42 U.S.C. § 16195 — Secondary electric vehicle battery use program

(a) Definitions. (1) "Battery" means an energy storage device previously used to provide motive power in a vehicle powered wholly or partly by electricity. (2) "Associated equipment" means equipment, located where the batteries will be used, that is necessary to use the energy stored in the batteries. (b) Program. (1) The Secretary must establish and conduct a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of energy technology for the secondary use of batteries, but only if the Secretary finds there are enough batteries to support the program. (2) The program must be (A) designed to demonstrate batteries being used in secondary applications, including utility and commercial power storage and power quality; (B) structured to evaluate how well such batteries perform, including their useful service life and costs, in field operations, along with the supporting infrastructure needed, including reusing and disposing of batteries; and (C) coordinated with ongoing secondary battery-use programs at the National Laboratories and in industry. (c) Solicitation. (1) Within 180 days of August 8, 2005, the Secretary must solicit proposals to demonstrate secondary battery use, associated equipment, and supporting infrastructure in various locations around the country. (2) The Secretary may issue additional solicitations if the Secretary decides they are necessary. (d) Selection of proposals. (1) Within 90 days after the closing date the Secretary sets for proposals, the Secretary must select up to five proposals that may receive financial assistance once Congress appropriates money for this section. (2) In selecting proposals, the Secretary must consider (A) the diversity of battery types, (B) geographic and climate diversity, and (C) the life-cycle environmental effects of each approach. (3) No single selected project may receive more than 25 percent of the funds made available for the program. (4) The Secretary must also consider how much state or local government and other people are involved in each demonstration project, to make the best use of federal resources. (5) The Secretary may consider any other criteria it considers appropriate. (e) Conditions. In carrying out this section, the Secretary must require that (1) relevant information be shared with (A) the Department, (B) the users of the batteries, (C) the proposers of a project, and (D) the battery manufacturers; and (2) the costs of carrying out projects and activities under this section are shared following the rules in section 16352.