CRS Updates Report on Energy Efficiency Legislation

This report reviews the status of energy efficiency and renewable energy legislation introduced during the 110th Congress. Most Senate action led to the Senate version of H.R. 6, an omnibus energy bill that the Senate passed on June 21, 2007. Most House action led to the omnibus energy bill H.R. 3221 (passed August 4, 2007) and the House version of H.R. 6 (passed December 5, 2007). A second area of focus has been on the funding-related bills for energy efficiency and renewable energy, especially H.R. 2641, the Energy and Water Appropriations bill for FY2008.

The Senate-passed version of H.R. 6, the proposed Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007, was composed from several bills. The key provisions of the bill are appliance efficiency standards, an increase of the renewable fuel standard (RFS) to 36 billion gallons by 2022, and an increase of the combined corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards to 35 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2020. Tax provisions and a renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) were not included.

The House-passed version of H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, was the "second version" of a House omnibus energy bill. It was derived by trimming and modifying H.R. 3221, and adding major CAFE and RFS provisions. The bill would have increased CAFE to 35 miles per gallon by 2020 and lifted the RFS to 36 billion gallons per year by 2022. It also proposed a 15% renewable electricity portfolio standard and $21 billion of new tax incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. The bill proposed to offset the new tax incentives with a repeal of certain tax subsidies for oil and natural gas.

The Administration threatened to veto the House version of H.R. 6, objecting primarily to the provisions to establish an RPS and to repeal tax subsidies for oil and natural gas. After stripping out the RPS and most tax provisions, the Senate approved S.Amdt. 3850, its substitute amendment to H.R. 6.

DOE's FY2008 budget request seeks $1,236.2 million for DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) programs. In H.R. 2641, the House approved $1,873.8 million for EERE, which is $637.6 million, or 52%, more than the DOE request. The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $1,715.6 million for EERE, which is $158.3 million, or 8%, less than the House level.

More than 300 bills on energy efficiency and renewable energy have been introduced. About one-third of these bills are focused on renewable fuels and about one-third would provide a tax incentive for investment, energy production, fuel use, or fuel reduction. For each bill listed in this report, a brief description and a summary of action are given, including references to committee hearings and reports. Also, a selected list of congressional hearings, CRS reports, and Government Accountability Office (GAO) documents on energy efficiency and renewable energy are included. This report will be updated periodically.

 Contents

The bills can also be categorized by type of renewable resource, type of energy efficiency measure, and technology. They cover a broad range of energy efficiency measures and technologies, including distributed generation, net metering, equipment and appliance standards, fuel economy standards, and transportation efficiency. Most of these bills address transportation and fuel economy. These bills also cover a broad range of renewable energy resources and technologies, including alcohol fuels, biofuels, biodiesel, biopower, biomass, geothermal, hydrogen, hydropower, solar, and wind. So far, the fuels area has generated the greatest number of bills.

For each bill listed in this report, a brief description and a summary of action are given, including references to committee hearings and reports.

• Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The Senate bill would have set a modified standard that starts at 8.5 billion gallons in 2008 and rises to 36 billion gallons by 2022. The House bill had the same standard.

• Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE). The Senate bill would set a target of 35 miles per gallon for the combined fleet of cars and light trucks by model year 2020. The House bill had the same CAFE target.

• Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RES or RPS). The House bill would set a minimum standard that would start at 2.75% in 2010 and rise steadily to a peak of 15% in 2020. The Senate bill had no RPS provision.

• Repeal of Oil and Gas Tax Incentives. The House bill would have obtained tax revenue offsets by reducing subsidies for oil and natural gas production. The Senate bill had no similar provision.

• Renewable Energy Electricity Production Tax Credit (PTC). The House bill would have extended the PTC for four years, and expanded it to include some additional resources. The Senate bill had no PTC provision.

• Other Tax Incentives. The House bill would have extended several investment tax credits covering solar energy and energy efficiency in residential and commercial sectors. The Senate bill had no similar provision.

• Energy Efficiency Equipment Standards. Key differences involve standards for residential refrigerators, freezers, refrigerator-freezers, metal halide lamps, and commercial walk-in coolers and freezers.

• Loan Guarantees. The House bill would have given new loan authority to a slightly wider variety of projects. The Senate bill would have prevented appropriations acts from limiting the use of non-appropriated funds.

