42 U.S.C. § 13431 — General transportation

(a) Program direction. The Secretary must run a 5-year program, following sections 13541 and 13542, on cost-effective technology to cut oil demand from transportation — for all motor vehicles, including ones already on the road — through better energy efficiency and alternative fuels. The program must use a wide range of technical approaches and include field demonstrations big enough and numerous enough to prove the technology works and pays off, in order to meet the goals in section 13401. The program must include the specific activities required by sections 13432 through 13437, plus similar ongoing Department of Energy work. (b) Program plan. Within 180 days after October 24, 1992, the Secretary had to give Congress a 5-year plan to guide this part's activities, after consulting industry, utilities, colleges, federal agencies (including national laboratories), and professional and technical groups. (c) Proposals. Within 1 year after October 24, 1992, the Secretary had to solicit proposals to carry out this program. (d) "Alternative fuels" defined. For this part, "alternative fuels" means natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen, non-alcohol fuels made from biological material, and any fuel that's at least 85% methanol, ethanol, or other alcohol by volume. (e) Authorization of appropriations. Congress authorized (1) $119,144,000 for fiscal year 1993 and $160,000,000 for fiscal year 1994 for this part's transportation energy conservation research and development (other than section 13435 activities) and transportation-sector biofuels work under solar energy programs; and (2) for section 13435 specifically: $60,300,000 for 1993, $75,000,000 for 1994, $80,000,000 for 1995, $80,000,000 for 1996, $90,000,000 for 1997, and $100,000,000 for 1998.