S.Amdt. 4970

SA 4970. Mr. DeMINT (for himself, Mr. InHofe, and Mr. Craig) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 3036, to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. NONAPPLICABILITY.

(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, during the period beginning on the date on which the Administrator makes a determination described in subsection (b) and ending on the date described in subsection (c), the number of emission allowances established by the Administrator for a calendar year shall be not less than the number of emission allowances established under section 201(a) for the calendar year in which the determination is made.

(b) Description of Determination.--A determination referred to in subsection (a) is a determination that, during an applicable calendar year, new nuclear power plants in the United States have commenced operation with a cumulative capacity equal to less than the applicable cumulative capacity (expressed in gigawatts electric) specified in the following table:

Calendar year Gigawatts electricity

2016.................................................. 3

2017.................................................. 6

2018.................................................. 9

2019.................................................. 12

2020.................................................. 15

2021.................................................. 18

2022.................................................. 21

2023.................................................. 24

2024.................................................. 27

2025.................................................. 30

2026.................................................. 33

2027.................................................. 36

2028.................................................. 39

2029.................................................. 42

2030.................................................. 45.

(c) Ending Date.--The ending date referred to in subsection (a) is the date on which the Administrator determines that a sufficient quantity of new nuclear power plants have commenced operation to ensure a cumulative capacity equal to or greater than the cumulative capacity specified for the applicable calendar year under subsection (b).

(d) Bimonthly Reports.--During the period described in subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives bimonthly reports containing--

(1) the projected date on which a sufficient quantity of new nuclear power plants will commence operation to ensure a cumulative capacity equal to or greater than the cumulative capacity specified for the applicable calendar year under subsection (b); and

(2) recommendations of the Administrator, if any, regarding measures to achieve the cumulative capacity described in paragraph (1).