S. 1294 · 114th Congress
Bioenergy Act of 2015
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 114th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
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WydenSponsor1 cosponsor · 1 D
0 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a working group known as the Bioheat and Biopower Initiative to: coordinate research and development relating to biopower and bioheat projects, provide recommendations to USDA and DOE regarding the implementation of this bill, and ensure that grants are…
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · May 12, 2015
Bioenergy Act of 2015
This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a working group known as the Bioheat and Biopower Initiative to: coordinate research and development relating to biopower and bioheat projects, provide recommendations to USDA and DOE regarding the implementation of this bill, and ensure that grants are awarded using an open and competitive process.
Bioheat is the use of woody biomass to generate heat, and biopower is the use of woody biomass to generate electricity.
DOE must establish: (1) a grant program for projects to support innovation and market development in bioheat and biopower, and (2) working groups to share best practices and collaborate in project implementation.
The Forest Service must establish a grant program to support commercially demonstrated thermally led wood energy technologies. Priority is given to projects proposed by State Wood Energy Teams, which are groups of stakeholders that identify sustainable energy applications for woody biomass.
The bill requires USDA to establish a loan program to support construction of thermally led residential, commercial or institutional, and industrial wood energy systems. The bill also makes these projects eligible for loans under USDA's energy efficiency and conservation loan program.
DOE and the Forest Service must establish a bioheat and biopower research program to advance research on the costs and benefits, recommend policies and investments, assess the feasibility of thermally led district wood energy opportunities, and assist communities pursuing thermally led wood energy opportunities.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Bioenergy Act of 2015
Latest action (May 19, 2015): Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
Policy area: Energy · Origin: Senate · Introduced: May 12, 2015
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.