Senate Amends H.R. 6

The Senate-passed its version of H.R. 6 as an omnibus energy bill,³ the proposed Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007. The Senate bill was derived primarily from S. 1419, which, in turn, was composed from four major bills: the Energy Savings Act (S. 1321), the Public Buildings Cost Reduction Act (S. 992), the Ten-in-Ten Fuel Economy Act (S. 357), and the Energy Diplomacy and Security Act (S. 193). This report contains descriptions of all the bills that composed the Senate version of H.R. 6. A summary of the Senate-passed version of H.R. 6 is presented in the appendices to CRS Report RL34135, Omnibus Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Legislation: A Side-by-Side Comparison.

House Approves H.R. 3221

The House-passed version of H.R. 3221 includes two divisions. Division A contains the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act, which was composed from several bills. An adopted floor amendment (H.Amdt. 748) added a 15% renewable portfolio standard (RPS). Division B, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007, contains the House-approved version of H.R. 2776, and adds four titles to H.R. 3221. It includes a four-year extension of the renewable electricity production tax credit and other efficiency and renewables incentives.

The House-passed omnibus energy bill, H.R. 3221, had two divisions. Division A contained the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act, which had nine titles that represent the integration of H.R. 364, H.R. 2304, H.R. 2313, H.R. 2337, H.R. 2389, H.R. 2420, H.R. 2635, H.R. 2701, H.R. 2773, H.R. 2774, H.R. 2847, and a draft bill by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Division B, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007, contained the House-approved version of H.R. 2776, and added four titles to H.R. 3221. This report contains descriptions of all the bills that composed the House-passed version of H.R. 3221. A summary of the bill is presented in the appendices to CRS Report RL34135.

Informal House-Senate Negotiations

Because the House omnibus bill (H.R. 3221) and the Senate omnibus bill (H.R. 6) had different bill numbers, the bills could not be taken directly to conference committee. However, after the House completed action on H.R. 3221, informal bipartisan negotiations over the omnibus energy bills began between the House and Senate. Key issues included corporate average fuel economy (CAFE), the renewable fuel standard (RFS), the RPS provision (Title IX, Subtitle H) in the H.R. 3221, and a proposal to offset costs for new energy efficiency and renewable energy tax incentives by repealing certain oil and natural gas subsidies. In November 2007, EIA issued a report on the possible impacts of the proposals in H.R. 3221 to establish an RPS and repeal selected oil and gas subsidies.⁴ On December 1, 2007, the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources stated that the House Leadership's intent to include an RPS led him to cease negotiations.⁵ Further, on December 3, 2007, the White House announced that it planned to veto the negotiated bill, if it included an RPS, repeal of oil and gas tax subsidies, and certain other provisions.⁶ Subsequently, the Office of the Speaker issued a letter of response to the White House letter, which stated that the bill addressed the Administration's concerns.⁷

House Amends Senate Amendment to H.R. 6

On December 5, 2007, the House passed (235-181) its amendments to the Senate-passed amendments to H.R. 6. This "second version" of a House omnibus energy bill was derived primarily by trimming and modifying H.R. 3221 and adding major new provisions on CAFE and RFS. The House-passed bill included a proposed increase of the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standard to 35 miles per gallon by 2020 and an increase of the renewable fuel standard to 36 billion gallons per year by 2022. The House bill also included a proposed 15% renewable electricity portfolio standard and $21 billion of new tax incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. The bill proposed to offset the new tax incentives with a repeal of certain tax subsidies for oil and natural gas.

On December 6, 2007, the White House released a Statement of Administration Policy on the House-passed bill. It threatened to veto the bill because it:

Senate Removes RPS and Most Tax Provisions of H.R. 6

In the evening of December 13, 2007, the Senate approved (86-8) S.Amdt. 3850, its substitute amendment to the House-passed version of H.R. 6. The Senate substitute was nearly identical to the House-passed bill, except that the RPS provision and most tax provisions had been taken out.

The bill's passage in the Senate followed two cloture motions that had failed. First, on December 6, 2007, a Senate cloture vote on the House-passed version of H.R. 6 failed (52-43). After stripping out the RPS and modifying the package of tax provisions somewhat, a cloture vote was taken on S.Amdt. 3841 in the morning of December 13, which failed (59-40).

