Energy

CLEAN ENERGY POLICIES THAT REDUCE OUR DEPENDENCE ON OIL

United States · United States House of Representatives · 28 April 2010

NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF ENERGY POLICIES

United States · United States Senate · 28 April 2010

Nuclear Power 2021 Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2010

Nuclear Power 2021 Act - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to instruct the Secretary of Energy to implement, through cooperative agreements with private sector partners, a program to: (1) develop a standard design for each of two small modular reactors, at least one of which has a rated capacity of not more than 50 electrical megawatts; (2) obtain a design certification from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for each of the designs by January 1, 2018; and (3) demonstrate the licensing of small modular reactors by developing applications for a combined license for each of the designs so certified, and obtaining a combined license from the NRC for each of the certified designs by January 1, 2021. Requires the Secretary to select proposals for such cooperative agreements through the use of competitive procedures and an impartial review of their scientific and technical merit.

Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2010

Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act of 2010 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary of Energy to: (1) conduct research to lower the cost of nuclear reactor systems; and (2) develop and publish on the Department of Energy (DOE) website a schedule outlining a five-year strategy to lower such cost effectively. Includes among research subjects: (1) modular and small-scale reactors; (2) balance-of-plant issues; (3) cost-efficient manufacturing and construction; (4) licensing issues; and (5) enhanced proliferation controls.

Partnership With America' Rapid Rebuilding of Haiti Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2010

Partnership With America Rapid Rebuilding of Haiti Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, with the government of Haiti, to implement a three-year "Partnership With America" program under which unemployed or underemployed U.S. construction and reconstruction experts and workers shall begin work in Haiti to help Haitians rebuild Haiti's infrastructure, including roads, airports, energy facilities, schools, hospitals, housing, and other services fundamental to economic development.

Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2010

Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2011 for the conduct of intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the: (1) Office of the Director of National Intelligence; (2) Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); (3) Department of Defense (DOD); (4) Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA); (5) National Security Agency (NSA); (6) Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force; (7) Coast Guard; (8) Departments of State, the Treasury, Energy, and Justice; (9) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); (10) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); (11) National Reconnaissance Office; (12) National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; and (13) Department of Homeland Security. Specifies that the amounts authorized and the authorized personnel ceilings as of September 30, 2011, for such activities are those specified in the classified Schedule of Authorizations, which shall be made available to the congressional appropriations committees and the President. Allows the Director of National Intelligence, with the approval of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to authorize employment of civilian personnel in excess of the number authorized for FY2011 when necessary for the performance of important intelligence functions. Requires notification to the intelligence committees on the use of such authority. Authorizes appropriations for the Intelligence Community Management Account for FY2011, as well as for full-time personnel for elements within such Account. Authorizes appropriations for FY2011 for the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability Fund. Permits appropriations authorized by this Act for salary, pay, retirement, and other benefits for federal employees to be increased by such additional or supplemental amounts as necessary for increases in such compensation or benefits authorized by law. Prohibits the authorization of appropriations by this Act from being deemed to constitute authority to conduct any intelligence activity not otherwise authorized by the Constitution or laws of the United States.

Fuel Cell Industrial Vehicle Jobs Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2010

Fuel Cell Industrial Vehicle Jobs Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) continue the maximum dollar amount (i.e., $8,000) of the tax credit for new qualified fuel cell motor vehicles after 2009; and (2) allow such credit for a vehicle which is manufactured primarily to carry or tow loads or materials for commercial or industrial purposes (off-highway vehicles). Increases the amount of such credit for off-highway vehicles that achieve a specified level of electricity generation efficiency.

Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2010

Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) establish a Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Fund, to be administered through the International Trade Administration, to ensure that U.S. clean energy technology firms have the information and assistance they need to be competitive; and (2) administer the Fund to promote policies that will reduce production costs and encourage innovation, investment, and productivity in the clean energy technology sector, and implement a national clean energy technology export strategy. Directs the Secretary to provide information, tools, and other assistance to U.S. businesses to promote clean energy technology manufacturing and facilitate the export of clean energy technology products and services. Requires such assistance to include: (1) developing critical analysis of policies to reduce production costs and promote innovation, investment, and productivity in the clean energy technology sector; (2) helping educate companies about how to tailor their activities to specific markets with respect to their product slate, financing, marketing, assembly, and logistics; and (3) helping U.S. companies learn about the export process and export opportunities in foreign markets, navigate foreign markets, and provide input regarding clean energy technology manufacturing and trade policy developments and trade promotion.

Public Housing Energy Savings Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2010

Public Housing Energy Savings Act of 2010 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to authorize: (1) energy conservation improvements in public housing projects to be undertaken pursuant to a contract for the improvements only; (2) a public housing agency to finance such improvements for a period of up to 20 years; (3) a public housing agency to pledge operating assistance as security for such financing in an amount not to exceed the lesser of the amount of the debt service plus such appropriate debt service coverage factor as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) may establish and the amount of the reasonably anticipated utility cost savings resulting from the improvement; (4) the Secretary to permit the pledging of the installed equipment related to such improvements; and (5) a public housing agency to elect to be paid for its utility costs under the formula for determining the amount of assistance provided to public housing agencies from the Capital Fund for a period of no longer than 20 years based on the agency's average annual consumption during the three-year period preceding the year in which the election is made (consumption base level). Requires the Secretary to make: (1) an initial one time adjustment in the consumption base level to account for differences in the heating degree day average over the most recent 20-year period compared to the average in the consumption base level; and (2) adjustments in the consumption base level to account for an increase or reduction in units, a change in fuel source, or a change in resident-controlled electricity consumption.

An original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2011, revising the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2010, and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2012 through 2015.

