Insular Areas and Freely Associated States Energy Development
by Representative Harold RogersPosted on 2014-12-11
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ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution
776, I call up the bill (H.R. 83) to require the Secretary of the
Interior to assemble a team of technical, policy, and financial experts
to address the energy needs of the insular areas of the United States
and the Freely Associated States through the development of energy
action plans aimed at promoting access to affordable, reliable energy,
including increasing use of indigenous clean-energy resources, and for
other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and ask for its
immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hastings of Washington). The Clerk will
designate the Senate amendment.
Senate amendment:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. STUDY OF ELECTRIC RATES IN THE INSULAR AREAS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Comprehensive energy plan.--The term ``comprehensive
energy plan'' means a comprehensive energy plan prepared and
updated under subsections (c) and (e) of section 604 of the
Act entitled ``An Act to authorize appropriations for certain
insular areas of the United States, and for other purposes'',
approved December 24, 1980 (48 U.S.C. 1492).
(2) Energy action plan.--The term ``energy action plan''
means the plan required by subsection (d).
(3) Freely associated states.--The term ``Freely Associated
States'' means the Federated States of Micronesia, the
Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
(4) Insular areas.--The term ``insular areas'' means
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(6) Team.--The term ``team'' means the team established by
the Secretary under subsection (b).
(b) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, within the
Empowering Insular Communities activity, establish a team of
technical, policy, and financial experts--
(1) to develop an energy action plan addressing the energy
needs of each of the insular areas and Freely Associated
States; and
(2) to assist each of the insular areas and Freely
Associated States in implementing such plan.
(c) Participation of Regional Utility Organizations.--In
establishing the team, the Secretary shall consider including
regional utility organizations.
(d) Energy Action Plan.--In accordance with subsection (b),
the energy action plan shall include--
(1) recommendations, based on the comprehensive energy plan
where applicable, to--
(A) reduce reliance and expenditures on fuel shipped to the
insular areas and Freely Associated States from ports outside
the United States;
(B) develop and utilize domestic fuel energy sources; and
(C) improve performance of energy infrastructure and
overall energy efficiency;
(2) a schedule for implementation of such recommendations
and identification and prioritization of specific projects;
(3) a financial and engineering plan for implementing and
sustaining projects; and
(4) benchmarks for measuring progress toward
implementation.
(e) Reports to Secretary.--Not later than 1 year after the
date on which the Secretary establishes the team and annually
thereafter, the team shall submit to the Secretary a report
detailing progress made in fulfilling its charge and in
implementing the energy action plan.
(f) Annual Reports to Congress.--Not later than 30 days
after the date on which the Secretary receives a report
submitted by the team under subsection (e), the Secretary
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a
summary of the report of the team.
(g) Approval of Secretary Required.--The energy action plan
shall not be implemented until the Secretary approves the
energy action plan.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSOLIDATED NATURAL RESOURCES ACT.
Section 6 of Public Law 94-241 (90 Stat. 263; 122 Stat.
854) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking ``December 31, 2014,
except as provided in subsections (b) and (d)'' and inserting
``December 31, 2019''; and
(2) in subsection (d)--
(A) in the third sentence of paragraph (2), by striking
``not to extend beyond December 31, 2014, unless extended
pursuant to paragraph 5 of this subsection'' and inserting ``
`ending on December 31, 2019' '';
(B) by striking paragraph (5); and
(C) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (5).
Motion Offered by Mr. Rogers of Kentucky