Initial CR. H.J.Res. 52, the first continuing resolution for FY2008, was signed into law as P.L. 110-92 on September 29, 2007. It extended appropriations at the FY2007 level set by P.L. 110-5 through November 16, 2007.

Second CR. H.R. 3222, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for FY2008 was amended to include a Division B, which made further continuing appropriations for FY2008 in lieu of other appropriations bills, including the Energy and Water Appropriations bill. The conference committee reported (H.Rept. 110-434) the bill on November 6, 2008. The House and Senate approved the report on November 8, 2007. The President signed the bill into law (P.L. 110-116) on November 13, 2007. Division B was in effect from November 17, 2007, through December 14, 2007.

Third CR. H.J.Res. 69, the third continuing resolution for FY2008, was signed into law as P.L. 110-137 on December 14, 2007. It extends appropriations at the FY2007 level set by P.L. 110-5 through December 21, 2007.

FY2008 DOE Appropriations (H.R. 2641/S. 1751)

DOE Budget Request. The Administration's Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI, part of the American Competitiveness Initiative) "aims to reduce America's dependence on imported energy sources." The AEI includes hydrogen, biofuels, and solar energy initiatives that would be supported by programs in DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The Hydrogen Initiative aims to "facilitate a decision by industry to commercialize hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell vehicles by 2015."⁹ The Biofuels Initiative seeks to develop transportation fuels, such as cellulosic ethanol. The Solar America Initiative's goals are to cut the cost of photovoltaics (PV) technology, increase its commercial use, and displace natural gas use for electric power generation. The President's 2007 State of the Union address set out a goal to reduce gasoline use by 20% and to increase the production of "alternative" fuels, including cellulosic ethanol, to 35 billion gallons by 2017. To support the AEI and those fuels goals, the FY2008 EERE budget request proposed significant increases for the Biofuels, Hydrogen, and Solar programs. DOE's FY2008 request seeks $1,236.2 million for the EERE programs. At hearings on the FY2008 DOE budget request, concerns were raised about DOE's proposed termination of the Geothermal and Hydropower programs.¹⁰

House Action. The House Appropriations Committee report (H.Rept. 110-185) includes funding for DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Program. For FY2008, the Committee recommended $1,873.8 million for EERE, which is $637.6 million, or 52%, more than the DOE request.¹¹ The Hydrogen R&D Program would be cut by $18.4 million. Key increases for renewable energy R&D include Biomass/Biofuels ($70.7 million), Solar Energy ($51.7 million), Geothermal Energy ($44.3 million), and Hydro/Ocean Energy ($22.0 million). Major increases for energy efficiency R&D include Buildings ($60.0 million) and Vehicles ($59.3 million). The Committee also recommended large increases for Facilities Construction ($188.7 million) and Weatherization grants ($97.0 million).¹²

Senate Action. The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $1,715.6 million for EERE, which is $158.3 million, or 8%, less than the House Appropriations Committee recommended. Compared with the House Appropriations Committee recommendations, the main difference is a decrease of $195.7 million (zero funding) for Facilities Construction. Additional decreases for renewable energy R&D include Hydro/Ocean (-$12.0 million), Solar Energy (-$20.0 million), and Geothermal Energy (-$19.3 million). Also, International Renewables would be terminated (-$10.0 million). Under energy efficiency R&D programs, Hydrogen would get an increase of $33.4 million.

(For more details, see CRS Report RL34009, Energy and Water Development: FY2008 Appropriations, coordinated by Carl E. Behrens.)

Other FY2008 Appropriations Bills

The Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act (H.R. 2764) has significant provisions for energy efficiency and renewable energy. The House version would direct the Export-Import Bank to direct 10% of its resources to renewable energy and other environmental activities. Also, it would direct that $501 million be available to promote "clean energy" and protect biodiversity. The Senate version would direct that $195 million be made available to support energy efficiency and renewable energy policies and programs in developing countries.

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 3161/S. 1859) has significant provisions for renewable energy. The House bill would nearly double the FY2007 renewables funding to $46 million and recommends $350 million for loan guarantees. The Senate bill recommends a modest increase of about $6 million for renewables.

Many appropriations bills include a provision that would require all new light bulbs purchased by federal agencies to have either EPA "Energy Star" or Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) energy efficiency designation.

