Future of industry program

In this section: The term “eligible entity” means— The term “energy-intensive industry” means an industry that uses significant quantities of energy as part of its primary economic activities, including— materials manufacturers, including— The term “feedstock” means the raw material supplied for use in manufacturing, chemical, and biological processes. The term “partnership” means an energy efficiency partnership established under subsection (c)(1)(A). The term “program” means the energy-intensive industries program established under subsection (b). The Secretary shall establish a program under which the Secretary, in cooperation with energy-intensive industries and national industry trade associations representing the energy-intensive industries, shall support, research, develop, and promote the use of new materials processes, technologies, and techniques to optimize energy efficiency and the economic competitiveness of the United States’ industrial and commercial sectors. As part of the program, the Secretary shall establish energy efficiency partnerships between the Secretary and eligible entities to conduct research on, develop, and demonstrate new processes, technologies, and operating practices and techniques to significantly improve the energy efficiency of equipment and processes used by energy-intensive industries, including the conduct of activities to— Partnership activities eligible for funding under this subsection include— feedstock and recycling research, development, and demonstration activities to identify and promote— industrial and commercial energy efficiency and sustainability assessments to— assist individual industrial and commercial sectors in developing tools, techniques, and methodologies to assess— To be eligible for funding under this subsection, a partnership shall submit to the Secretary a proposal that describes the proposed research, development, or demonstration activity to be conducted by the partnership. After reviewing the scientific, technical, and commercial merit of a proposals 11 So in original. submitted under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall approve or disapprove the proposal. The provision of funding under this subsection shall be on a competitive basis. In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall require cost sharing in accordance with section 16352 of this title. The Secretary may award competitive grants for innovative technology research, development and demonstrations to universities, individual inventors, and small companies, based on energy savings potential, commercial viability, and technical merit. There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section— Of the amounts made available under paragraph (1), not less than 50 percent shall be used to pay the Federal share of partnership activities under subsection (c). The Secretary shall coordinate efforts under this section with other programs of the Department and other Federal agencies to avoid duplication of effort.