42 U.S.C. § 17111: Future of industry program

Summary

The Secretary must set up a program to work with energy-heavy industries and their trade groups. The program will fund and run research, development, and demonstrations of new materials, processes, technologies, and practices that cut energy use and help U.S. industry stay competitive. The Secretary must create energy-efficiency partnerships with eligible groups to test and promote ways to make equipment and industrial processes use much less energy. Work that can be funded includes better feedstock and recycling methods, using alternative energy for heat and power, improving steam, power, control, and process-heat systems, doing energy and sustainability assessments for industries, and adding other energy-saving innovations the Secretary approves. Partnerships must send written proposals, compete for awards, and meet cost-sharing rules in section 16352. The Secretary may also give competitive grants to universities, individual inventors, and small companies based on energy savings potential, commercial promise, and technical merit. The Secretary must coordinate with other Department programs and federal agencies to avoid doing the same work twice. Quick meanings of terms used: “eligible entity” = an energy-intensive industry, a national trade association for such an industry, or someone acting for them; “energy-intensive industry” = an industry that uses large amounts of energy, including information technology (like data centers), consumer product manufacturing, food processing, materials makers (aluminum; chemicals; forest and paper products; metal casting; glass; petroleum refining; mining; steel), water and wastewater treatment, and others the Secretary names; “feedstock” = raw material used in manufacturing; “partnership” = the energy-efficiency partnership; “program” = the energy-intensive industries program. Funding authorized: $184,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; $190,000,000 for 2009; $196,000,000 for 2010; $202,000,000 for 2011; $208,000,000 for 2012; and such sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2013 and each fiscal year after that. At least 50 percent of these funds must pay the Federal share of partnership activities.

Title 42, §17111

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(a)Definitions

In this section: (1) Eligible entity

(2)Energy-intensive industry

The term “energy-intensive industry” means an industry that uses significant quantities of energy as part of its primary economic activities, including—

(A)information technology, including data centers containing electrical equipment used in processing, storing, and transmitting digital information;

(B)consumer product manufacturing;

(C)food processing;

(D)materials manufacturers, including—

(i)aluminum;

(ii)chemicals;

(iii)forest and paper products;

(iv)metal casting;

(v)glass;

(vi)petroleum refining;

(vii)mining; and

(viii)steel;

(E)water and wastewater treatment facilities, including systems that treat municipal, industrial, and agricultural waste; and

(F)other energy-intensive industries, as determined by the Secretary.

(3)Feedstock

The term “feedstock” means the raw material supplied for use in manufacturing, chemical, and biological processes.

(4)Partnership

The term “partnership” means an energy efficiency partnership established under subsection (c)(1)(A).

(5)Program

The term “program” means the energy-intensive industries program established under subsection (b).

(b)Establishment of program

The Secretary shall establish a program under which the Secretary, in cooperation with energy-intensive industries and national industry trade associations representing the energy-intensive industries, shall support, research, develop, and promote the use of new materials processes, technologies, and techniques to optimize energy efficiency and the economic competitiveness of the United States’ industrial and commercial sectors.

(c)Partnerships

(1)In general

As part of the program, the Secretary shall establish energy efficiency partnerships between the Secretary and eligible entities to conduct research on, develop, and demonstrate new processes, technologies, and operating practices and techniques to significantly improve the energy efficiency of equipment and processes used by energy-intensive industries, including the conduct of activities to—

(A)increase the energy efficiency of industrial processes and facilities;

(B)research, develop, and demonstrate advanced technologies capable of energy intensity reductions and increased environmental performance; and

(C)promote the use of the processes, technologies, and techniques described in subparagraphs (A) and (B).

(2)Eligible activities

Partnership activities eligible for funding under this subsection include—

(A)feedstock and recycling research, development, and demonstration activities to identify and promote—

(i)opportunities for meeting industry feedstock requirements with more energy efficient and flexible sources of feedstock or energy supply;

(ii)strategies to develop and deploy technologies that improve the quality and quantity of feedstocks recovered from process and waste streams; and

(iii)other methods using recycling, reuse, and improved industrial materials;

(B)research to develop and demonstrate technologies and processes that utilize alternative energy sources to supply heat, power, and new feedstocks for energy-intensive industries;

(C)research to achieve energy efficiency in steam, power, control system, and process heat technologies, and in other manufacturing processes; and

(D)industrial and commercial energy efficiency and sustainability assessments to—

(i)assist individual industrial and commercial sectors in developing tools, techniques, and methodologies to assess—

(I)the unique processes and facilities of the sectors;

(II)the energy utilization requirements of the sectors; and

(III)the application of new, more energy efficient technologies; and

(ii)conduct energy savings assessments;

(E)the incorporation of technologies and innovations that would significantly improve the energy efficiency and utilization of energy-intensive commercial applications; and

(F)any other activities that the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(3)Proposals

(A)In general

To be eligible for funding under this subsection, a partnership shall submit to the Secretary a proposal that describes the proposed research, development, or demonstration activity to be conducted by the partnership.

(B)Review

After reviewing the scientific, technical, and commercial merit of a proposals submitted under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall approve or disapprove the proposal.

(C)Competitive awards

The provision of funding under this subsection shall be on a competitive basis.

(4)Cost-sharing requirement

In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall require cost sharing in accordance with section 16352 of this title.

(d)Grants

The Secretary may award competitive grants for innovative technology research, development and demonstrations to universities, individual inventors, and small companies, based on energy savings potential, commercial viability, and technical merit.

(e)Authorization of appropriations

(1)In general

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section— (A)

(B)$190,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;

(C)$196,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;

(D)$202,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;

(E)$208,000,000 for fiscal year 2012; and

(F)such sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2013 and each fiscal year thereafter.

(2)Partnership activities

Of the amounts made available under paragraph (1), not less than 50 percent shall be used to pay the Federal share of partnership activities under subsection (c).

(3)Coordination and nonduplication

The Secretary shall coordinate efforts under this section with other programs of the Department and other Federal agencies to avoid duplication of effort.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Pub. L. 117–58, § 40521(a)(1)(A), substituted “Future of industry program” for “Energy-intensive industries program” in section catchline. Subsec. (a)(2)(E), (F). Pub. L. 117–58, § 40521(a)(1)(B), added subpar. (E) and redesignated former subpar. (E) as (F). Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 117–58, § 40521(a)(1)(C), (D), redesignated subsec. (f) as (e) and struck out former subsec. (e) which related to institution of higher education-based industrial research and assessment centers.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on the date that is 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as a note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress. Wage Rate RequirementsFor provisions relating to rates of wages to be paid to laborers and mechanics on projects for

Construction

, alteration, or repair work funded under div. D or an amendment by div. D of Pub. L. 117–58, including authority of Secretary of Labor, see section 18851 of this title.

§17111 Future of Industry Program