Energy Reserve Fund in the Budget Resolution

House Action. On January 18, 2007, the House passed the CLEAN Energy Act (H.R. 6) by a vote of 264-163. The bill proposes to use revenue from certain oil and natural gas policy revisions to create an Energy Efficiency and Renewables Reserve aimed at reducing foreign oil dependence and serving other purposes.¹³ The actual uses of the reserve would be determined at a later date by legislation that would establish uses for the financial resources of the reserve.

In House floor debate on H.R. 6, opponents argued that the reduction in oil and natural gas incentives would dampen production, cause job losses, and lead to higher prices for gasoline and other fuels. Opponents also complained that the proposal for the reserve does not identify specific policies and programs that would receive funding. Proponents of the bill counter-argued that record profits show that the oil and natural gas incentives were not needed. They also contended that the reserve could be used to support a variety of R&D, deployment, and tax incentives for renewable fuels, and that the specifics would evolve as legislative proposals come forth for using resources from the reserve.¹⁴

On March 28, the House passed the concurrent resolution on the budget for FY2007 and FY2008 (H.Con.Res. 99) by a vote of 216-210. The resolution provides additional funding for energy (Function 270) above the President's request that "could be used for research, development, and deployment of renewable and alternative energy." Section 207 would create a deficit-neutral reserve fund that fulfills the purposes of H.R. 6 to "facilitate the development of conservation and energy efficiency technologies, clean domestic renewable energy resources, and alternative fuels that will reduce our reliance on foreign oil."

Senate Action. On March 23, the Senate passed S.Con.Res. 21, its version of the concurrent resolution on the budget for FY2007. In parallel to the House resolution, Section 307 of S.Con.Res. 21 would create a deficit-neutral reserve fund that could be used for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and "responsible development" of oil and natural gas. Additionally, Section 332 would create a deficit-neutral reserve fund for extension through 2015 of certain energy tax incentives, including the renewable energy electricity production tax credit (PTC), Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, and provisions for energy efficient buildings, products, and power plants. Further, Section 338 would create a deficit-neutral reserve fund for manufacturing initiatives that could include tax and R&D measures that support alternative fuels, automotive technologies, energy technologies, and the infrastructure to support the technologies. The House passed its version of S.Con.Res. 21 on May 8, 2007.

Conference Report. Section 308 of the adopted report establishes a deficit-neutral reserve fund for energy legislation. Section 308(a) applies only to the Senate, with provisions similar to those in sections 307 and 332 of the Senate version. Reserve fund uses will be allowed that "reduce our Nation's dependence on foreign sources of energy, expand production and use of clean alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles, promote renewable energy development, improve electricity transmission, encourage responsible development of domestic oil and natural gas resources, or reward conservation and efficiency. . . . " Further, such legislation may include "tax legislation such as a proposal to extend energy tax incentives like the production tax credit for electricity produced from renewable resources, the Clean Renewable Energy Bond program, or provisions to encourage energy efficient buildings, products, and power plants."

Section 308(b) applies only to the House, with language similar to Section 207 of the House version. Reserve fund uses would be permitted for legislative actions that "fulfill the purposes of section 301(a) of H.R. 6, the Clean Energy Act of 2007. . . . "

FY2007 Appropriations (P.L. 110-5)

The Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Department of Agriculture (USDA) receive annual appropriations for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.¹⁵ In the 109th Congress, the appropriations process for FY2007 was not completed. A continuing resolution (P.L. 109-383, H.J.Res. 102) provided funding through February 15, 2007.

In the 110th Congress, H.J.Res. 20 was introduced to continue FY2007 appropriations through the end of the fiscal year. It was enacted on February 15 as P.L. 110-5. The law sets funding for DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Programs at $1.47 billion, about $308 million above the FY2006 appropriation. Also, the law eliminates earmarks and sets conditions on the EPACT Title 17 loan guarantee program, fixing a cap at $4 billion, prohibiting awards until final regulations are issued, and requiring annual program evaluations by an independent auditor.

DOE's FY2007 operating plan was transmitted to the House and Senate appropriation committees on March 16, 2007. It provides the detailed breakdown of funding for EERE programs in FY2007.