United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2010

Sets forth the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2011, including the appropriate budgetary levels for FY2010 and FY2012-FY2015. Lists recommended budgetary levels and amounts for FY2010-FY2015 with respect to: (1) federal revenues; (2) new budget authority; (3) budget outlays; (4) deficits; (5) public debt; and (6) debt held by the public. Lists the appropriate levels of new budget authority, outlays, and administrative expenses for Social Security, U.S. Postal Service discretionary administrative expenses, and specified major functional categories for FY2010-FY2015. Provides for certain deficit-neutral and/or deficit-reduction reserve funds for legislation for: (1) promotion of employment and job growth; (2) stabilization and improvement of the regulation of the financial and housing sector; (3) tax relief and reform; (4) investments in clean energy and preservation of the environment; (5) assistance to working families and children; (6) investments in America's infrastructure; (7) America's veterans, and returning and wounded servicemembers; (8) higher education; (9) health care; (10) investments in counties and schools; (11) the federal judiciary; (12) recommendations of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform; (13) improper payments; (14) terminated programs; (15) small business tax relief; (16) greater accountability for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding and for health care reform; (17) reduction of tax increases on low-and middle-income Americans and protection of retirees; (18) promotion of corporate tax fairness; (19) taxpayer access to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) appeals; (20) increased difficulty for corporations to influence elections; (21) repeal of deductions from mineral revenue payments to states; and (22) increased transparency regarding foreign holders of U.S. debt and risk assessment related to the federal debt. Provides for deficit-reduction reserve funds for legislation for: (1) recommendations of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform; (2) improper payments; (3) terminated programs; and (4) promoting corporate tax fairness. Establishes specified discretionary spending limits in the Senate. Provides for adjustments to discretionary spending limits, budgetary aggregates, and allocations for: (1) continuing disability reviews and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) redeterminations for the Social Security Administration (SSA); (2) IRS tax enforcement; (3) health care fraud and abuse control; (4) unemployment insurance improper payments reviews; and (5) adjustments to support ongoing overseas deployments and other activities. Makes it out of order to consider in the Senate any legislation that would: (1) require advanced appropriations, with specified exceptions; or (2) provide an emergency designation, for the purpose of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 or this resolution, unless each designation is accompanied by an "Affirmation of Emergency Designation" document filed with the Clerk of the Senate and signed by 16 Senators. Allows the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee to adjust the estimate of budgetary effects of legislation to exclude amounts of qualifying budgetary effects if the legislation: (1) amends or supersedes the system for updating physician payments under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act; (2) amends the Estate and Gift Tax under the Internal Revenue Code; (3) extends the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) relief for individuals under the Code; or (4) extends middle-class tax cuts under the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) or the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief and Reconciliation Act of 2003 (JGTRRA). Permits the Chairman to make adjustments only for points of order in specified legislation relating to: (1) pay-as-you-go; and (2) long- and short-term deficits. Extends through FY2020 certain CBA mechanisms for enforcement of budgetary points of order in the Senate. Makes it out of order to consider in the Senate reconciliation legislation that produces an increase in outlays if the effect of all the provisions in the jurisdiction of any committee is to create or result in gross new direct spending that exceeds 20% of the total savings instructions to the committee. Requires Senate committees to review programs and tax expenditures in their jurisdiction, and provide recommendations to the Senate Budget Committee to improve governmental performance and to reduce waste, fraud, abuse, or program duplication in their views and estimates reports. Requires the joint explanatory statement accompanying the conference report on any budget resolution in the Senate to include in its committee allocations to the Committees on Appropriations amounts for the discretionary administrative expenses of the SSA and of the Postal Service. Makes it out of order to consider a budget resolution in the Senate unless it: (1) contains a specified "Truth in Debt Disclosure" section; and (2) includes a table that contains, for each of the previous 12 fiscal years, specified information based on the budget resolution for each such fiscal year. Declares that the levels assumed in this budget resolution allow the gross federal debt to rise: (1) by $4.71 trillion from FY2010-FY2015; and (2) by $15,250 on every U.S. citizen from FY2010-FY2015. States that such levels cut: (1) spending as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 11%; (2) the deficit as a percent of GDP by 70%; and (3) taxes by $780 billion. Sets forth reconciliation instructions for the Senate Committee on Finance.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011

United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2010

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 - Authorizes appropriations for the Department of Defense (DOD) for FY2011. Authorizes appropriations to DOD for: (1) procurement, including for aircraft, missiles, weapons and tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, and shipbuilding and conversion; (2) the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Fund; (3) Defense Production Act purchases; (4) research development, test, and evaluation; (5) operation and maintenance; (6) military personnel; (7) Working Capital Funds; (8) the National Defense Sealift Fund; (9) the Defense Coalition Acquisition Fund; (10) chemical agents and munitions destruction; (11) drug interdiction and counter-drug activities; (12) the Defense Inspector General; (13) the Defense Health Program; (14) the Armed Forces Retirement Home; (15) overseas contingency operations; (16) chemical demilitarization; (17) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Security Investment Program; (18) National Guard and reserve forces facilities; (19) military base closure and realignment activities; and (20) overseas contingency operations military construction. Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2011 for military construction, military family housing, and energy conservation projects. Sets forth provisions or requirements concerning: (1) military personnel policy; (2) education and training; (3) military pay and allowances; (4) acquisition policy and management; (5) DOD organization and management; (6) DOD financial matters; (7) civilian personnel; (8) matters relating to foreign nations; (9) the National Defense Stockpile; and (10) military construction. Establishes the Refined Petroleum Products, Marginal Expense Transfer Account for DOD purchases of refined petroleum products.

Grow a Renewable Energy Economy Now--Jumpstart Other Biofuels Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2010

Grow a Renewable Energy Economy Now--Jumpstart Other Biofuels Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a 30% energy tax credit for investments in qualified cellulosic and algae-based biofuel facilities; (2) extend through 2016 the special depreciation allowance for qualified cellulosic biofuel plant property; (3) include algae-based biofuel within the definition of cellulosic biofuel for purposes of the cellulosic biofuel producer tax credit; (4) exclude from the definition of cellulosic biofuel any processed fuel with an acid number greater than 25; (5) extend through 2016 the cellulosic biofuel producer tax credit; and (6) allow a direct payment of 30% of the basis of cellulosic and algae-based biofuel facility property.

