H.R.4503
Passed 244-178 Burgess voted YES

Title:To enhance energy conservation and research and development, to provide for security and diversity in the energy supply for the American people, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Barton, Joe [TX-6] (introduced 6/3/2004) Cosponsors: (none)
Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Science; House Ways and Means; House Resources; House Education and the Workforce; House Transportation and Infrastructure; House Financial Services; House Agriculture; House Budget
Related Bills: H.RES.671
Latest Major Action: 6/17/2004 Received in the Senate.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY AS OF:
6/3/2004--Introduced.

Energy Policy Act of 2004 - Sets forth a program to spur diverse energy research and development including the following: (1) energy efficiency; (2) renewable energy; (3) oil and gas; (4) coal; (5) Indian energy; (6) nuclear matters and security; (7) vehicles and motor fuels, including ethanol; (8) hydrogen; (9) electricity; and (10) energy tax incentives.

Amends the National Energy Conservation Policy Act to revise energy reduction goals and performance requirements for Federal buildings.

Institutes grant programs for low-income community energy efficiency and energy efficient public buildings.

Revises energy conservation standards for: (1) additional consumer products; (2) affordable housing and assisted housing; and (3) Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance incentives for energy efficient housing.

Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to prescribe incentive payments for renewable energy production facilities.

John Rishel Geothermal Steam Act Amendments of 2004 - Amends the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to revamp guidelines governing leasing and permitting for geothermal development of public and National Forest System lands, including those withdrawn for military purposes.

Amends the Federal Power Act to prescribe guidelines for hydroelectric licensing proposals for alternative conditions and requirements governing project works within a Federal reservation.

Instructs the Secretary of Energy to make incentive payments to promote hydroelectric production.

Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to make permanent: (1) the authority of the Secretary of Energy to operate the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; and (2) standby energy authorities governing the International Energy Program, including summer fill and fuel budgeting programs.

Sets forth a program of production incentives that includes: (1) oil and gas royalties in kind; (2) marginal property production; (3) natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico; and (4) oil and gas leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.

Directs the President to establish the Office of Federal Energy Project Coordination in the same manner and with the same mission as the White House Energy Projects Task Force established by a specified Executive Order.

Prescribes implementation guidelines for access to Federal land for: (1) oil and gas leasing; (2) expedited permits; (3) energy rights-of-way and corridors on public and Federal lands; (4) renewable energy on Federal land; and (5) electricity transmission line rights of way on public land.

Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act - Requires the President and the Secretaries of the Interior and of Energy to expedite the Federal decision-making process for access to Federal lands for energy projects.

Prescribes parameters for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorization of an Alaska natural gas transportation project and pipeline expansion following an expedited approval process.

Instructs the Secretary of Labor to award grants to train adult and dislocated workers in Alaska in the skills required to construct and operate an Alaska gas pipeline system.

Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to offer Federal loan guarantees to specified certificated entities for infrastructure projects.

Sets forth a Clean Coal Power Initiative campaign that includes grants to universities to establish Centers of Excellence for Energy Systems of the Future.

Authorizes Federal loan guarantees for designated coal gasification projects, including: (1) a loan to the owner of a specified experimental plant; (2) a coal gasification project that produces power in deregulated energy generation markets; and (3) a petroleum coke gasification polygeneration project.

Modifies statutory requirements governing Federal coal leases, including acreage limitations, mining plans, and advance royalty payments.

Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to direct the Secretary of Energy to implement a program to facilitate production and generation of coal-based power and the installation of pollution control equipment.

Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act of 2004 - Amends the Department of Energy Organization Act and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to establish the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs to promote Indian tribal energy resource development through a program of grants and loans.

Price-Anderson Amendments Act of 2003 [sic] - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to modify and extend indemnification authority and liability limits for Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensees and Department of Energy (DOE) contractors.

Prohibits assumption by the U.S. Government of liability for certain foreign incidents.

Addresses general nuclear matters, including: (1) establishment of an NRC training and fellowship program for individuals with critical nuclear safety regulatory skills; (2) elimination of pension offset; (3) a DOE decommissioning pilot program; (4) uranium sales; (5) special demonstration projects for the uranium mining industry; (6) whistleblower protection prescriptions; (7) medical isotope production; (8) uranium enrichment facilities; and (9) the national uranium stockpile.