H.R. 1591, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill, would have amended the FY2007 appropriations provided in P.L. 110-5 and DOE's FY2007 Operating Plan. The total amount appropriated by P.L. 110-5 would have remained unchanged. However, the bill would have provided $22.8 million for EERE's Geothermal Energy Program, an increase of $17.8 million over the $5.0 million provided in DOE's Operating Plan. Also, the bill would have provided $229.5 million for the Weatherization Grants Program, an increase of $25.0 million over the $204.5 million provided in DOE's Operating Plan. However, the President vetoed the bill.

 Table 1. Action on Energy Efficiency and

House Bills (with Senate Companions)

Senate Bills (with House Companions)

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Agriculture. Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research. Renewable Energy Financial Structure. Hearing held March 7, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_house_hearings&docid=f:36366.pdf]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. Legislative Hearing on Discussion Drafts concerning Energy Efficiency, Smart Electricity Grid, Energy Policy Act of 2005 Title XVII Loan Guarantees, and Standby Loans for Coal-to-Liquids Projects. Hearing held May 24, 2007. [http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-eaq-hrg.052407.Energy.draft.shtml]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. Alternative Fuels: Current Status, Proposals for New Standards, and Related Infrastructure Issues. Hearing held May 8, 2007. [http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-eaq-hrg.050807.Alt.fuels.shtml]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. Facilitating the Transition to a Smart Electric Grid. Hearing held May 3, 2007 [http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-eaq-hrg.050307.Smart.grid.shtml]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. Achieving -- At Long Last -- Appliance Efficiency Standards. Hearing held May 1, 2007. [http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-eaq-hrg.050107.App.efficiency.shtml]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. Implementation of EPACT 2005 Loan Guarantee Programs by the Department of Energy. Hearing held April 24, 2007. [http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-eaq-hrg.042407.EPACT.shtml]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. Alternative Transportation Fuels: An Overview. Hearing held April 18, 2007. [http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-eaq-hrg.041807.Alt_fuels.shtml]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality; with Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Energy and Environment. Climate Change: International Issues, Engaging Developing Countries. Hearing held March 27, 2007. [http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-eaq-hrg.032707.developing_countries.shtml]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality; with Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Energy and Environment. Perspectives on Climate Change: Testimony of Former Vice President Albert Gore, Jr. Joint Hearing held March 21, 2007. [http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-eaq-sci-hrg.032107.gore.shtml]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. Climate Change: Perspectives of Utility CEOs. Hearing held March 20, 2007. [http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-eaq-hrg.032007.utility_ceos.shtml]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. Climate Change: State and Local Perspectives. Hearing held March 15, 2007. [http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110.eaq-hrg.031407.statelocal_perspectives.shtml]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. Climate Change and Energy Security: Perspectives from the Automobile Industry. Hearing held March 14, 2007. [http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-eaq_hrg.031407.Auto_industry.shtml]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. Review of the Administration's Energy Proposals for the Transportation Sector. Hearing held February 28, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_house_hearings&docid=f:35740.pdf]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. Addressing Climate Change: Views from Private Sector Panels. Hearing held February 13, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_house_hearings&docid=f:35445.pdf]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. The Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Energy. Hearing held February 8, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_house_hearings&docid=f:35447.pdf]

U.S. Congress. House. Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Congress Hosts Sweden's Prime Minister to Discuss Global Warming, Reducing Dependence on Fossil Fuels. Hearing held May 15, 2007. [http://globalwarming.house.gov/list/hearing/global_warming/hearing_070514.shtml]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Natural Resources. Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans. Gone with the Wind: Impacts of Wind Turbines on Birds and Bats. Hearing held May 1, 2007. [http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/hearings/hearingdetail.aspx?NewsID=61]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Natural Resources. Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans and Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. Renewable Energy Opportunities and Issues on the Outer Continental Shelf. Hearing held April 24, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_house_hearings&docid=f:34981.pdf]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Natural Resources. Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. Renewable Energy Opportunities and Issues on Federal Lands: Review of Title II, Subtitle B, Geothermal Energy of Epact; And other Renewable Programs and Proposals for Public Resources. Hearing held on April 19, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_house_hearings&docid=f:34825.pdf]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Technology. Subcommittee on Energy and Environment. A Path Towards the Broader Use of Biofuels: Enhancing the Federal Commitment to Research and Development to Meet the Growing Need. Hearing held June 14, 2007. [http://democrats.science.house.gov/Media/File/Commdocs/hearings/2007/energy/14jun/hearing_charter.pdf]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Technology. Subcommittee on Energy and Environment. Developing Untapped Potential: Geothermal and Ocean Energy Technologies. Hearing held May 17, 2007. [http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=1818]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Technology. Subcommittee on Energy and Environment. Establishing the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). Hearing held April 25, 2007. [http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=1778]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Technology. Subcommittee on Energy and Environment. DOE FY2008 Research and Development Budget Proposal. Hearing held March 7, 2007. [http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=1447]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Technology. Subcommittee on Energy and Environment. H.R. 547, The Advanced Fuels Infrastructure Research and Development Act. Hearing held on January 30, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_house_hearings&docid=f:32612.pdf]

