§16231 Renewable Energy

Summary

The Secretary must run programs to research, develop, test, and help sell renewable energy technologies. The programs must try to make renewables more efficient and cheaper, add variety to the energy supply, cut U.S. reliance on foreign energy, improve energy security, reduce environmental harm, and increase exports of U.S. equipment. Work includes a geothermal program (to find resources better, cut drilling and upkeep costs, find mineral income sources, and manage reservoirs), a hydropower program (to add capacity with fish-friendly turbines and better environmental performance), and other projects like ocean (wave) energy, combining renewables with each other or with other tech (for example wind with coal gasification), making hydrogen and electricity together, and kinetic hydro turbines. The Secretary must also, with the Secretary of Agriculture, show how renewables can bring electricity to rural and remote places using wind (including combined use with coal gasification), biomass, and geothermal systems. Congress authorized money for these programs: $632,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; $743,000,000 for 2008; $852,000,000 for 2009; and $963,000,000 for 2010. From those totals, bioenergy gets $213,000,000 in 2007 (of which $100,000,000 must go to the program’s (d) work); $377,000,000 in 2008 (of which $125,000,000 must go to (d)); $398,000,000 in 2009 (of which $150,000,000 must go to (d)); and $419,000,000 in 2010 (of which $150,000,000 must go to (d)). At least $5,000,000 each year of those bioenergy funds must be available for grants to Part B institutions, Tribal Colleges or Universities, and Hispanic-serving institutions. The Secretary must also do economic and technical studies, check past program performance, and other evaluations to guide decisions, and may use up to 1 percent of the program funds for that analysis.