42 U.S. Code § 13361 - Clean coal technology export promotion and interagency coordination

(a) Establishment

There shall be established within the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (established by the President on May 23, 1990) a Clean Coal Technology Subgroup (in this part referred to as the “CCT Subgroup”) to focus interagency efforts on clean coal technologies. The CCT Subgroup shall seek to expand the export and use of clean coal technologies, particularly in those countries which can benefit from gains in the efficiency of, and the control of environmental emissions from, coal utilization.

(b) Membership

The CCT Subgroup shall include 1 member from each agency represented on the Energy, Environment, and Infrastructure Working Group of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee as of October 24, 1992. The Secretary shall serve as chair of the CCT Subgroup and shall be responsible for ensuring that the functions of the CCT Subgroup are carried out through its member agencies.

(c) Consultation

(1) In carrying out this section, the CCT Subgroup shall consult with representatives from the United States coal industry, representatives of railroads and other transportation industries, organizations representing workers, the electric utility industry, manufacturers of equipment utilizing clean coal technology, members of organizations formed to further the goals of environmental protection or to promote the development and use of clean coal technologies that are developed, manufactured, or controlled by United States firms, and other appropriate interested members of the public.

(2) The CCT Subgroup shall maintain ongoing liaison with other elements of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee relating to clean coal technologies or regions where these technologies could be important, including Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Pacific.

(d) Duties

The Secretary, acting through the CCT Subgroup, shall—

(1) facilitate the establishment of technical training for the consideration, planning, construction, and operation of clean coal technologies by end users and international development personnel;

(2) facilitate the establishment of and, where practicable, cause to be established, consistent with the goals and objectives stated in section 13331(a) of this title, within existing departments and agencies—

(A) financial assistance programs (including grants, loan guarantees, and no interest and low interest loans) to support prefeasibility and feasibility studies for projects that will utilize clean coal technologies; and

(B) loan guarantee programs, grants, and no interest and low interest loans designed to facilitate access to capital and credit in order to finance such clean coal technology projects;

(3) develop and ensure the execution of programs, including the establishment of financial incentives, to encourage and support private sector efforts in exports of clean coal technologies that are developed, manufactured, or controlled by United States firms;

(4) encourage the training in, and understanding of, clean coal technologies by representatives of foreign companies or countries intending to use coal or clean coal technologies by providing technical or financial support for training programs, workshops, and other educational programs sponsored by United States firms;

(5) educate loan officers and other officers of international lending institutions, commercial and energy attachés of the United States, and such other personnel as the CCT Subgroup considers appropriate, for the purposes of providing information about clean coal technologies to foreign governments or potential project sponsors of clean coal technology projects;

(6) develop policies and practices to be conducted by commercial and energy attachés of the United States, and such other personnel as the CCT Subgroup considers appropriate, in order to promote the exports of clean coal technologies to those countries interested in or intending to utilize coal resources;

(7) augment budgets for trade and development programs supported by Federal agencies for the purpose of financially supporting prefeasibility or feasibility studies for projects in foreign countries that will utilize clean coal technologies;

(8) review ongoing clean coal technology projects and review and advise Federal agencies on the approval of planned clean coal technology projects which are sponsored abroad by any Federal agency to determine whether such projects are consistent with the overall goals and objectives of this section;

(9) coordinate the activities of the appropriate Federal agencies in order to ensure that Federal clean coal technology export promotion policies are implemented in a timely fashion;

(10) work with CCT Subgroup member agencies to develop an overall strategy for promoting clean coal technology exports, including setting goals and allocating specific responsibilities among member agencies, consistent with applicable statutes; and

(11) coordinate with multilateral institutions to ensure that United States technologies are properly represented in their projects.

(e) Data and information

(1) The CCT Subgroup, consistent with other applicable provisions of law, shall ensure the development of a comprehensive data base and information dissemination system, using the National Trade Data Bank and the Commercial Information Management System of the Department of Commerce, relating to the availability of clean coal technologies and the potential need for such technologies, particularly in developing countries and countries making the transition from nonmarket to market economies.

(2) The Secretary, acting through the CCT Subgroup, shall assess and prioritize foreign markets that have the most potential for the export of clean coal technologies that are developed, manufactured, or controlled by United States firms. Such assessment shall include—

(A) an analysis of the financing requirements for clean coal technology projects in foreign countries and whether such projects are dependent upon financial assistance from foreign countries or multilateral institutions;

(B) the availability of other fuel or energy resources that may be available to meet the energy requirements intended to be met by the clean coal technology projects;

(C) the priority of environmental considerations in the selection of such projects;

(D) the technical competence of those entities likely to be involved in the planning and operation of such projects;

(E) an objective comparison of the environmental, energy, and economic performance of each clean coal technology relative to conventional technologies;

(F) a list of United States vendors of clean coal technologies; and

(G) answers to commonly asked questions about clean coal technologies,[1]

The Secretary, acting through the CCT Subgroup, shall make such information available to the House of Representatives and the Senate, and to the appropriate committees of each House of Congress, industry, Federal and international financing organizations, nongovernmental organizations, potential customers abroad, governments of countries where such clean coal technologies might be used, and such others as the CCT Subgroup considers appropriate.

(f) Report

Within 180 days after the Secretary submits the report to the Congress as required by section 409 of Public Law 101–549, the Secretary, acting through the CCT Subgroup, shall provide to the appropriate committees of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, a plan which details actions to be taken in order to address those recommendations and findings made in the report submitted pursuant to section 409 of Public Law 101–549. As a part of the plan required by this subsection, the Secretary, acting through the CCT Subgroup, shall specifically address the adequacy of financial assistance available from Federal departments and agencies and international financing organizations to aid in the financing of prefeasibility and feasibility studies and projects that would use a clean coal technology in developing countries and countries making the transition from nonmarket to market economies.

(Pub. L. 102–486, title XIII, § 1331, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2977.)

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[1]  So in original. The comma probably should be a period.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This part, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “this subtitle” meaning subtitle C of title XIII of Pub. L. 102–486, which enacted this part and provisions set out as a note under section 824a–3 of Title 16, Conservation.

Section 409 of Public Law 101–549, referred to in subsec. (f), is section 409 of Pub. L. 101–549, title IV, Nov. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 2634, which directed the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, to submit a report to Congress within one year of November 15, 1990, respecting clean coal technology programs, and which is not classified to the Code.