U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means. Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures. Energy and Tax Policy. Hearing held April 19, 2007. [http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=549]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Agriculture. The Next Generation of Biofuels: Cellulosic Ethanol and the 2007 Farm Bill. Hearing held April 4, 2007. [http://agriculture.senate.gov/Hearings/hearings.cfm?hearingId=2670]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Agriculture. Discussion of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Bill Proposal. Hearing held February 7, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_senate_hearings&docid=f:34741.pdf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Agriculture and Rural America's Role in Enhancing National Energy Security. Hearing held January 10, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_senate_hearings&docid=f:34149.pdf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Innovation. Energy Innovation. Hearing held March 20, 2007. [http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1832]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Alternate Energy-Related Uses on the Outer Continental Shelf. Hearing held June 7, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_senate_hearings&docid=f:37581.pdf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The Energy Efficiency Promotion Act. Hearing held April 23, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_senate_hearings&docid=f:36640.pdf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Biofuels for Energy Security and Transportation Act S. 987. Hearing held April 12, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_senate_hearings&docid=f:36418.pdf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Advanced Energy Technologies. Hearing held March 7, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_senate_hearings&docid=f:36077.pdf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Economics of Climate Change. Hearing held February 13, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_senate_hearings&docid=f:35906.pdf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Subcommittee on Energy. Energy Efficiency of Buildings. Hearing held February 12, 2007. (Covers buildings and electric/gas utility companies) [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_senate_hearings&docid=f:35766.pdf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2008 for the Department of Energy. Hearing held February 7, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_senate_hearings&docid=f:35765.pdf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Accelerated Biofuels Diversity. Conference held February 1, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_senate_hearings&docid=f:34568.pdf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Transportation Sector Fuel Efficiency. Hearing held January 30, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_senate_hearings&docid=f:34537.pdf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. EIA Analysis of Draft Climate Change Legislation. Hearing held January 24, 2007. CRS-99 [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_senate_hearings&docid=f:34079.pdf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Green Buildings: Benefits to Health, the Environment, and the Bottom Line. Hearing held May 15, 2007. [http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=7137110f-802a-23ad-43a7-cbdcf43f44e5]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection. Emerging Technologies and Practices for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Hearing held May 9, 2007. [http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=57b289aa-802a-23ad-477b-a221ebb1ffa9]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reducing Government Building Operational Costs through Innovation and Efficiency: Legislative Solutions. Hearing held March 28, 2007. [http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_id=8e86ae98-802a-23ad-474a-065dadcb7939]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Former Vice President Al Gore's Perspective on Global Warming. Hearing held March 21, 2007. [http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_id=51628af6-802a-23ad-4588-bc4a4a94607a]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Environment and Public Works. President's Proposed EPA Budget for FY2008. Hearing held March 7, 2007. [http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=a716591b-802a-23ad-4b7e-de4bbae315bf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Environment and Public Works. State, Regional, and Local Perspectives on Global Warming. Hearing held March 1, 2007. [http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_id=f19521d5-802a-23ad-4139-4448d5c5337e]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Environment and Public Works. U.S. Climate Action Partnership Report. Hearing held February 13, 2007. CRS-100 [http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_id=9d420df7-802a-23ad-4615-a240504c6347]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Senators' Perspectives on Global Warming. Hearing held January 30, 2007. [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_senate_hearings&docid=f:33987.pdf]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance. Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure. Advanced Technology Vehicles: The Road Ahead. Hearing held May 1, 2007. [http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing050107.htm]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance. Grains, Cane, and Automobiles: Tax Incentives for Alternative Fuel and Vehicles. Hearing held April 19, 2007. [http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing052407.htm]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance. Grains, Cane, and Automobiles: Tax Incentives for Alternative Fuel and Vehicles. Hearing held April 19, 2007. [http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing041907.htm]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance. International Perspectives on Alternative Energy Policy: Incentives and Mandates and their Impacts. Hearing held April 12, 2007 [http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing041207a.htm]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance. Clean Energy: From the Margins to the Mainstream. Hearing held March 29, 2007. [http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing032907.htm]