DISCUSSION DRAFT OF THE INDIAN ENERGY PROMOTION AND PARITY ACT OF 2010

United States · United States Senate · 22 April 2010

Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2010

Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010 - Directs the Administrator of General Services (GSA) to: (1) identify, annually, the core competencies necessary for federal personnel performing building operations and maintenance, energy management, safety, and design functions to comply with requirements under federal law, including competencies relating to sustainability, water efficiency, electrical safety, and building performance measures; and (2) identify a course, certification, degree, license, or registration to demonstrate, and for ongoing training in, each core competency for the appropriate category of personnel. Requires individuals in each category to demonstrate each core competency identified for the category within one year. Directs the Administrator: (1) to develop or identify comprehensive continuing education courses to ensure the operation of federal buildings in accordance with industry best practices and standards; and (2) and the Secretary of Energy to develop, annually, a recommended curriculum relating to facility management and the operation of high-performance buildings. Makes training requirements under this Act applicable to non-federal personnel performing building operations and maintenance, energy management, safety, and design functions under contract with a federal agency. Requires a contractor to provide training to, and certify the demonstration of core competencies for, non-federal personnel in a manner that is approved by the Administrator.

Improving Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Use By Federal Agencies Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2010

Improving Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Use By Federal Agencies Act of 2010 - Authorizes the head of each executive agency to establish projects under which an agency head may offer to enter into cost-effective power purchase agreements, during a 10-year period beginning on the date of this Act's enactment, for the purchase of electricity from renewable energy sources from federal facilities that are owned or controlled by the agency. Limits the term of the agreements to 30 years. Authorizes agencies to enter into interagency agreements as part of power purchase agreements. Establishes in the Treasury the Federal Facility Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects Fund from which the Secretary of Energy (DOE) shall provide assistance for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects carried out at federal facilities. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish a federal facility energy efficiency and renewable energy projects fund program under which the Secretary shall make loans to assist agencies in reducing energy use; (2) promulgate regulations that enable agencies to retain the financial savings that result from entering into utility energy saving contracts; (3) promulgate regulations that establish appropriate methods and procedures for agencies to identify all potential locations at their facilities for renewable energy projects; (4) issue guidance for agencies to employ advanced tools allowing energy savings through the use of computer hardware, energy efficiency software, and power management tools; and (5) issue guidance on a federal energy management and data collection standard that includes a plan for the General Services Administration (GSA) to publish energy consumption data for individual facilities on a searchable website accessible by the public. Requires agencies to submit annual plans on metering their consumption of electricity. Requires the Secretary to develop and report on best practices for the use of advanced metering of energy use in federal facilities, buildings, and equipment by federal agencies. Authorizes the Administrator of GSA to use appropriated funds to update project designs to meet federal building energy efficiency standards. Requires the Administrator and the Secretary to incorporate commissioning and recommissioning standards for all real property that: (1) is more than $10 million in value; (2) has more than 50,000 square feet; or (3) has energy intensity of more than $2 per square foot. Requires a contribution by the Secretary of Defense to a state for facilities for reserve components of the Armed Forces that is made at an armory or readiness center for an energy efficiency upgrade to cover 100% of the costs of architectural, engineering, and design services and the cost of the construction related to the upgrade.

America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2010

America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 - Establishes, revises, and extends specified science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) programs, as well as engineering, research, and training programs. Authorizes appropriations for FY2011-FY2015 for: (1) the National Science Foundation (NSF); (2) the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); and (3) the Department of Energy (DOE) for activities of the Office of Science.

Small Business Bill of Rights

United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2010

Small Business Bill of Rights - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend through 2011 the offset of nonrefundable personal credits against regular and alternative minimum tax (AMT) liability, the increased AMT exemption amount, and the reduced tax rates on dividends and capital gains; (2) reduce the tax rate on gain from the sale of qualified small business stock; (3) increase in 2009, 2010, or 2011 the tax deduction for business start-up expenses; (4) allow self-employed individuals to deduct health insurance costs in computing the tax on self-employment income; (5) increase and make permanent the tax credit for the purchase of hybrid motor vehicles; (6) allow a new tax credit for the purchase of flexible fuel vehicles; and (7) make the tax credits for residential energy efficiency expenditures and the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial building expenditures permanent. Requires each report of a congressional committee on a public bill or joint resolution to contain a statement by the Comptroller General that certifies that such bill or resolution will not cause an increase in unemployment. Exempts a small business concern from any amendment to the Internal Revenue Code after the enactment of this Act that would result in a tax increase to such business. Authorizes the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to take steps to limit the impact of federal regulations on small business concerns. Postpones until December 31, 2015, the termination of the estate and generation-skipping transfer tax provisions enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. Amends the National Labor Relations Act to make it an unfair labor practice for: (1) an employer to recognize or bargain collectively with a labor organization that has not been selected by a majority of the employees in a secret ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB); and (2) a labor organization to cause or attempt to cause an employer to recognize or bargain collectively with a representative that has not been selected in such manner. Sets forth provisions to implement health care liability reforms. Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow for the purchase of health insurance coverage across state lines. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to make the e-verify program permanent and to allow verification of employee legal status over the telephone. Allows small business concerns a 30-day grace period to correct errors in paperwork for which fines may be imposed under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Expresses the sense of Congress against the enactment of any laws to lessen the protections for new products or processes under the patent law or to reduce the term of any existing patent. Establishes in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) a Patent Ombudsman Program to assist small business concerns in filing patents. Prohibits: (1) a federal agency from issuing a rule until it has studied whether such rule will have an unduly burdensome effect on small business concerns; and (2) the SBA Administrator, in carrying out SBA programs, from imposing any limit on executive compensation by any small business concern. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study of each federal regulation to determine the burden such regulation imposes on small business concerns. Amends the Small Business Act relating to the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) to require the SBA Administrator to ensure that SCORE: (1) carries out a plan to increase the number of small business mentors; (2) establishes benchmarks for evaluating its activities and volunteers; and (3) establishes a mentoring program of one-on-one advice to small businesses from qualified counselors. Renames the Service Corps of Retired Executives as SCORE. Eliminates the Active Corps of Executives. Amends the Small Business Act to increase from 23% to 30% the government-wide small business procurement contract goal. Requires the President, before the close of each fiscal year, to establish new goals. Requires each federal agency to have an annual goal at least equal to the federal goal. Redefines the terms"bundled contract" and "bundling of contract requirements" for federal contract procurement purposes. Amends the federal criminal code to impose criminal penalties for making a false statement concerning status as a small business concern in an effort to obtain a federal contract. Rescinds any unobligated balances made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Repeals the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Requires any TARP funds repaid to the federal government to be used for deficit reduction.

Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2010

Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010 - Directs the Administrator of General Services (GSA) to: (1) identify, annually, the core competencies necessary for federal personnel performing building operations and maintenance, energy management, safety, and design functions to comply with requirements under federal law, including competencies relating to sustainability, water efficiency, electrical safety, and building performance measures; and (2) identify a course, certification, degree, license, or registration to demonstrate, and for ongoing training in, each core competency for the appropriate category of personnel. Requires individuals in each category to demonstrate each core competency identified for the category within one year. Directs the Administrator: (1) to develop or identify comprehensive continuing education courses to ensure the operation of federal buildings in accordance with industry best practices and standards; and (2) and the Secretary of Energy to develop, annually, a recommended curriculum relating to facility management and the operation of high-performance buildings. Makes training requirements under this Act applicable to non-federal personnel performing building operations and maintenance, energy management, safety, and design functions under contract with a federal agency. Requires a contractor to provide training to, and certify the demonstration of core competencies for, non-federal personnel in a manner that is approved by the Administrator.

Veteran Employment Assistance Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2010

Veteran Employment Assistance Act of 2010 - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a program, headed by a Director, which designates veterans business centers to provide entrepreneurial training and counseling to veterans in areas in which the number of veterans, especially veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, exceed the national median. Requires the Director to establish a program of grants to veterans business centers to: (1) provide federal procurement assistance to small businesses owned and controlled by veterans; and (2) develop outreach programs to create or further develop service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Authorizes the Director to hold biennial veterans entrepreneurial development summits. Decreases from three years to one year the period for completion of training of new disabled veterans' outreach program specialists and local veterans' employment representatives. Directs the Secretary of Labor to provide a training subsistence allowance for each month that an unemployed veteran is enrolled in a full-time employment and training program that is offered by an eligible training provider and teaches a skill connected to a career in an in-demand industry. Provides for the use of veterans' post-9/11 educational assistance for the pursuit of apprenticeships and on-job training. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish: (1) a program to award grants to states to establish veterans conservation corps to give veterans volunteer and employment opportunities under state conservation projects; and (2) a center of excellence of methods for educational institutions to afford academic credit to veterans for previous military experience and training. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary of Labor to establish: (1) information technology military pathways demonstration programs to enable veterans to build upon technical skills learned in the military when entering into the civilian information technology workforce; and (2) nursing, public health and allied health professional, and physician assistant military pathways demonstration programs to enable veterans to build upon military technical skills when entering into civilian positions in those fields. Requires the Secretary of Labor to carry out a veterans energy-related employment program to encourage the employment of veterans in the energy industry. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to carry out the Veterans to Work pilot program to provide veterans with employment in military construction projects. Requires: (1) a report on improvements and enhancements of the Transition Assistance Program to better meet the needs of members of the Armed Forces and veterans; and (2) a study on a program of transition assistance modeled on the Employment Enhancement Program of the Washington National Guard.

Veteran Employment Assistance Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2010

Veteran Employment Assistance Act of 2010 - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a program, headed by a Director, which designates veterans business centers to provide entrepreneurial training and counseling to veterans in areas in which the number of veterans, especially veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, exceed the national median. Requires the Director to establish a program of grants to veterans business centers to: (1) provide federal procurement assistance to small businesses owned and controlled by veterans; and (2) develop outreach programs to create or further develop service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Authorizes the Director to hold biennial veterans entrepreneurial development summits. Decreases from three years to one year the period for completion of training of new disabled veterans' outreach program specialists and local veterans' employment representatives. Directs the Secretary of Labor to provide a training subsistence allowance for each month that an unemployed veteran is enrolled in a full-time employment and training program that is offered by an eligible training provider and teaches a skill connected to a career in an in-demand industry. Provides for the use of veterans' post-9/11 educational assistance for the pursuit of apprenticeships and on-job training. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish: (1) a program to award grants to states to establish veterans conservation corps to give veterans volunteer and employment opportunities under state conservation projects; and (2) a center of excellence of methods for educational institutions to afford academic credit to veterans for previous military experience and training. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary of Labor to establish: (1) information technology military pathways demonstration programs to enable veterans to build upon technical skills learned in the military when entering into the civilian information technology workforce; and (2) nursing, public health and allied health professional, and physician assistant military pathways demonstration programs to enable veterans to build upon military technical skills when entering into civilian positions in those fields. Requires the Secretary of Labor to carry out a veterans energy-related employment program to encourage the employment of veterans in the energy industry. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to carry out the Veterans to Work pilot program to provide veterans with employment in military construction projects. Requires: (1) a report on improvements and enhancements of the Transition Assistance Program to better meet the needs of members of the Armed Forces and veterans; and (2) a study on a program of transition assistance modeled on the Employment Enhancement Program of the Washington National Guard.

Surplus Uranium Disposition Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2010

Surplus Uranium Disposition Act of 2010 - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to authorize the Secretary of Energy to barter, transfer, or sell uranium to eligible entities at fair market value. Requires eligible entities to: (1) obtain a combined operating license for a reactor approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); and (2) possess a license from the NRC in order to obtain uranium under this Act. Requires the Secretary of Energy to offer to barter, transfer, or sell to eligible entities, on a first-come, first-served basis and at fair market value, 20 million pounds of uranium for initial cores for projects to build new reactors. Authorizes the Secretary to barter, transfer, or sell uranium to eligible entities on a first-come, first-served basis, at fair market value following a prescribed schedule for 2010-2013 and subsequent years. Requires a recipient to sell such uranium at fair market value. Prohibits the use of funds or other value obtained from the barter, transfer, or sale of uranium, without a specific appropriation by Congress, to implement other programs of the Department of Energy (DOE). Requires the Secretary to: (1) maintain a sufficient inventory of uranium to meet current and foreseeable needs of the missions and programs of DOE and designated agencies; and (2) maintain a reserve inventory of uranium that contains at least 20 million pounds of uranium. Permits the Secretary to release uranium from the reserve inventory only if a national energy emergency is declared by the President.

