Top Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 10/08/2008 - Became Public Law No: 110-371.

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A bill to reauthorize and improve the program authorized by the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965. 7/15/2008--Passed House amended.    (There are 3 other summaries) Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2008- Limits the amount of Appalachian regional development grants and loans for projects in at-risk counties to 70% of project costs. Directs the Appalachian Regional Commission to designate as "at-risk" those counties in the Appalachian region that are most at risk of becoming economically distressed.Authorizes the Commission to provide technical assistance, provide grants, enter into contracts, or otherwise provide amounts to entities in the region for projects and activities to: (1) promote energy efficiency; (2) increase the use of renewable energy resources; and (3) support the development of regional, conventional energy resources to produce electricity and heat through advanced technologies.Authorizes [...]

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Latest Action: 06/11/2008 - Indefinitely postponed by Senate by Unanimous Consent.

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To provide for the establishment of centers to encourage demonstration and commercial application of advanced energy methods and technologies. 9/17/2007--Reported to Senate without amendment.    (There are 3 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on March 8, 2007. The summary of that version is repeated here.)Energy Technology Transfer Act - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary of Energy to award grants for a five-year period to nonprofit institutions, state and local governments, cooperative extension services, or institutions of higher education to establish a geographically dispersed network of Advanced Energy Technology Transfer Centers, located in areas the Secretary determines have the greatest need of their services.Requires the Secretary to: (1) give priority to applicants already operating or partnered with an outreach program capable of transferring such [...]

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Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Science and Technology.

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To establish a program of demonstration and commercial application of advanced energy efficiency technologies and systems for buildings, and for other purposes. 1/4/2007--Introduced. Energy Efficient Buildings Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) establish a pilot program to award grants to businesses and organizations for new construction or major renovations of energy efficient buildings that will result in innovative energy efficiency technologies, especially those sponsored by the Department of Energy; and (2) give due consideration to proposals for buildings that are likely to serve low and moderate income populations. Defines "energy efficient building" as one that after construction or renovation: (1) uses heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems that perform at no less than Energy Star standards; or (2) if Energy Star standards are not applicable, uses Federal Energy Management Program recommended heating, ventilating, and [...]

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Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit for the purchase of idling reduction systems for diesel-powered on-highways vehicles.

1/4/2007--Introduced.

Idling Reduction Tax Credit Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business tax credit for 25% of the cost of a qualifying idling reduction device, up to $1,000. Defines "qualifying idling reduction device" as any device that is: (1) installed on a heavy-duty diesel-powered on-highway vehicle to provide services that would otherwise require the operation of the main drive engine while the vehicle is temporarily parked or stationary; and (2) certified by the Secretary of Energy to reduce long-duration idling. Directs the Secretary to publish standards for certifying such devices.

Latest Action: 05/09/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.

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To provide that no more than 50 percent of funding made available under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 for any fiscal year be provided for home heating purposes.

1/4/2007--Introduced.

LIHEAP Equity Act of 2007 - Amends the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 governing state allotments under the low-income energy assistance program (LIHEAP) to limit to 50% the earmark for home heating purposes of amounts appropriated for program implementation.

Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the alcohol credit and the alternative fuel credit, to amend the Clean Air Act to promote the installation of fuel pumps for E-85 fuel, to amend title 49 of the United States Code to require the manufacture of dual fueled automobiles, and for other purposes. 1/4/2007--Introduced. National Fuels Initiative - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the alcohol fuels tax credit and the alternative fuel tax credit by calculating such rates based on a formula related to the average price of a barrel of oil. Sets tax credit rates for alcohol fuels, qualified alcohol fuel mixtures, and alternative fuels sold or used before January 1, 2011. Extends such credits. Sets forth sunset provisions terminating the small ethanol producer tax credit. Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Secretary of Energy to promulgate regulations to ensure that each major oil company that sells gasoline in the United States through [...]

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Latest Action: 09/04/2007 - Received in the House.

