To provide that for purposes of the Federal purchase requirement, renewable energy includes thermal energy.

SA 3145. Mr. CARPER (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2953 proposed by Ms.
Murkowski to the bill S. 2012, to provide for the modernization of the
energy policy of the United States, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of title III, add the following:

Subtitle I--Thermal Energy

SEC. 3801. MODIFYING THE DEFINITION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TO
INCLUDE THERMAL ENERGY.

(a) In General.--Section 203 of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 15852) (as amended by section 3001(b)) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``a number equivalent
to'' before ``the total amount of electric energy'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3);
(B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
``(2) Qualified waste heat resource.--The term `qualified
waste heat resource' means--
``(A) exhaust heat or flared gas from any industrial
process;
``(B) waste gas or industrial tail gas that would otherwise
be flared, incinerated, or vented;
``(C) a pressure drop in any gas for an industrial or
commercial process; or
``(D) such other forms of waste heat as the Secretary
determines appropriate.''; and
(C) in paragraph (3) (as redesignated by subparagraph
(A))--
(i) by striking ``produced from'' and inserting ``produced
or, if resulting from a thermal energy project placed in
service after December 31, 2014, thermal energy generated
from, or avoided by,''; and
(ii) by inserting ``qualified waste heat resource,'' after
``municipal solid waste,''; and
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (3) as
subparagraphs (A) through (C), respectively, and indenting
appropriately;
(B) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) (as so
redesignated), by striking ``For purposes'' and inserting the
following:
``(1) In general.--For purposes''; and

[[Page S428]]

(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Separate calculation.--
``(A) In general.--For purposes of determining compliance
with the requirements of this section, any energy consumption
that is avoided through the use of renewable energy shall be
considered to be renewable energy produced.
``(B) Denial of double benefit.--Avoided energy consumption
that is considered to be renewable energy produced under
subparagraph (A) shall not also be counted for purposes of
achieving compliance with another Federal energy efficiency
goal.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 2410q(a) of title 10,
United States Code, is amended by striking ``section
203(b)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
15852(b)(2))'' and inserting ``section 203(b) of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15852(b))''.
______