive that is registered under federal law or any transportation fuel or fuel additive that contains renewable fuel and that is designated for introduction into interstate commerce under federal law, any component thereof, or any blend stock. Prohibits a qualified productfrom being considered a defective product if it does not violate a control or prohibition with respect to any of its characteristics or components imposed by the Administrator under the Clean Air Act.

Date: 2012-03-30
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Environmental protection
Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to extend through 2012 the program to make grants for investment in renewable energy resources in lieu of tax credits.

Date: 2012-04-19
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Solar Energy Deployment Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to award competitive grants to state and local governments for the design, purchase, and installation of qualifying solar equipment on rooftops or parking structures owned by the state or local government. Directs the Secretary, in determining grant recipients, to consider: (1) the speed with which solar energy systems can be deployed, (2) the total amount of solar energy to be deployed, (3) financial need, (4) the use of best practices to ensure maximum efficiency of deployed systems, and (5) the use of materials and components that are manufactured in the United States.

Date: 2012-04-25
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Enabling Energy Saving Innovations Act - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to exempt a walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer component manufactured on or after January 1, 2009, from the requirement that it contain wall, ceiling, and door insulation of at least R-25 for coolers and R-32 for freezers, if the manufacturer has demonstrated to the Secretary of Energy (DOE) that such component reduces energy consumption at least as much as if such requirement were to apply.

Date: 2012-04-26
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Qualifying Renewable Chemical Production Tax Credit Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business-related tax credit for the production of renewable chemicals.  Defines "renewable chemical" as any chemical that is: (1) produced in the United States from renewable biomass; (2) sold or used by the taxpayer as polymers, plastics, or formulated products or for the production of polymers, plastics, or formulated products; and (3) not sold or used for the production of any food, feed, or fuel.  Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a five-year program to allocate credit amounts. Limits the total amount of allocable credits under such program to $500 million, with a limit of $25 million to any taxpayer in any taxable year.

Date: 2012-04-26
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
Energy and Water Research Integration Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to integrate water considerations into energy research, development, and demonstration programs and projects of the Department of Energy (DOE), to: (1) advance energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices that meet the objectives of minimizing freshwater withdrawal and consumption, increasing water use efficiency, and utilizing nontraditional water sources with efforts to improve the quality of water from those sources; (2) consider the effects climate variability and change may have on water supplies and quality for energy generation and fuel production; and (3) improve understanding of the energy required to provide reliable water supplies and the water required to provide reliable energy supplies throughout the United States (energy-water nexus). Requires the Secretary to develop, submit to Congress within nine months, and update every three years a Strategic Plan identifying the research, development, and demonstration needs of such programs and projects. Requires the Secretary, in developing such Plan, to consider and incorporate relevant information and recommendations, including those of the National Water Availability and Use Assessment Program. Directs the Secretary, in coordination with other relevant federal agencies, to establish an Energy-Water Architecture Council to promote and enable improved energy and water resource data collection, reporting, and technological innovation. Requires the Council to: (1) make recommendations on the development of data collection and communication standards and protocols to agencies and entities currently engaged in collecting the data for the energy-water nexus, (2) recommend ways to make improvements to federal water use data to increase understanding of trends in energy generation and fuel production, (3) recommend best practices for utilizing information from existing monitoring networks to provide nationally uniform water and energy use and infrastructure data, and (4) conduct annual technical workshops to facilitate information exchange among experts on technologies that encourage the conservation and efficient use of water and energy. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to require state, tribal, or local governments to take any action that may result in an increased financial burden by restricting their water use.

Date: 2012-05-18
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Environmental protection
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to make any federal government official who is responsible for the issuance of an innovative technology loan guarantee that violates the requirements of such Act personally liable for a civil penalty in an amount of at least $10,000 but no more than $50,000 for each violation.

Date: 2012-05-30
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Energy
Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act of 2012 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require amounts received through FY2020 (currently, through FY2010) from leases under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to be available to the Secretary of the Interior to spend in such amounts as are provided in advance appropriations acts for implementing such Acts. Requires the Secretary of Interior to establish a wind and solar leasing pilot program under which lease sales are conducted on covered public lands administered by the Secretary to carry out wind and solar energy projects. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to jointly determine as to whether to expand the pilot program to apply to all covered public lands. Defines "covered land" to mean land that is: (1) public land administered by the Secretary of the Interior, or National Forest System land administered by the Secretary of Agriculture; and (2) not excluded from development of solar or wind energy under a final land use plan established under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, a final land and resource management plan established under the National Forest Management Act of 1976, or federal law. Establishes in the Treasury the Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior for mitigating the impacts of renewable energy on federal land and carrying out any activity authorized under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, with the exception of the acquisition of land, water, or interests therein within that state. Requires the Secretaries to determine the feasibility of carrying out a mitigation banking program on federal lands administered by the Secretaries to offset the impacts of wind or solar energy on such lands.

Date: 2012-07-19
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
American Advanced Energy Manufacturing Jobs Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for the qualifying advanced energy project program, to: (1) allow, through December 31, 2016, an additional credit amount for the cost of manufacturing equipment that uses solar energy to generate electricity, fuel cell power plants, and systems for the electro-chemical storage of electricity; and (2) increase for 2012 the amount of credits that may be allocated under such program. Provides for an offset against such increased credit by denying to any major integrated oil company: (1) a foreign tax credit if such company receives a tax preference from a foreign jurisdiction that does not impose a generally applicable income tax, and (2) a tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs.

Date: 2012-07-25
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
Biogas Investment Tax Credit Act of 2012 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) an energy tax credit through 2018 for investment in qualified biogas property, and (2) financing of qualified biogas property with new clean renewable energy bonds. Defines "qualified biogas property" as property comprising a system which uses anaerobic digesters or other processes to convert biomas into a gas which consists of not less than 52% methane and which captures such gas for use as a fuel. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to enter into an agreement with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to undertake a study of biogas and to submit a report to Congress on such study.

Date: 2012-07-26
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Taxation
Make it in America: Create Clean Energy Manufacturing Jobs in America Act - Authorizes federal acquisition of, or the provision of federal funds to states for purchase of, only green technologies that are 85% manufactured in the United States from articles, materials, or supplies that are 85% grown, produced, or manufactured in the United States beginning in the fourth fiscal year after enactment of this Act. Provides that such percentage shall be 30% in the first fiscal year after enactment, 50% in the second fiscal year, and 80% in the third fiscal year. Defines "green technologies" to mean renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services that: (1) reduce dependence on unreliable sources of energy by encouraging the use of sustainable biomass, wind, small-scale hydroelectric, solar, geothermal, and other renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services; and (2) use hybrid fossil-renewable energy systems. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit treating any facility originally placed in service after the enactment of this Act as a qualified facility for purposes of the renewable energy production and investment tax credits unless such facility is 85% manufactured in the United States from articles, materials, or supplies that are 85% grown, produced, or manufactured in the United States. Provides that such percentage shall be 30% for a facility placed in service during 2012, 50% for a facility placed in service during 2013, and 80% for a facility placed in service during 2014.

Date: 2012-07-26
Topic: Energy (Alternative & Renewable)
Subject: Government operations and politics