42 U.S.C. § 13451 — General improved energy efficiency

(a) Program direction. The Secretary must run a 5-year program, following sections 13541 and 13542, on cost-effective technology to improve energy efficiency and increase renewable energy use in the buildings, industrial, and utility sectors. The program must use a wide range of technical approaches and include field demonstrations big enough and numerous enough to prove the technology works, to meet the goals in section 13401. It must include the activities required by sections 13452 through 13457 and section 2106 [1], plus similar ongoing Department of Energy work. It must also include work done under the Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation and Technology Competitiveness Act of 1988 and the Department of Energy Metal Casting Competitiveness Research Act of 1990. (b) Program goals. In the buildings sector, the goals are to speed up energy-efficiency technology, increase renewable energy use, and cut environmental impact. In the industrial sector, the goals are to speed up energy-efficiency technology to boost productivity, increase renewable energy use, and cut environmental impact. In the utility sector, the goals are to speed up energy-efficiency technology and increase the use of integrated resource planning (a way utilities plan future energy needs). (c) Program plan. Within 180 days after October 24, 1992, the Secretary had to give Congress a 5-year plan to guide this part's work, after consulting industry, utilities, colleges, federal agencies (including national laboratories), and professional and technical groups. (d) Proposals. Within 1 year after October 24, 1992, the Secretary had to ask for proposals to carry out this section. (e) Authorization of appropriations. Congress authorized $178,250,000 for fiscal year 1993 and $275,000,000 for fiscal year 1994 for this part, covering building, industry, and utility energy conservation research and development, plus energy conservation technical and financial assistance for inventions and innovation.