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A bill to improve the disaster loan program of the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes. 8/3/2007--Passed Senate amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Small Business Disaster Response and Loan Improvements Act of 2007 - (Sec. 3) Extends through October 31, 2007, under the same terms and conditions, the authorization for any program, authority, or provision, including any pilot program, that is currently authorized through February 2, 2007, under the Small Business Act or the Small Business Investment Act of 1958. Title I: Disaster Planning and Response - (Sec. 101) Amends the Small Business Act to authorize the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make loans to nonprofit organizations: (1) located or operating in an area affected by a natural or other disaster; or (2) providing services to persons who have evacuated from any such area. (Sec. 102) Increases from $1.5 million to $2 million [...]

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Latest Action: 03/20/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement.

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To improve efficiency in the Federal Government through the use of high-performance green buildings, and for other purposes. 1/4/2007--Introduced. High-Performance Green Buildings Act of 2007 - Directs the Administrator of General Services to establish an Office of High-Performance Green Buildings. Requires the Office Director to: (1) establish a Green Building Advisory Committee; (2) carry out public outreach; (3) develop and recommend a high-performance green building research plan; (4) analyze current budget and contracting practices that affect achievement of high-performance green buildings; and (5) develop and implement a comprehensive indoor air quality program for federal facilities. Requires the Director to identify incentives to encourage the use of green buildings and related technology in federal government operations. Requires the Director of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to: (1) revise applicable acquisition regulations; and (2) issue [...]

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Latest Action: 05/22/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality.

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Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the need for a nationwide diversified energy portfolio, and for other purposes.

5/22/2007--Introduced.

Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) Congress and the Executive Branch should aggressively pursue development and rapid, commercial deployment of a diverse portfolio of new and existing energy technologies; (2) Congress should pursue development of policies to promote specified efficiency initiatives; (3) Congress should pursue policies that create a sustainable market for the commercial deployment of alternative and energy efficiency technologies; and (4) Congress, the Executive Branch, and state and local governments, as well as utilities and industry leaders, should be actively engaged in consumer education initiatives surrounding available approaches to energy diversity and efficiency.

Latest Action: 01/09/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to temporarily provide a shorter recovery period for the depreciation of certain systems installed in nonresidential buildings.

1/9/2007--Introduced.

Cool and Efficient Buildings Investment Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a 20-year depreciation recovery period, calculated on a straight line basis, for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, or commercial refrigeration systems installed in nonresidential buildings and placed in service between December 31, 2006, and January 1, 2009.

Latest Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 09/26/2008 - Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee conc

Bill Text
Making supplemental appropriations for job creation and preservation, infrastructure investment, and economic and energy assistance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes.
Latest Action: 07/28/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7575-7576)

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A bill to increase energy assistance for low-income persons, to extend energy tax incentives, and for other purpose. 7/28/2008--Introduced. Energy Assistance Act of 2008 - Amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to authorize appropriations for FY2009-FY2011 for the home weatherization program. Establishes in the Treasury the Energy Assistance Fund to finance low interest loans for the purchase and installation of energy efficient property, idling reduction devices and advanced insulation for heavy trucks, and alternative refueling stations.Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers a tax credit, up to $500, for the cost of replacing a residential wood stove with: (1) a wood-burning stove that complies with current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards; and (2) a pellet or corn-burning stove. Extends the tax credit for producing electricity from wind facilities through 2009 and the credit for closed and open-loop [...]

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Latest Action: 07/14/2008 - Committee on Appropriations. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Dorgan. With written report No. 110-416.

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An original bill making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. 7/14/2008--Reported to Senate without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary) Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2009 - Title I: Corps of Engineers-Civil - Makes FY2009 appropriations for: (1) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for civil functions pertaining to rivers and harbors, flood and storm damage reduction, shore protection, and aquatic ecosystem restoration; (2) general investigations and construction; (3) flood damage reduction for the Mississippi River alluvial valley below Cape Girardeau, Missouri; (4) operation and maintenance expenses; (5) administration of laws pertaining to regulation of navigable waters and wetlands; (6) cleanup of contamination from sites in the United States resulting from work performed as part of the early atomic energy [...]