GREEN Jobs Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2010

Grow Renewable Energy from Ethanol Naturally Jobs Act of 2010 or the GREEN Jobs Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2015 the income and excise tax credits for alcohol used as fuel, the cellulosic biofuel producer tax credit, and the reduced credit for ethanol blenders. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to extend until 2016 the additional tariff on ethyl alcohol blends (ethanol) used as fuel.

National Institute of Standards and Technology Authorization Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2010

National Institute of Standards and Technology Authorization Act of 2010 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2011-FY2015 to the Secretary of Commerce for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for: (1) scientific and technical research and services laboratory activities; (2) facilities construction and maintenance; and (3) industrial technology services activities, including the Technology Innovation Program (TIP), Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP), and Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program. Establishes in the Department of Commerce an Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and requires the Under Secretary to conduct policy analysis on innovation and technical standards to improve and promote U.S. competitiveness. Requires the Director to reorganize the scientific and technical research and services laboratory program as specified. Directs the Secretary to promote collaboration among federal departments and agencies and private sector stakeholders. Requires the Director to establish, within the Hollings Manufacturing Partnership Program, an innovative services initiative to assist small- and medium-sized manufacturers in: (1) reducing their energy usage and environmental waste; and (2) accelerating the domestic commercialization of new product technologies, including components for renewable energy systems. Directs the Secretary to establish appropriate criteria to be considered in determining the cost share of a Hollings Manufacturing Extension Center, but in no case shall it exceed half of the costs incurred by such Center. Revises the funding for a Center under the Program after the sixth year of operation. Requires the Director to establish a bioscience research program. Authorizes the Director to establish university research centers at institutions of higher education to conduct research to further the program's objectives.

Surplus Uranium Disposition Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2010

Surplus Uranium Disposition Act of 2010 - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to authorize the Secretary of Energy to barter, transfer, or sell uranium to eligible entities at fair market value. Requires eligible entities to: (1) obtain a combined operating license for a reactor approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); and (2) possess a license from the NRC in order to obtain uranium under this Act. Requires the Secretary of Energy to offer to barter, transfer, or sell to eligible entities, on a first-come, first-served basis and at fair market value, 20 million pounds of uranium for initial cores for projects to build new reactors. Authorizes the Secretary to barter, transfer, or sell uranium to eligible entities on a first-come, first-served basis, at fair market value following a prescribed schedule for 2010-2013 and subsequent years. Requires a recipient to sell such uranium at fair market value. Prohibits the use of funds or other value obtained from the barter, transfer, or sale of uranium, without a specific appropriation by Congress, to implement other programs of the Department of Energy (DOE). Requires the Secretary to: (1) maintain a sufficient inventory of uranium to meet current and foreseeable needs of the missions and programs of DOE and designated agencies; and (2) maintain a reserve inventory of uranium that contains at least 20 million pounds of uranium. Permits the Secretary to release uranium from the reserve inventory only if a national energy emergency is declared by the President.

To amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish uniform national standards for the interconnection of certain small power production facilities.

United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2010

Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to establish a standard by which each electric utility shall make interconnection service available, upon request, to any electric consumer served by the utility with respect to any facility on the consumer's premises that has a power production capacity of at least 2 megawatts. Grants FERC powers to enforce such standard. Directs FERC to establish, for the consideration of state regulatory authorities, a model standard for the interconnection of small power production facilities that have a power production capacity of between 2 and 20 megawatts.

Smart Electronics Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2010

Smart Electronics Act - Requires the Secretary of Energy and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to submit a report to Congress that: (1) assesses the potential for cost-effective integration of smart electronics technologies and capabilities in all products that are reviewed by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the EPA for potential designation as Energy Star products; (2) assesses the growth of consumer electronics utilization and the associated energy consumption; (3) analyzes the potential energy savings and electricity cost savings that could accrue through specific Energy Star program focus on smart electronics; and (4) analyzes and ranks the potential of cost-effective smart electronics technologies. Defines "smart electronics" to mean consumer electronics with one or more of the following: (1) power-factor correction; (2) stand-by power; (3) communication with smart grid and in-home and networked energy monitoring equipment; (4) on-demand and variable processing speed semiconductors; (5) off-peak operation and charging; (6) low power switchable modes; or (7) the ability to achieve greater efficiency with multiple functions on semiconductors. Requires the Secretary and the Administrator, to the extent that it is consistent with report findings, to: (1) develop a smart electronics emphasis as part of the implementation of the Energy Star program; and (2) establish a Smart Electronics Registry that provides a voluntary mechanism for electronics manufacturers and sellers to register their smart electronics products. Directs the Secretary and the Administrator, in operating the Registry, to work with: (1) manufacturers to develop testing and verification protocols to ensure that products qualify as smart electronics; and (2) sellers to develop qualification criteria for smart electronics sales location labeling.

Expressing support for designation of April 26, 2010, as National Healthy Schools Day.

United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2010

Supports the goals and ideals of National Healthy Schools Day. Recognizes the effect that poor quality buildings have on students' health and performance and the importance of having healthy school buildings for the nation's schoolchildren. Supports energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources in schools. Supports the goals of state and local educational agencies of modernizing, renovating, and repairing their facilities to become healthier and safer places to learn.

POWERED Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2010

Program for Offshore Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2010 or the POWERED Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to initiate the development of a comprehensive roadmap to assist and coordinate offshore wind power implementation efforts. Defines "offshore wind power" to mean the generation of electricity from the deployment of wind turbines in the Great Lakes and other inland navigable waters or in U.S. coastal waters, including the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone, and the outer continental shelf. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish the Offshore Wind Power Research and Development Program to assist and coordinate offshore wind power analysis and implementation efforts consistent with the roadmap; (2) award grants to academic institutions or industry-academic consortia to establish two or more national offshore wind centers on a competitive basis with an emphasis on technical merit; (3) ensure, in selecting academic institutions or industry-academic consortia, that at least one center focuses on transitional depth and deepwater floating offshore wind energy technologies and at least one center focuses on shallow water offshore wind energy technologies; (4) award grants to states, academic institutions, and industry-academic consortia to conduct coordinated, cohesive offshore wind power analysis, research, and development projects; and (5) request grant proposals for Program projects for implementing specified activities, plans, analysis, studies, and research related to developing offshore wind power. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, as it would be amended by the American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009 as reported to the Senate as an original measure on July 16, 2009 (S.1462), to revise the federal renewable energy credit trading program by allowing triple credits for the generation of energy from offshore wind power.

