42 U.S.C. § 16123 — Federal procurement of stationary, portable, and micro fuel cells

(a) Purposes. This section exists to help the market accept stationary, portable, and micro fuel cells, and to support developing technology for them. (b) Federal leases and purchases. (1) By January 1, 2006, the head of any federal agency that uses electrical power from stationary, portable, or microportable devices must lease or buy a stationary, portable, or micro fuel cell to meet the energy savings goal in subsection (c). (2) Costs of leases and purchases: The Secretary, working with the Task Force and Technical Advisory Committee, must pay the cost to federal agencies (or split it through interagency agreements) of leasing or buying these fuel cells. In doing this, the Secretary, with the agency, may use the General Services Administration or any commercial vendor to get a cost-effective purchase or a cost-effective lease-management setup. (3) Exception: If the Secretary decides an agency can't find an efficient, reliable stationary, portable, or micro fuel cell, that agency is excused from the requirement. The Secretary must consider the agency's needs and an evaluation from the Task Force or the Technical Advisory Committee of the Task Force in making that call. (c) Energy savings goals. An agency that leases or buys a fuel cell under subsection (b)(1) can count it toward the energy savings goal in section 16157 that applies to that agency. (d) Authorization of appropriations. Congress authorized: $20,000,000 for 2006; $50,000,000 for 2007; $75,000,000 for 2008; $100,000,000 for 2009; $100,000,000 for 2010; and whatever amount is needed for each year from 2011 through 2015.