§ 16515 — Limitation On Commitments To Guarantee Loans

(a) In addition, fees collected pursuant to section 16512(h) of this title in fiscal year 2007 shall be credited as offsetting collections to the Departmental Administration account for administrative expenses of the Loan Guarantee Program: Provided further, That the sum appropriated for administrative expenses for the Loan Guarantee Program shall be reduced by the amount of fees received during fiscal year 2007: Provided further, That any fees collected under section 16512(h) of this title in excess of the amount appropriated for administrative expenses shall not be available until appropriated. (b) No loan guarantees may be awarded under title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 [42 U.S.C. 16501 et seq.] until final regulations are issued that include— (1) programmatic, technical, and financial factors the Secretary will use to select projects for loan guarantees; (2) policies and procedures for selecting and monitoring lenders and loan performance; and (3) any other policies, procedures, or information necessary to implement title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. (c) The Secretary of Energy shall enter into an arrangement with an independent auditor for annual evaluations of the program under title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 [42 U.S.C. 16501 et seq.]. In addition to the independent audit, the Comptroller General shall conduct a review every three years of the Department’s execution of the program under title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The results of the independent audit and the Comptroller General’s review shall be provided directly to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate. (d) The Secretary of Energy shall promulgate final regulations for loan guarantees under title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 [42 U.S.C. 16501 et seq.] within 6 months of February 15, 2007. (e) Not later than 120 days after February 15, 2007, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Energy shall transmit to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report containing a summary of all activities under title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 [42 U.S.C. 16511 et seq.], beginning in fiscal year 2007, with a listing of responses to loan guarantee solicitations under such title, describing the technologies, amount of loan guarantee sought, and the applicants’ assessment of risk.