A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and section 1603 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 to provide that qualified energy efficiency property is eligible for the energy credit and the Department of Treasury grant.

United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2010

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a 30% energy tax credit for qualified energy efficiency property. Defines "qualified energy efficiency property" as property which: (1) is residential rental property, nonresidential real property, or mixed use real property; (2) is a qualified building as defined by this Act; and (3) achieves a specified energy savings. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to allow grants for investment in qualified energy efficiency property in lieu of tax credits.

WMD Prevention and Preparedness Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2010

Weapons of Mass Destruction Prevention and Preparedness Act of 2010 or the WMD Prevention and Preparedness Act of 2010 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) and the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002 to direct the Secretaries of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture respectively, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), to designate as "Tier I agents" those agents and toxins which have clear potential to be used effectively in a biological attack that causes significant casualties and for which the DHS Secretary has issued a Material Threat Determination, with exceptions. Amends the Homeland Security Act (HSA) to direct the DHS Secretary to establish enhanced biosecurity measures for persons that possess, use, or transfer Tier I agents. Amends the PHSA to direct the HHS Secretary, in coordination with the DHS Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture, to: (1) establish criteria defining characteristics, features, or equipment that could facilitate the misuse of a laboratory or other facility for purposes of developing a biological weapon; and (2) establish and maintain a list of biological agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to public, animal, or plant health but for which the potential to be used in a biological attack has not been established. Directs the HHS Secretary to: (1) maintain a national database that includes the locations of each laboratory or other facility required to be registered and related information; (2) conduct a comprehensive review of the list of biological agents and toxins under the PHSA; (3) award grants to academic and nonprofit organizations and to state, local, and tribal governments to implement security improvements at laboratories of such organizations and governments that possess, use, or transfer Tier I agents or toxins; and (4) promulgate regulations governing the distribution, synthesis, and handling of Variola virus DNA. Amends the PHSA to direct the HHS Secretary, in coordination with the DHS Secretary and the Postmaster General, to: (1) develop, coordinate, and maintain a National Medical Countermeasure Dispensing Strategy; and (2) expand existing pilot programs to utilize the United States Postal Service (USPS) to deliver medical countermeasures in an emergency. Amends the HSA to: (1) direct the DHS Secretary to establish a program to distribute medkits (a cache of antibiotics and other medical countermeasure to be used during a public health emergency) to emergency responders and their immediate family members or members of a preparedness organization; (2) require the HHS Secretary to conduct a pilot program to study the feasibility of providing personal medkits to the public; (3) establish in DHS a National Bioforensics Analysis Center; (4) direct the DHS Secretary to develop, coordinate, and maintain a national bioforensics strategy; and (5) direct the DHS Secretary to incorporate into each operational plan developed under the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 a communications plan for informing the public regarding preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to imminent natural disasters, terrorist acts, and other man-made disasters. Directs the DHS Secretary to develop and disseminate integrated plume models to enable rapid response activities. Defines "plume model" as the assessment of the location and prediction of the spread of nuclear, radioactive, or chemical fallout and biological pathogens resulting form an explosion or release of nuclear, radioactive chemical, or biological substances. Requires: (1) the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to complete a global review of international biological security threats to the United States and to update the review at least biennially; and (2) the Secretary of State to provide technical and financial assistance to countries or regions identified by the mandated Threat Assessment and to produce and implement a plan for promoting international adherence to, and implementation of, international agreements regarding weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Global Pathogen Surveillance Act of 2010 - Authorizes providing assistance to eligible developing countries that: (1) permit personnel from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate outbreaks of infectious diseases within their borders; and (2) provide pathogen surveillance data to the appropriate U.S. agencies and to international health organizations. Authorizes the President to provide assistance to eligible developing countries to purchase and maintain public health laboratory equipment and supplies and communications equipment and information technology to collect, analyze, and transmit public health information. Directs the Secretary of State to award fellowships to eligible nationals to pursue public health education or training and provide assistance for short training courses for public health personnel in laboratory techniques relating to the identification, diagnosis, and tracking of pathogens responsible for possible infectious disease outbreaks. Sets forth provisions regarding the assignment of public health personnel to U.S. missions and international organizations. Authorizes the HHS Secretary to establish new country or regional international Field Epidemiology Training Programs. Directs the President's Coordinator for the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism to submit to specified congressional committees an unclassified report, with classified annexes as necessary, on the findings and recommendations of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, regarding: (1) U.S. nuclear nonproliferation efforts; and (2) U.S. work with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to develop strategic plans for the energy development program under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978. Requires the DNI to develop, implement, and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy for improving: (1) U.S. capabilities for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence related to WMDs; and (2) the recruiting, training, and retention of individuals with expertise in the collection, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence related to WMDs and of employees of the intelligence community who possess critical language capabilities and cultural backgrounds. Requires: (1) the Director of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) to establish an interdisciplinary capability to advise Congress concerning technology or technological applications developed or used for countering terrorism; and (2) the Comptroller General to conduct assessments of such technology or applications or proposed to be developed or used. Amends the HSA to direct the DHS Secretary: (1) in coordination with the Attorney General, to ensure that information concerning terrorist threats is available to the general public within the United States; and (2) to develop and disseminate guidelines for police, emergency medical services, emergency management, and public health personnel for responding to an explosion or release of nuclear, biological, radiological, or chemical material. Directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist state, local, and tribal governments in improving and promoting individual and community preparedness for disasters and terrorist acts.

SEAM Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2010

Security in Energy and Manufacturing Act of 2010 or the SEAM Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the qualifying advanced energy project credit by allocating in 2010 $5 billion of grants or tax credit amounts to manufacturers of goods and components (other than for assembly of components) in the United States that are used in alternative energy projects.

