(a) Priorities, terms, availability, etc.
(1) Priority for financial assistance under this subchapter, and the most favorable financial terms available, shall be provided to a person for any biomass energy project that—
(A)
uses a primary fuel other than petroleum or natural gas in the production of biomass fuel, such as geothermal energy resources, solar energy resources, or waste heat; or
(B)
applies new technologies which expand the possible feedstocks, produces new forms of biomass energy, or produces biomass fuel using improved or new technologies.
Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to exclude financial assistance for any project which does not use such a fuel or apply such a technology.
(2)
(A)
Financial assistance under this subchapter shall be available for a biomass energy project only if the Secretary concerned finds that the Btu content of the motor fuels to be used in the facility involved to produce the biomass fuel will not exceed the Btu content of the biomass fuel produced in the facility.
(B)
In making the determination under subparagraph (A), the Secretary concerned shall take into account any displacement of motor fuel or other petroleum products which the applicant has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Secretary would result from the use of the biomass fuel produced in the facility involved.
(3)
No financial assistance may be provided under this subchapter to any person for any biomass energy project if the Secretary concerned finds that the process to be used by the project will not extract the protein content of the feedstock for utilization as food or feed for readily available markets in any case in which to do so would be technically and economically practicable.
(4) Financial assistance may not be provided under this subchapter to any person unless the Secretary concerned—
(A)
finds that necessary feedstocks are available and it is reasonable to expect they will continue to be available in the future, and, for biomass energy projects using wood or wood wastes or residues from the National Forest System, there shall be taken into account current levels of use by then existing facilities;
(B)
has obtained assurance that the person receiving such financial assistance will bear a reasonable degree of risk in the construction and operation of the project; and
(C)
has determined that the amount of financial assistance provided for the project is not greater than is necessary to achieve the purposes of this chapter.
(5)
In providing financial assistance under this subchapter, the Secretary concerned shall give due consideration to promoting competition.
(6)
In determining the amount of financial assistance for any biomass energy project which will yield byproducts in addition to biomass energy, the Secretary shall consider the potential value of such byproducts and the costs attributable to their production.
(b) Terms, conditions, maturity, etc., for insured loans, and loan guarantees
An insured loan may not be made, and a loan guarantee may not be issued, under this subchapter unless the Secretary concerned determines that the terms, conditions, maturity, security, and schedule and amounts of repayments with respect to such loan are reasonable and meet such standards as the Secretary determines are sufficient to protect the financial interests of the United States.
(c) Application requirements
(1) No financial assistance may be provided to any person under this subchapter unless an application therefor—
(A)
has been submitted to the Secretary concerned by that person in such form and under such procedures as the Secretary shall prescribe, consistent with the requirements of this subchapter, and
(2) Each such application shall include information regarding the construction costs of the biomass energy project involved, and estimates of operating costs and income relating to that project (including the sale of any byproducts from that project). In addition, each applicant shall provide—
as the Secretary concerned may require.
(d) Reports and recordkeeping
(1)
Every recipient of financial assistance under this subchapter shall, as a condition precedent thereto, consent to such examinations and reports regarding the biomass energy project involved as the Secretary concerned may require.
(2) With respect to each biomass energy project for which financial assistance is provided under this subchapter, the Secretary shall—
(A)
require from the recipient of financial assistance such reports and records relating to that project as the Secretary deems necessary;
(C)
have access to such records at reasonable times for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions upon which financial assistance is provided.
(e) Contracts and instruments of Secretary concerned backed by full faith and credit of United States
All contracts and instruments of the Secretary concerned to provide, or providing, for financial assistance shall be general obligations of the United States backed by its full faith and credit.
(f) Contestability of contracts
Subject to the conditions of any contract for financial assistance, such contract shall be incontestable in the hands of the holder, except as to fraud or material misrepresentation on the part of the holder.
(g) Fees for loan guarantees, etc.
(1)
A fee or fees may be charged and collected by the Secretary concerned for any loan guarantee, price guarantee, or purchase agreement provided under this subchapter.
(2)
The amount of such fee shall be based on the estimated administrative costs and risk of loss, except that such fee may not exceed 1 per centum of the amount of the financial assistance provided.
(h) Deposit of amounts received by Secretary concerned
All amounts received by the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of Energy as fees, interest, repayment of principal, and any other moneys received by either Secretary from activities under this subchapter shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States as miscellaneous receipts. The preceding sentence shall not apply to insured loans made under section 8813 of this title.