42 U.S.C. § 6276 : US Code - Section 6276: Domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries

Search 42 U.S.C. § 6276 : US Code - Section 6276: Domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries

(a) Purpose
It is the purpose of this section to implement the
responsibilities of the United States under chapter VII of the
international energy program with respect to development of
alternative energy by facilitating the overall abilities of the
domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries
to create new markets.
(b) Evaluation; report to Congress
(1) Before the later of -
(A) 6 months after July 18, 1984, and
(B) May 31, 1985,
the Secretary of Commerce shall conduct an evaluation regarding the
domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries
and submit a report of his findings to the Congress.
(2) Such evaluation shall include -
(A) an assessment of the technical and commercial status of the
domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries
in domestic and foreign markets;
(B) an assessment of the Federal Government's activities
affecting commerce in the domestic renewable energy industry and
related service industries and in consolidating and coordinating
such activities within the Federal Government; and
(C) an assessment of the aspects of the domestic renewable
energy industry and related service industries in which
improvements must be made to increase the international
commercialization of such industry.
(c) Program for enhancing commerce in renewable energy
technologies; funding
(1) On the basis of the evaluation under subsection (b) of this
section, the Secretary of Commerce shall, consistent with existing
law, establish a program for enhancing commerce in renewable energy
technologies and consolidating or coordinating existing activities
for such purpose.
(2) Such program shall provide for -
(A) the broadening of the participation by the domestic
renewable energy industry and related service industries in such
activities;
(B) the promotion of the domestic renewable energy industry and
related service industries on a worldwide basis;
(C) the participation by the Federal Government and the
domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries
in international standard-setting activities; and
(D) the establishment of an information program under which -
(i) technical information about the domestic renewable energy
industry and related service industries shall be provided to
appropriate public and private officials engaged in commerce,
and to potential end users, including other industry sectors in
foreign countries such as health care, rural development,
communications, and refrigeration, and others, and
(ii) marketing information about export and export financing
opportunities shall be available to the domestic renewable
energy industry and related service industries.
(3) Necessary funds required for carrying out such program shall
be requested in connection with fiscal years beginning after
September 30, 1984.
(d) Interagency working group
(1) Establishment
(A) There shall be established an interagency working group
that, in consultation with the representative industry groups and
relevant agency heads, shall make recommendations to coordinate
the actions and programs of the Federal Government affecting
exports of renewable energy and energy efficiency products and
services. The interagency working group shall establish a program
to inform foreign countries of the benefits of policies that
would increase energy efficiency or would allow facilities that
use renewable energy to compete effectively with producers of
energy from nonrenewable sources.
(B) There shall be established an Interagency Working Subgroup
on Renewable Energy and an Interagency Working Subgroup on Energy
Efficiency that shall, in consultation with representative
industry groups, nonprofit organizations, and relevant Federal
agencies, make recommendations to coordinate the actions and
programs of the Federal Government to promote the export of
domestic renewable energy and energy efficiency products and
services, respectively.
(C) The Secretary of Energy, or the Secretary's designee, shall
chair the interagency working group and each subgroup established
under this paragraph. The Administrator of the Agency for
International Development and the Secretary of Commerce, or their
designees, shall be members of both subgroups established under
this paragraph. The Secretary shall provide staff for carrying
out the functions of the interagency working group and each
subgroup established under this paragraph. The heads of
appropriate agencies may detail such personnel and may furnish
such services to such group and subgroups, with or without
reimbursement, as may be necessary to carry out their functions.
(2) Duties of the interagency working subgroups
(A) The interagency working subgroups established under
paragraph (1)(B), through the member agencies of the interagency
working group, shall promote the development and application in
foreign countries of renewable energy and energy efficiency
products and services, respectively, that -
(i) 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
(ii) use hybrid fossil-renewable energy systems.
(B) In addition, the interagency working subgroups shall
explore mechanisms for assisting domestic firms, particularly
small businesses, with the export of their renewable energy and
energy efficiency products and services and with the
identification of potential projects.
(3) Training and assistance
The interagency working subgroups shall encourage the member
agencies of the interagency working group to -
(A) provide technical training and education for
international development personnel and local users in their
own country;
(B) provide financial and technical assistance to nonprofit
institutions that support the marketing and export efforts of
domestic companies that provide renewable energy and energy
efficiency products and services;
(C) develop environmentally sustainable renewable energy and
energy efficiency projects in foreign countries;
(D) provide technical assistance and training materials to
loan officers of the World Bank, international lending
institutions, commercial and energy attaches at embassies of
the United States and other appropriate personnel in order to
provide information about renewable energy and energy
efficiency products and services to foreign governments or
other potential project sponsors;
(E) support, through financial incentives, private sector
efforts to commercialize and export renewable energy and energy
efficiency products and services; and
(F) augment budgets for trade and development programs in
order to support pre-feasibility or feasibility studies for
projects that utilize renewable energy and energy efficiency
products and services.
(4) Study of export promotion practices
The interagency working group shall conduct a study of
subsidies, incentives, and policies that foreign countries use to
promote exports of their own renewable energy and energy
efficiency technologies and products. Such study shall also
identify foreign trade barriers to the import of renewable energy
and energy efficiency technologies and products produced in the
United States. The interagency working group shall report to the
appropriate committees of the House of Representatives and the
Senate the results of such study within 18 months after October
24, 1992.
(e) Omitted
(f) Functions of interagency working group; plan to increase United
States exports of renewable energy and energy efficiency
technologies
(1) The interagency working group shall -
(A) establish, in consultation with representatives of affected
industries, a plan to increase United States exports of renewable
energy and energy efficiency technologies, and include in such
plan recommended guidelines for agencies that are represented on
the working group with respect to the financing of, or other
actions they can take within their programs to promote, exports
of such renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies;
(B) develop, in consultation with representatives of affected
industries, recommended administrative guidelines for Federal
export loan programs to simplify application by firms seeking
export assistance for renewable energy and energy efficiency
technologies from agencies implementing such programs; and
(C) recommend specific renewable energy and energy efficiency
technology markets for primary emphasis by Federal export loan
programs, development programs, and private sector assistance
programs.
(2) The interagency working group shall include a description of
the plan established under paragraph (1)(A) in no later than the
second report submitted under subsection (e) (!1) of this section,
and shall include in subsequent reports a description of any
modifications to such plan and of the progress in implementing the
plan.
(g) Repealed. Pub. L. 102-486, title XII, Sec. 1207(c), Oct. 24,
1992, 106 Stat. 2963
(h) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary to implement this part, to remain available until
expended.