U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance. America's Energy Future: Bold Ideas, Practical Solutions. Hearing held February 27, 2007. [http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing022707.htm]

CRS Reports and Memos

CRS Report RL34130, Renewable Energy Policy in the 2007 Farm Bill, by Randy Schnepf.

CRS Report RL33883, Issues Affecting Tidal, Wave, and In-Stream Generation Projects, by Nic Lane.

CRS Report RL33588, Renewable Energy Policy: Tax Credit, Budget, and Regulatory Issues, by Fred Sissine.

CRS Report RS22571, The Strategic Energy Efficiency and Renewables Reserve in the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 (H.R. 6), by Fred Sissine.

CRS Report RL33599, Energy Efficiency Policy: Budget, Electricity Conservation, and Fuel Conservation Issues, by Fred Sissine.

CRS Memorandum, Energy Efficiency Provisions of Executive Order 13423: Comparison with Prior Executive Orders and the Energy Policy Act of 2005, by Stan Kaplan.

CRS Report RL33846, Greenhouse Gas Reduction: Cap-and-Trade Bills in the 110th Congress, by Larry Parker and Brent D. Yacobucci.

CRS Report RL33970, Greenhouse Gas Emission Drivers: Population, Economic Development and Growth, and Energy Use, by John Blodgett and Larry Parker.

CRS Report RL33413, Automobile and Light Truck Fuel Economy: The CAFE Standards, by Brent D. Yacobucci and Robert Bamberger.

CRS Report RS22558, Tax Credits for Hybrid Vehicles, by Salvatore Lazzari.

CRS Report RL33564, Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technology Vehicles: Issues in Congress, by Brent D. Yacobucci.

CRS Report RL33572, Biofuels Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs, by Brent D. Yacobucci.

CRS Report RL33928, Ethanol and Biofuels: Agriculture, Infrastructure, and Market Constraints Related to Expanded Production, by Brent D. Yacobucci and Randy Schnepf.

CRS Report RL32712, Agriculture-Based Renewable Energy Production, by Randy Schnepf.

CRS Report RL33302, Energy Policy Act of 2005: Summary and Analysis of Enacted Provisions, coordinated by Mark Holt and Carol Glover.

CRS Report RL33294, DOE Budget Earmarks: A Selective Look at Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy R&D Programs, by Fred Sissine.

Government Accountability Office (GAO) Reports

GAO-07-1162, Energy Efficiency: Opportunities Exist for Federal Agencies to Better Inform Household Consumers, 84 p. [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071162.pdf]

GAO-07-798T, Department of Energy: Observations on Actions to Implement the New Loan Guarantee Program for Innovative Technologies, 6 p. [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07798t.pdf]

GAO-07-713, Biofuels: DOE Lacks a Strategic Approach to Coordinate Increasing Production with Infrastructure Development and Vehicle Needs, 51 p. [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07713.pdf]

GAO-07-551T, Passenger Vehicle Fuel Economy: Preliminary Observations on Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, 17 p. [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07551t.pdf]

GAO-07-550T, Advanced Energy Technologies: Key Challenges to Their Development and Deployment, 11 p. [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07550t.pdf]

GAO-07-516, Legislative Branch: Energy Audits are Key to Strategy for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 47 p. [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07516.pdf]

GAO-07-339R, The Department of Energy: Key Steps Needed to Help Ensure the Success of the New Loan Guarantee Program for Innovative Technologies by Better Managing Its Financial Risk, 44 p. [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07339r.pdf]

GAO-07-283, Crude Oil: Uncertainty about Future Oil Supply Makes It Important to Develop a Strategy for Addressing a Peak and Decline in Oil Production, 68 p. (Sections on ethanol, biodiesel, and alternative transportation technologies.) [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07283.pdf]

GAO-07-106, Department of Energy: Key Challenges Remain for Developing and Deploying Advanced Energy Technologies to Meet Future Needs, 68 p. [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07106.pdf]

GAO-07-42, Energy Efficiency: Long-standing Problems with DOE's Program for Setting Efficiency Standards Continue to Result in Forgone Energy Savings, 40 p. [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0742.pdf]

² Bills on climate change are discussed in CRS Report RL33846, Greenhouse Gas Reduction: Cap-and-Trade Bills in the 110th Congress, by Larry Parker and Brent D. Yacobucci.