Unconventional Domestic Natural Gas Research and Development Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2010

Unconventional Domestic Natural Gas Research and Development Act - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to entitle as the Unconventional Domestic Natural Gas Research and Development Program the existing program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of technologies for ultra-deepwater and unconventional natural gas and other petroleum resource exploration and production. Requires the Secretary of Energy to seek to establish partnerships with research performers in institutions of higher education and the private sector to undertake research and development not likely otherwise to be undertaken in the absence of support from the program. Directs the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to submit to the Secretary of Energy its complementary annual research plan for inclusion as a component of the President's annual budget request to Congress. Authorizes the program to make awards in the form of grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other transactions. Directs the Secretary, instead of the NETL on the Secretary's behalf, to conduct program review and oversight. Extends the program through FY2017. Revises the limitation on program administration funds to set a maximum of the greater of $4 million or (as under current law) 10% of the total funds allocated under the program. Increases from $50 million to $150 million the amount required to be deposited each fiscal year into the Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Research Fund after certain allocations have been made from federal royalties, rents, and bonuses derived from federal onshore and offshore oil and gas leases issued under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

THE ROLE OF COAL IN A NEW ENERGY AGE

United States · United States House of Representatives · 14 April 2010

ENERGY TAX INCENTIVES DRIVING THE GREEN JOB ECONOMY

United States · United States House of Representatives · 14 April 2010

Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2010

Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish: (1) the Home Star Retrofit Rebate Program to provide rebates to contractors to be passed through as discounts to homeowners who retrofit their homes to achieve energy savings; (2) a Federal Rebate Processing System to enable rebate aggregators to submit claims for reimbursement; and (3) a national retrofit website and public information campaign that provide information on the Program. Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop a network of rebate aggregators that can facilitate the delivery of rebates to reimburse participating contractors and vendors for discounts provided to homeowners for energy efficiency retrofit work; (2) ensure that rebate aggregation services are available to all homeowners at the lowest reasonable cost; and (3) develop guidelines for states to allow utilities participating as rebate aggregators to count the energy savings from their participation toward state-level energy saving targets. Sets forth eligibility criteria for, and responsibilities of, rebate aggregators. Establishes: (1) a Silver Star Home Energy Retrofit Program to award rebates during the first year after this Act's enactment to reimburse participating contractors and vendors for discounts provided to homeowners for retrofit work that installs specified energy saving measures, including air-sealing and insulation measures, duct seal or replacement, window or door replacement, heating or cooling system replacement, and water heater replacement; and (2) a Gold Star Home Energy Retrofit Program to award rebates to reimburse participating accredited contractors and vendors for retrofit work that achieves whole home energy savings. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) the amount of the rebates (up to $3,000 per home for Silver Star rebates or $8,000 per home for Gold Star rebates); and (2) the treatment of rebates for tax purposes (excluded from taxable income). Requires states that receive funding under this Act to submit to the Secretary plans to implement quality assurance programs that cover residential energy efficiency retrofit work sponsored or provided under this Act. Requires the Secretary to establish a Home Star Energy Efficiency Loan Program to make funds available to states to support financial assistance provided by qualified financing entities for qualifying energy saving measures under the Silver Star or Gold Star programs.

GRID Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2010

Grid Reliability and Infrastructure Defense Act or GRID Act - Amends the Federal Power Act to authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), with or without notice, hearing, or report, to issue orders for emergency measures to protect the reliability of either the bulk-power system or the defense critical electric infrastructure whenever the President issues a written directive or determination identifying an imminent grid security threat. Instructs FERC, to the extent practicable in light of the nature of the grid security threat and the urgency for emergency measures, to consult with certain governmental authorities, including Canada and Mexico, regarding implementation of emergency measures. Prescribes: (1) implementation procedures; and (2) related cost recovery measures affecting owners, operators, or users of either the bulk-power system or the defense critical electric infrastructure. Directs FERC to require any owner, user, or operator of the bulk-power system in the United States to implement measures necessary to protect the bulk-power system against specified vulnerabilities. Directs FERC also to order the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) to submit reliability standards to: (1) protect the bulk-power system from a reasonably foreseeable geomagnetic storm event; and (2) require entities that own or operate large transformers to ensure their adequate availability to restore promptly the reliable operation of the bulk-power system in the event that any such transformer is destroyed or disabled as a result of a reasonably foreseeable physical or other attack or a geomagnetic storm event. Directs the President to designate for FERC the domestic facilities that are: (1) most critical to the national defense; and (2) most vulnerable to an electric energy supply disruption. Directs FERC to require an owner or operator of defense critical electric infrastructure to implement measures to protect it against any vulnerability that has not been adequately addressed. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to develop technical expertise in the protection of systems for the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric energy against either geomagnetic storms or malicious acts using electronic communications or electromagnetic weapons.

A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to allow for additional transportation assistance grants.

United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2010

Expands the urbanized area formula grants program to include public transit projects in urbanized areas with specified population ranges if the state or regional authority that provides public transportation for the area operates less than 100 buses in fixed-route service in the area during peak service hours. Separates population categories by graduated increases of 200,000, starting with between 200,000 and 400,000, and capping at a minimum of 1 million. Establishes certain grant use limits for the operating costs of public transportation equipment and facilities in such projects, beginning with 50% of grant funds for certain activities and declining gradually to 30% for certain other activities. Revises grant eligibility requirements for FY2010-FY2015 for such projects in urbanized areas with a population of at least 200,000. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation, during FY2010-FY2015, to award an additional grant to a designated recipient for the operating cost of public transportation equipment and facilities under this Act if the recipient: (1) was awarded a grant under the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) program; and (2) demonstrates that it has achieved specified energy savings and total greenhouse gas emission reduction as a result of a TIGGER grant project.

A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the nonbusiness energy property credit to roofs with pigmented coatings which meet Energy Star program requirements.

United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2010

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the nonbusiness energy property tax credit to energy-efficient asphalt roofs with pigmented coatings.

Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2010

Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish: (1) the Home Star Retrofit Rebate Program to provide rebates to contractors to be passed through as discounts to homeowners who retrofit their homes to achieve energy savings; (2) a Federal Rebate Processing System to enable rebate aggregators to submit claims for reimbursement; and (3) a national retrofit website and public information campaign that provide information on the Program. Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop a network of rebate aggregators that can facilitate the delivery of rebates to reimburse participating contractors; and (2) develop guidelines for states to allow utilities participating as rebate aggregators to count the energy savings from their participation toward state-level energy saving targets. Sets forth eligibility criteria for rebate aggregators. Establishes: (1) a Silver Star Home Energy Retrofit Program to award rebates during the first year after this Act's enactment for the energy retrofit of a home for the installation of specified energy saving measures, including air-sealing and insulation measures, duct seal or replacement, window or door replacement, heating or cooling system replacement, and water heater replacement; and (2) a Gold Star Home Energy Retrofit Program to award rebates for retrofits that achieve whole home energy savings. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) the amount of the rebates (up to $3,000 per home for Silver Star rebates or $8,000 per home for Gold Star rebates); and (2) the treatment of rebates for tax purposes (excluded from taxable income). Requires a state that receives funding under this Act to submit to the Secretary a plan to implement a quality assurance program that covers all federally assisted residential efficiency retrofit work administered, supervised, or sponsored by the state. Requires the Secretary to establish a Home Star Energy Efficiency Loan Program to make funds available to states to support financial assistance provided by qualified financing entities for making, to existing homes, energy efficiency improvements that qualify under the Silver Star or Gold Star programs.

American Renewable Biomass Heating Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2010

American Renewable Biomass Heating Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a 30% energy tax credit for investment in biomass heating property placed in service before January 1, 2014.

Greening Food Deserts Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2010

Greening Food Deserts Act - Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Office of Urban Agriculture which shall coordinate Department of Agriculture (USDA) activities related to urban agriculture and nutrition. Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to direct the Secretary to provide technical assistance in support of backyard conservation and community gardening programs involving small-scale subsistence and personal-use agriculture. Amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 regarding urban and community forestry assistance to give a priority to the production and procurement in urban areas of plant materials that are resistant to invasive species. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to authorize appropriations for the seniors farmers' market nutrition program. Directs the Secretary to make loans, provide loan guarantees, and make grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for farmers' market construction and renovation. Amends the Census of Agriculture Act of 1997 to include an evaluation of state farmers' markets in each agriculture census. Renames the Rural Energy for America Program as the Renewable Energy for America Program. Authorizes the Secretary to make a microloan or grant available to support outreach activities for: (1) developing food production in communities not traditionally associated with agricultural production; and (2) supporting local food production and distribution. Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to increase reimbursement rates for school lunch, breakfast, and summer food service meals consisting in whole or part of foods produced through agricultural education programs that use enrolled students to produce food and provide the food to in-house feeding programs. Amends The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to direct the Secretary to make eight grants each fiscal year to regional food banks or consortiums of community feeding programs for a demonstration project to produce fresh fruits and vegetables at these facilities while teaching eligible households how to engage in small-scale food production residentially or at community gardens.

Federal Buildings Sustainable Design Standards Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2010

Federal Buildings Sustainable Design Standards Act of 2009 [ sic ] - Directs the head of a federal agency constructing a building at an estimated cost exceeding $1 million, more than 50% of which is comprised of federal funding, to ensure that the building's life-cycle cost is considered with respect to the building's design. Defines "life-cycle cost" to mean the sum of investment, capital, installation, energy, operating, maintenance, and replacement costs, as estimated for the lifetime of a building.

VA Energy Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2010

Virginia Access to Energy Act or the VA Energy Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 220 on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) by as soon as practicable, but not later than one year, after the date the Secretary receives a petition from the governor requesting that the lease sale be conducted. Provides for the disposition of revenues received from such lease sale for both federal and non-federal purposes, including payments to the state of Virginia. Establishes in the Treasury the Alternative Energy Trust Fund, consisting of a portion of such revenues, which may be used for making grants for a coal and related technologies program, solar and wind technologies, and nuclear power loan guarantees, among other things.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide an exception to the arbitrage rules for prepayments for electricity generated from renewable resources.

United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2010

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify bond arbitrage rules to provide that an investment-type property does not include a prepayment under a qualified renewable electricity contract, thus exempting such prepayments from arbitrage restrictions.

Electing a Minority member to a standing committee.

United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2010

Elects a named minority Member to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE ENERGY SECURITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH TRANSPORTATION POLICY

United States · United States Senate · 24 March 2010

Employing Youth for the American Dream Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2010

Employing Youth for the American Dream Act of 2010 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to expand to age 24 the age eligibility requirements under the youth opportunity grants program for youth activities. Directs the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to make certain allotments to states for summer jobs programs for disconnected youth (youth age 16 to 24 who are not regularly employed or attending school). Requires the Secretary to award grants to states to carry out employment programs for the partial reimbursement of wages paid by employers of small or medium-sized business concerns for new hires or rehires of former employees. Requires states to give priority for payments to eligible employers who hire or rehire a disconnected youth. Requires the Secretary to make allotments and grants to states to carry out eligible on-the-job training programs for disconnected youth. Directs the President to establish a public service employment program to employ individuals to carry out works of a public nature in connection with parks, roads, schools, and after-school programs. Requires priority for such jobs to be given to individuals who are long-term unemployed, low-income, and disconnected youth. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the work opportunity tax credit through calendar 2015; (2) include as a member of a targeted group for purposes of such credit a qualified Title 1-B youth services recipient and rename a "qualified ex-felon" as a "qualified ex-offender" for purposes of the credit; (3) double the amount of allowable wages that may be considered in calculating such credit; (4) revive and extend the designation period for tax-preferred empowerment zones and revive certain zone designations that terminated on December 31, 2009; and (5) allow an employer tax credit through 2012 for the employment of disconnected youth. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to give preference to the hiring of individuals age 16 to 24 for federal park and forestry jobs. Authorizes contracting officers of executive agencies to give preference in the award of federal contracts for the procurement of goods and services to employers: (1) that employ, in a youth apprenticeship and in the performance of the contract, disconnected youth who reside in high unemployment areas; and (2) whose contracts are funded for FY2011 under a law enacted to create infrastructure, transportation, or green energy jobs.

To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal a section of that Act relating to exportation or importation of natural gas.

United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2010

Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal provisions amending the Natural Gas Act to extend its jurisdiction to: (1) the exportation or importation of natural gas in foreign commerce and to persons engaged in it; and (2) liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. States that the Natural Gas Act shall be applied and administered as if such provisions and attendant amendments had not been enacted.

ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2011

United States · United States House of Representatives · 23 March 2010

OVERSIGHT OF THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

United States · United States House of Representatives · 23 March 2010