S.Amdt. 807

SA 807. Mr. OBAMA submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 6, Reserved; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 37, between the matter following line 12 and line 13, insert the following:

SEC. 109. INDUSTRIAL NATURAL GAS EFFICIENCY PILOT PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a 2-year pilot program (referred to in this section as the “program”) to demonstrate the effectiveness of energy efficiency improvements that reduce natural gas usage in the industrial sector.

(b) Program Coordinator.--

(1) In general.--The program shall be administered by a program coordinator, to be designated by the Secretary in accordance with paragraph (2).

(2) Designation.--As soon as practicable after the date of enactment this Act, the Secretary shall designate as program coordinator an energy resource center that is--

(1) located in the midwestern United States;

(2) affiliated with a major land-grant university; and

(3) certified by a State board of higher education.

(c) Grants.--

(1) In general.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall provide, in accordance with the guidelines established under paragraph (2), grants to eligible entities from the industrial sector to pay the Federal share of the costs of eligible projects to reduce natural gas usage by implementing energy efficiency improvements.

(2) Requirements.--Grants shall be provided under paragraph (1) on a competitive basis, in accordance with guidelines established by the program coordinator.

(3) Eligible energy efficiency improvements.--A project for which assistance may be provided a grant under this subsection includes a project for--

(A) steam production and distribution;

(B) efficiency upgrades and heat recovery for process heating and cooling project;

(C) compressed air technologies;

(D) combined heat and power applications; and

(E) improvements in motor technologies.

(4) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of carrying out a project under this subsection shall be not more than 30 percent.

(d) Education.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary and the program coordinator shall make available to industries information on energy-efficient technologies that reduce industrial natural gas usage to encourage industries to invest in the energy-efficient technologies.

(e) Report.--On completion of the program, the program coordinator shall submit to Congress a report that--

(1) describes the results and successes of the program; and

(2) makes recommendations for any appropriate actions that would encourage industrial energy-efficiency investments.

(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2006 through 2008, of which $8,000,000 shall be made available to carry out subsection (c).