42 U.S.C. § 6345: CHP Technical Assistance…

Summary

The law renames the Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Application Centers as the CHP Technical Assistance Partnership Program. The Program includes the 10 regional CHP Technical Assistance Partnerships that existed on December 27, 2020, any new regional partnerships the Energy Secretary creates (with attention to rural areas), and related technical work under the Advanced Manufacturing Office. Any mention of the old center names in laws or rules now means this Program. The Program must run outreach and education to encourage combined heat and power, waste heat to power, and efficient district energy. It must help building and industrial professionals, utility staff, State and local policymakers, and others interested in efficient energy, local fuel use, resiliency, energy security, microgrids, or district energy. It must also give project help like economic and engineering assessments and advice. The Program will fund colleges, research centers, and similar groups to keep the regional partnerships operating. Allowed uses include making and sharing information (including updating the CHP installation database, technology potential analyses, State CHP pages, and Program websites), running workshops and online programs, doing onsite assessments (including biomass CHP), finding good deployment candidates, offering unbiased engineering support, helping communities (including rural) remove barriers, and doing field validation and performance checks. Those funds may be provided for 5 years. Congress authorized $12,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.

Title 42, §6345

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Renaming

(1)In general

The Clean Energy Application Centers of the Department of Energy are redesignated as the CHP Technical Assistance Partnership Program (referred to in this section as the “Program”).

(2)Program description

The Program shall consist of— (A)

(B)such other regional CHP Technical Assistance Partnerships as the Secretary may establish with consideration given to establishing such partnerships in rural communities; and

(C)any supporting technical activities under the Technical Partnership Program of the Advanced Manufacturing Office.

(3)References

Any reference in any law, rule, regulation, or publication to a Combined Heat and Power Application Center or a Clean Energy Application Center shall be deemed to be a reference to the Program.

(b)CHP Technical Assistance Partnership Program

(1)In general

The Program shall—

(A)operate programs to encourage deployment of combined heat and power, waste heat to power, and efficient district energy (collectively referred to in this subsection as “CHP”) technologies by providing education and outreach to—

(i)building, industrial, and electric and natural gas utility professionals;

(ii)State and local policymakers; and

(iii)other individuals and organizations with an interest in efficient energy use, local or opportunity fuel use, resiliency, or energy security, microgrids, and district energy; and

(B)provide project specific support to building and industrial professionals through economic and engineering assessments and advisory activities.

(2)Funding for certain activities

(A)In general

The Program shall make funds available to institutions of higher education, research centers, and other appropriate institutions to ensure the continued operations and effectiveness of the regional CHP Technical Assistance Partnerships.

(B)Use of funds

Funds made available under subparagraph (A) may be used—

(i)to collect and distribute informational materials relevant to manufacturers, commercial buildings, institutional facilities, and Federal sites, including continued support of the mission goals of the Department of Defense, on CHP and microgrid technologies, including continuation and updating of—

(I)the CHP installation database;

(II)CHP technology potential analyses;

(III)State CHP resource pages; and

(IV)CHP Technical Assistance Partnerships websites;

(ii)to produce and conduct workshops, reports, seminars, internet programs, CHP resiliency resources, and other activities to provide education to end users, regulators, and stakeholders in a manner that leads to the deployment of CHP technologies;

(iii)to provide or coordinate onsite assessments for sites and enterprises that may consider deployment of CHP technology, including the potential use of biomass CHP systems;

(iv)to identify candidates for deployment of CHP technologies, hybrid renewable-CHP technologies, biomass CHP, microgrids, and clean energy;

(v)to provide nonbiased engineering support to sites considering deployment of CHP technologies;

(vi)to assist organizations and communities, including rural communities, developing clean energy technologies and policies in overcoming barriers to deployment; and

(vii)to assist companies, communities (including rural communities), and organizations with field validation and performance evaluations of CHP and other clean energy technologies implemented.

(C)Duration

The Program shall make funds available under subparagraph (A) for a period of 5 years.

(c)Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $12,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 6345, Pub. L. 94–163, title III, § 375, Dec. 22, 1975, 89 Stat. 937; Pub. L. 95–619, title VI, § 601(b), Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3282, required reports on progress made in improving energy efficiency and achievement of energy efficiency improvement targets, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 99–509, title III, § 3101(b), Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1888.

Amendments

2020—Pub. L. 116–260 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to Clean Energy Application 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.

§6345 Chp Technical Assistance Partnership Program