³ H.R. 6 was originally passed by the House in January 2007. Crafted as part of the House Leadership's "Hundred Hours Legislation," it was designed only to establish a reserve collect funds from repealed oil and gas subsidies that could be used to support new incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy.

⁴ EIA. Oil and Natural Gas Market Supply and Renewable Portfolio Standard Impacts of Selected Provisions of H.R. 3221. November 2007. 11 p. [http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/bmy/pdf/bmy.pdf].

⁵ The statement is available on the Committee's website, at [http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=235405&Month=12&Year=2007].

⁶ The White House. Letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from Allan B. Hubbard. December 3, 2007. 2 p.; also, see UPI. U.S. Energy Chief: Energy Bill Concerns. December 4, 2007. [http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Emerging_Threats/Analysis/2007/12/04/us_energy_chief_energy_bill_concerns/3426/].

⁷ Office of the Speaker of the House. Pelosi to Hubbard: Bipartisan Energy Legislation Addresses White House Concerns. December 5, 2007. [http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=25148&docId=l:711920770&start=9].

⁸ Office of Management and Budget. Statement of Administration Policy on H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. December 6, 2007. 3 p. [http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/legislative/sap/110-1/hr6sap-h_2.pdf].

⁹ U.S. Executive Office of the President, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2007, Appendix, p. 390. Also see DOE, FY2007 Congressional Budget Request: Budget Highlights, p. 41.

¹⁰ Secretary Bodman's Senate testimony is available at [http://energy.senate.gov/public/_files/BodmanTestimony.pdf].

¹¹ The DOE FY2008 budget document is available at [http://www.mbe.doe.gov/budget/08budget/Content/Volumes/Vol_3_ES_New.pdf].

¹² The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the premier national lab for solar energy R&D and has major programs in hydrogen, biomass/biofuels, wind energy, and vehicles. The large increase recommended for the Facilities Construction program includes $8 million for solar R&D equipment, $13 million for infrastructure to test plug-in hybrid vehicles, $77 million for NREL's distributed energy systems integration facility, and $91 million to design and build a facility for biological and chemical research.

¹³ For more details about the reserve, see CRS Report RS22571, The Strategic Energy Efficiency and Renewables Reserve in the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 (H.R. 6), by Fred Sissine.

¹⁴Congressional Record, January 18, 2007, pp. H688 through H729.

¹⁵ Several other agencies receive less regular appropriations for energy efficiency or renewable energy projects and activities. These agencies have included Department of State, Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Transportation, and Architect of the Capitol.

¹⁶ The extensions are in § 101, § 102, and § 106. The new incentives are in § 103, § 104, § 105, § 107, § 108,and § 109.

¹⁷ The PTC provision of the Tax Relief Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-432, § 201) will expire at the end of 2008. The PTC was previously set by the Energy Policy Act (EPACT, § 1301).

¹⁸ To qualify under this provision, such plants would have to fulfill two conditions. First, the plant would have to be under construction at the time that the placed-in-service deadline occurs. Second, the plant would have to be operational, producing and selling electricity, within two years after the deadline.

¹⁹ The CREBs provision of the Tax Relief Act (§ 202) will expire at the end of 2008. CREBs were created by EPACT (§ 1303).

²⁰ The new energy efficient new homes credit in the Tax Relief Act (§ 205) will expire at the end of 2008. The new homes credit was created by EPACT (§ 1332).

²¹ The credit extensions are in § 201 and § 203. The new incentives are in § 202, § 204, and § 211.

²² The 30% value of the business solar investment tax credit in the Tax Relief Act (§ 207) will revert back to 10% at the end of 2008. The 30% value of this credit was established by EPACT (§ 1337).

²³ The residential energy efficiency credit in the Tax Relief Act (§ 206) will expire at the end of 2008. This credit was created by EPACT (§ 1335).