§ 6276 — Domestic Renewable Energy Industry And Related Service Industries

(a) It is the purpose of this section to implement the responsibilities of the United States under chapter VII of the international energy program with respect to development of alternative energy by facilitating the overall abilities of the domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries to create new markets. (1) Before the later of— (A) 6 months after July 18, 1984, and (B) May 31, 1985, (2) Such evaluation shall include— (A) an assessment of the technical and commercial status of the domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries in domestic and foreign markets; (B) an assessment of the Federal Government’s activities affecting commerce in the domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries and in consolidating and coordinating such activities within the Federal Government; and (C) an assessment of the aspects of the domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries in which improvements must be made to increase the international commercialization of such industry. (1) On the basis of the evaluation under subsection (b), the Secretary of Commerce shall, consistent with existing law, establish a program for enhancing commerce in renewable energy technologies and consolidating or coordinating existing activities for such purpose. (2) Such program shall provide for— (A) the broadening of the participation by the domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries in such activities; (B) the promotion of the domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries on a worldwide basis; (C) the participation by the Federal Government and the domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries in international standard-setting activities; and (D) the establishment of an information program under which— (i) technical information about the domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries shall be provided to appropriate public and private officials engaged in commerce, and to potential end users, including other industry sectors in foreign countries such as health care, rural development, communications, and refrigeration, and others, and (ii) marketing information about export and export financing opportunities shall be available to the domestic renewable energy industry and related service industries. (3) Necessary funds required for carrying out such program shall be requested in connection with fiscal years beginning after September 30, 1984. (A) There shall be established an interagency working group that, in consultation with the representative industry groups and relevant agency heads, shall make recommendations to coordinate the actions and programs of the Federal Government affecting exports of renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services. The interagency working group shall establish a program to inform foreign countries of the benefits of policies that would increase energy efficiency or would allow facilities that use renewable energy to compete effectively with producers of energy from nonrenewable sources. (B) There shall be established an Interagency Working Subgroup on Renewable Energy and an Interagency Working Subgroup on Energy Efficiency that shall, in consultation with representative industry groups, nonprofit organizations, and relevant Federal agencies, make recommendations to coordinate the actions and programs of the Federal Government to promote the export of domestic renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services, respectively. (C) The Secretary of Energy, or the Secretary’s designee, shall chair the interagency working group and each subgroup established under this paragraph. The Administrator of the Agency for International Development and the Secretary of Commerce, or their designees, shall be members of both subgroups established under this paragraph. The Secretary shall provide staff for carrying out the functions of the interagency working group and each subgroup established under this paragraph. The heads of appropriate agencies may detail such personnel and may furnish such services to such group and subgroups, with or without reimbursement, as may be necessary to carry out their functions. (A) The interagency working subgroups established under paragraph (1)(B), through the member agencies of the interagency working group, shall promote the development and application in foreign countries of renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services, respectively, that— (i) reduce dependence on unreliable sources of energy by encouraging the use of sustainable biomass, wind, small-scale hydroelectric, solar, geothermal, and other renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services; and (ii) use hybrid fossil-renewable energy systems. (B) In addition, the interagency working subgroups shall explore mechanisms for assisting domestic firms, particularly small businesses, with the export of their renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services and with the identification of potential projects. (3) The interagency working subgroups shall encourage the member agencies of the interagency working group to— (A) provide technical training and education for international development personnel and local users in their own country; (B) provide financial and technical assistance to nonprofit institutions that support the marketing and export efforts of domestic companies that provide renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services; (C) develop environmentally sustainable renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in foreign countries; (D) provide technical assistance and training materials to loan officers of the World Bank, international lending institutions, commercial and energy attaches at embassies of the United States and other appropriate personnel in order to provide information about renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services to foreign governments or other potential project sponsors; (E) support, through financial incentives, private sector efforts to commercialize and export renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services; and (F) augment budgets for trade and development programs in order to support pre-feasibility or feasibility studies for projects that utilize renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services. (4) The interagency working group shall conduct a study of subsidies, incentives, and policies that foreign countries use to promote exports of their own renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and products. Such study shall also identify foreign trade barriers to the import of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and products produced in the United States. The interagency working group shall report to the appropriate committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate the results of such study within 18 months after October 24, 1992. (e) (1) The interagency working group shall— (A) establish, in consultation with representatives of affected industries, a plan to increase United States exports of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, and include in such plan recommended guidelines for agencies that are represented on the working group with respect to the financing of, or other actions they can take within their programs to promote, exports of such renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies; (B) develop, in consultation with representatives of affected industries, recommended administrative guidelines for Federal export loan programs to simplify application by firms seeking export assistance for renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies from agencies implementing such programs; and (C) recommend specific renewable energy and energy efficiency technology markets for primary emphasis by Federal export loan programs, development programs, and private sector assistance programs. (2) and shall include in subsequent reports a description of any modifications to such plan and of the progress in implementing the plan. (g) (h) There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to implement this part, to remain available until expended.