42 U.S.C. § 17375 — Regional clean energy innovation program

(a) Definitions. This section defines nine terms. A "regional clean energy innovation partnership" is a group led by a "covered consortium" that carries out this program's activities in a U.S. region. A "covered consortium" pairs a government entity (state, territorial, local, or tribal) with at least two more groups from a long list, including universities and community colleges, workforce programs, private companies or trade associations, nonprofits, community groups, labor organizations, National Laboratories, venture development organizations, community development or minority financial institutions, worker cooperatives, clean energy accelerators, economic development groups, manufacturers, or other groups the Secretary approves. "Program" means the Regional Clean Energy Innovation Program this section creates. "Institution of higher education," "National Laboratory," "community-based organization," and "workforce development program" borrow their meanings from other listed laws. "Clean energy technology" means technology that cuts energy use, boosts efficiency, cuts greenhouse gases or other pollution, or reduces energy's other environmental harm. A "community college" is a public two-year college (including a Tribal college or university) whose top or most common degree is an associate degree. (b) In general. The Secretary must create a Regional Clean Energy Innovation Program -- a research, development, demonstration, and commercial program meant to boost the U.S.'s economic, environmental, and energy security by speeding up clean energy innovation through regional partnerships. (c) Purposes. The Program aims to (1) make U.S. clean energy research and commercialization more competitive, and (2) develop tools and technology suited to different U.S. regions, including rural, tribal, and low-income communities. (d) Regional clean energy innovation partnerships. (1) In general. The Secretary must competitively award grants to covered consortia to build or support these partnerships. (2) Permissible activities. Grants can fund things like commercializing clean energy products and services, planning among partnership members, involving stakeholders in setting goals, assessing incentive options, hosting events, and building roadmaps to track progress. (3) Applications. Applications may include a list of consortium members, an assessment of needed assets (like workforce programs, research facilities, or capital access), a description of planned activities, a plan to attract non-federal funding, a plan to partner with community lenders, labor groups, and cooperatives to build local wealth, a sustainability plan after the grant ends, and a proposed budget. (4) Considerations. When picking consortia to fund, the Secretary must, as much as practical, favor rural, tribal, and low-income applicants, and ensure the winners are spread across different regions. (5) Award amount. Grants cannot exceed $10,000,000, and each year's award must be smaller than the year before's. (6) Cost share. For grants paid out over 3 or more years, the consortium must cover at least 50 percent of the cost in years 3, 4, and 5. (7) Duration. Grants last no more than 5 years. (8) Renewal. A grant may be renewed for up to another 5 years, based on a rigorous review of progress toward the Program's goals and metrics. (9) Termination. The Secretary may end a grant early if the partnership is underperforming. (10) Administrative costs. Grantees may use part of their funds for administrative or indirect costs. (11) Funding. The Secretary may accept funds from other federal agencies to support the Program. (e) Planning funds. The Secretary may award grants of up to $2,000,000, for up to 2 years, to help a government entity or eligible group plan a partnership or build a covered consortium before applying for a full grant. (f) Information sharing. The Secretary must help gather, analyze, and share information on best practices for running successful partnerships. (g) Metrics. Before deciding on grant renewals, the Secretary must work with program-evaluation experts to build public metrics tracking the Program's progress. (h) Coordination. The Secretary must coordinate this program with other Energy Department research and other agencies' related programs, avoiding needless overlap. (i) Conflicts of interest. The Secretary must apply the Department's conflict-of-interest rules to this program. (j) Evaluation by Comptroller General. Starting 3 years after August 9, 2022, and again 3 years later, the Comptroller General must report to relevant House and Senate committees, assessing progress toward the Program's goals, the metrics used and any recommended changes, which partnerships got funded, and recommendations to improve the Program. (k) National Laboratories. When supporting National Laboratory technology transfer, the Secretary must encourage partnerships with local or in-state groups. (l) Security. The Secretary must keep proper security controls to protect sensitive information. (m) No funds for construction. None of this section's funds may pay for construction. (n) Authorization of appropriations. Congress authorized $50,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2023 through 2027.