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H.R. 7934House116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

Energy Innovation Corps

Sponsored by Daniel LipinskiRep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL)
Introduced August 4, 2020

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 2:22 PM UTC

The bill directs the Secretary of Energy to create the Energy Innovation Corps (Energy I‑Corps) program, which provides education, training, mentorship, and professional development to help move clean‑energy technologies toward commercial use. It targets employees of DOE national laboratories, as well as researchers, students, and clean‑energy entrepreneurs, and involves partnerships with state, local, and other federal entities.

Key Provisions

  • Establishes the Energy I‑Corps program under the Secretary of Energy’s Technology Transfer Coordinator.
  • Aims to develop participants’ skills and accelerate commercial application of clean‑energy and related technologies.
  • Includes employees of national labs, researchers, students, and clean‑energy entrepreneurs as participants.
  • Provides education, training, workshops, mentoring, and private‑sector engagement activities.
  • Allows partnerships with state and local governments, economic development groups, nonprofits, and coordination with other federal science agencies.
  • Requires the Secretary to submit an evaluation of the program’s effectiveness every three years.
  • Authorizes $3 million annually for lab‑employee participants and $2 million annually for other participants for fiscal years 2021‑2025.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Science, Space, and Technology Committee

August 4, 2020

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

August 4, 2020

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Science, Space, and Technology Committee

August 4, 2020

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued August 4, 2020

I

116th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 7934

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

August 4, 2020

Mr. Lipinski introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish the Energy I-Corps program.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Energy Innovation Corps.

2.

Energy I-Corps

(a)

In general

The Secretary of Energy (hereinafter referred to as the Secretary), acting through the Technology Transfer Coordinator established in section 1001(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16391(a)), shall carry out a program to support commercial application education, training, professional development, and mentorship called the Energy Innovation Corps Program (hereinafter in this section referred to as Energy I-Corps).

(b)

Purpose

The purposes of Energy I-Corps shall be to help participants described in subsection (c) develop skills and to accelerate the commercial application of clean energy technologies and other technologies related to the mission of the Department of Energy.

(c)

Participants

The Secretary shall carry out this program for participants consisting of—

(1)

employees at the National Laboratories; and

(2)

researchers, students, and clean energy entrepreneurs.

(d)

Activities

In carrying out Energy I-Corps, the Secretary shall support—

(1)

commercial application education, training, and mentoring activities, including workshops, seminars, and short courses;

(2)

engagement with private sector entities to identify future research and development activities; and

(3)

any other activities that the Secretary determines to be relevant.

(e)

State and local partnerships

In carrying out Energy I-Corps, the Secretary may engage in partnerships with National Laboratories, State and local governments, economic development organizations, and nonprofit organizations to broaden access to Energy I-Corps and support relevant activities under this subsection.

(f)

Federal coordination

In carrying out Energy I-Corps, the Secretary may coordinate with any other Federal science agency program that carries out a similar program to support entrepreneurial and commercial application education, training, professional development, and mentorship in order to share best practices.

(g)

Evaluation

The Secretary shall submit 3 years after the enactment of this Act and every 3 years thereafter to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate an evaluation on the long-term effectiveness of the Energy I-Corps program and the progress towards achieving the purposes of the program in subsection (a).

(h)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Technology Transfer Coordinator established in section 1001(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16391(a)) to carry out the activities authorized in subsection (a)—

(1)

for participants under subsection (c)(1) $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025; and

(2)

for participants under subsection (c)(2) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.