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Latest Action: 07/10/2008 - Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the

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To amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to modify the conditions for the release of products from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve Account, and for other purposes. 7/10/2008--Introduced. Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to revise requirements for the sale by the Secretary of Energy of products from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve. Authorizes the Secretary to sell from the Reserve if the President finds that: (1) there is a severe energy supply interruption (as under existing law); or (2) the price of home heating oil threatens the health and safety of residents of the Northeast. Requires the Secretary to sell specified percentages of the quantity of products in the Reserve as of November 1 of a fiscal year if the President finds that, on successive monthly winter dates of the same fiscal year, the average retail price of No.2 heating oil in the Northeast is equal to or more than $4.00 per gallon. Requires the Secretary [...]

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Latest Action: 06/27/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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A bill to promote the energy security of the United States, and for other purposes. 6/27/2008--Introduced. Energy Transition Act of 2008 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to modify requirements governing publication and uses of projected state lines on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Authorizes a state governor to petition the Secretary of Energy to make available for oil and gas leasing any moratorium area within the offshore administrative boundaries beyond the submerged land of a state that is located greater than 50 miles from the state coastline (new producing areas). Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) to repeal the prohibition against producing oil and gas from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Sets forth an oil and gas leasing program for the Alaskan Coastal Plain, including the Refuge. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management,[...]

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Latest Action: 06/24/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

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A bill to provide for regulation of certain transactions involving energy commodities, to strengthen the enforcement authorities of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under the Natural Gas Act and the Federal Power Act, and for other purposes. 6/24/2008--Introduced. Prevent Unfair Manipulation of Prices Act of 2008 - Amends the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) to extend the regulatory authority of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to certain transactions in derivatives involving specified energy commodities ("included energy transactions"), including those on foreign boards of trade.Defines "included energy transaction" as a contract, agreement, or transaction in an energy commodity for future delivery that: (1) provides for a delivery point in the United States; or (2) is transacted on a computer terminal located in the United States.Prohibits the CFTC from exempting from regulation any "included energy transaction"[...]

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Latest Action: 06/19/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to modify the conditions for the release of products from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve Account, and for other purposes. 6/19/2008--Introduced. Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to revise requirements for the sale by the Secretary of Energy of products from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve. Authorizes the Secretary to sell from the Reserve if the President finds that: (1) there is a severe energy supply interruption (as under existing law); or (2) the price of home heating oil threatens the health and safety of residents of the Northeast. Requires the Secretary to sell specified percentages of the quantity of products in the Reserve as of November 1 of a fiscal year if the President finds that, on successive monthly winter dates of the same fiscal year, the average retail price of No.2 heating oil in the Northeast is equal to or more than $4.00 per gallon. Requires the Secretary [...]

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Latest Action: 10/03/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management.

Bill Text
To provide for regulation of certain transactions involving energy commodities, to strengthen the enforcement authorities of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under the Natural Gas Act and the Federal Power Act, and for other purposes. 6/20/2008--Introduced. Prevent Unfair Manipulation of Prices Act of 2008 - Amends the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) to extend the regulatory authority of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to certain transactions in derivatives involving specified energy commodities ("included energy transactions"), including those on foreign boards of trade.Defines "included energy transaction" as a contract, agreement, or transaction in an energy commodity for future delivery that: (1) provides for a delivery point in the United States; or (2) is transacted on a computer terminal located in the United States.Prohibits the CFTC from exempting from regulation any "included energy transaction" unless [...]

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Latest Action: 06/12/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5594-5595)

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A bill to stimulate the economy by encouraging energy efficiency, infrastructure and workforce investment, and homeownership retention, and by amending the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide certain business tax relief and incentives, and for other purposes. 6/12/2008--Introduced. Economic Recovery Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a tax credit for up to $500 of the cost of replacing wood stoves in residences with stoves that meet certain energy efficiency standards; (2) extend through 2011 the tax credit for producing electricity from certain renewable resources; (3) extend through 2012 the tax credit for residential energy efficient property expenditures; (4) increase and make permanent the expensing allowance for depreciable business property; (5) extend through 2009 the accelerated depreciation of qualified restaurant property; and (6) allow a tax credit for investment in Build America bonds.Amends the Energy Conservation and Production [...]

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Latest Action: 06/12/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5631-5632)

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A bill to amend the Commodity Exchange Act to require energy commodities to be traded only on regulated markets, and for other purposes.

6/12/2008--Introduced.

Amends the Commodity Exchange Act to require energy commodities to be traded only on regulated markets.