§16231 Renewable Energy

Summary

The Secretary must run programs to research, develop, test, and help bring renewable energy technologies into use. The goals are to boost efficiency, cut the cost of producing and delivering renewable energy, make the energy supply more diverse, reduce U.S. dependence on foreign energy, improve energy security, lower environmental harm from energy, and increase exports of U.S. renewable equipment. The Secretary must run focused work on geothermal (better resource detection, cheaper drilling, lower maintenance, new revenue like minerals, and improved reservoir management), on adding cost‑competitive hydropower capacity (including fish‑friendly turbines and other tech that improves environmental performance and efficiency), and on other areas such as ocean and wave energy, combining renewable and other technologies (for example wind with coal gasification), hydrogen and electricity cogeneration, and kinetic hydro turbines. Congress authorized money for these activities: $632,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; $743,000,000 for 2008; $852,000,000 for 2009; and $963,000,000 for 2010. Money for the program in section 16232 is authorized at $213,000,000 (2007, with $100,000,000 for a subpart), $377,000,000 (2008, $125,000,000 for a subpart), $398,000,000 (2009, $150,000,000 for a subpart), and $419,000,000 (2010, $150,000,000 for a subpart). At least $5,000,000 each year must go to grants for certain minority‑serving and tribal colleges. The Secretary must work with the Agriculture Secretary to demonstrate using renewables to bring electricity to rural and remote areas (including advanced wind, biomass, and geothermal). The Secretary must also do economic and technical analysis and program evaluation to guide decisions and may use up to 1 percent of the program funds for that work.