Instructs the Secretary of Energy to establish an Advanced Reactor Hydrogen Co-Generation Project.

Prescribes implementation guidelines for a training program to respond to threats against designated nuclear facilities, including use of firearms by licensee security personnel and NRC certificate holders.

Sets forth a transportation fuels program that uses: (1) alternative fuels for dual-fueled vehicles; (2) fuel credits for medium and heavy duty dedicated vehicles; and (3) lease condensates.

Sets forth implementation guidelines for pilot programs that target: (1) alternative fueled vehicles; (2) fuel cell vehicles; (3) advanced vehicles; and (4) hybrid vehicles.

Instructs the Secretary of Energy, in partnership with the private sector, to conduct programs that address production of hydrogen from diverse energy sources.

Directs the President to establish an interagency task force on hydrogen fuel infrastructure for hydrogen-carrier fuels, including fleet transportation.

Directs the Secretary of Energy to implement initiatives that target research, development, and commercial application in the areas of: (1) energy efficiency; (2) distributed energy and electric energy systems; (3) renewable energy; (4) nuclear energy; (5) fossil energy; (6) ultra-deepwater and unconventional natural gas, and other petroleum resource exploration and production; (7) science; and (8) energy and the environment (including international cooperation).

Electric Reliability Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal Power Act to grant FERC regulatory jurisdiction over an Electric Reliability Organization. Prescribes guidelines for electric reliability standards, including electric transmission infrastructure, operation and transmission rates.

Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to: (1) require electric utilities to make net metering and smart metering available upon consumer request; and (2) terminate mandatory purchase and sale requirements pertaining to cogeneration and small power production utilities.

Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2004 - Repeals the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935.

Amends the Federal Power Act to: (1) direct FERC to promulgate market transparency rules governing sales of electric energy at wholesale in interstate commerce, or transmission services in interstate commerce; and (2) prohibit round trip trading.

Authorizes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue rules that prohibit in the absence of consumer consent: (1) the change of selection of an electric utility ("slamming"); and (2) the sale of goods and services to an electric consumer ("cramming").

Mandates review of Federal agency review authorities over mergers to determine if duplicative authorities exist.

Revises Federal Power Act prescriptions governing electric utility mergers.

Energy Tax Policy Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish energy tax credits affecting: (1) residential and business property; (2) alternative motor vehicles and fuels; (3) low sulfur diesel fuel; (4) clean coal technology units; and (5) certain alternative minimum tax provisions.

Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to authorize Federal grants to rural and remote communities with specified electricity costs for improved electric generation, transmission, and distribution facilities.

Provides royalty payment relief for offshore oil and gas production leases under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

Amends the Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933 to change the composition, operation, and duties of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Retains the effect of a specified Department of Energy Order regarding transmission security.

Extends the attainment date for certain downwind ozone nonattainment areas.

Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (Administrator) to establish criteria for safe and environmentally protective use of specified granular mine tailings.

Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the Administrator to promulgate regulations ensuring that domestic motor vehicle fuel consumption includes renewable fuel containing ethanol.

Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to make grants to provide assistance to merchant producers of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in making the transition from producing MTBE to producing iso-octane, iso-octene, alkylates, or renewable fuels. Prohibits the use of MTBE in motor vehicle fuel by December 31, 2014, in any State that does not specifically authorize it. Authorizes the President to determine by June 30, 2014, that this prohibition against the use of MTBE in motor vehicle fuel shall not take place and that the legal authority to prohibit its use in motor vehicle fuel shall become null and void.

Eliminates the oxygen content requirement for reformulated gasoline.

Conditions the Administrator's approval of State fuel restrictions upon a finding that they will neither cause fuel supply or distribution interruptions nor have a significant adverse impact on fuel producibility.

Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to: (1) make loan guarantees for private sector construction of facilities for the processing and conversion of municipal solid waste and cellulosic biomass into fuel ethanol and other commercial byproducts; and (2) provide grants for construction of ethanol production facilities.

Underground Storage Tank Compliance Act of 2004 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Administrator to distribute specified fund percentages from the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund to States to pay costs incurred for regulation of underground storage tanks (USTs). Allows undistributed funds to be used for enforcing UST regulations.