42 U.S.C. § 13456 — Improving efficiency in energy-intensive industries

(a) Secretarial action. The Secretary, following sections 13541 and 13542, must: (1) run a research, development, demonstration, and commercial-application program to improve energy efficiency and productivity in energy-intensive industries and industrial processes; and (2) start joint ventures to encourage commercializing the technology developed under (1). (b) Joint ventures. The Secretary must run a competitive solicitation for proposals from private firms and investors for these joint ventures, and give money to at least five of them. The joint ventures' purpose is to design, test, and demonstrate changes to industrial processes that improve energy efficiency and productivity; they may also demonstrate other benefits to those industries, as long as improving energy efficiency remains the main goal. In judging proposals for money and joint ventures, the Secretary must consider: (A) whether the activities improve the quality and energy efficiency of the industry or process; (B) how the energy-intensive industries and processes are spread across regions; and (C) whether the proposed joint venture would be located in the region that has the energy-intensive industry that would benefit from it.