U.S. Code > Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare > CHAPTER 149—NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY AND PROGRAMS > SUBCHAPTER XVII—PROTECTING AMERICAS COMPETITIVE EDGE THROUGH ENERGY > § 16538. Advanced Research Projects AgencyEnergy

§ 16538. Advanced Research Projects AgencyEnergy

(a) Definitions
In this section:
(1) ARPA-E
The term “ARPA–E” means the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy established by subsection (b).
(2) Director
The term “Director” means the Director of ARPA-E appointed under subsection (d).
(3) Fund
The term “Fund” means the Energy Transformation Acceleration Fund established under subsection (m)(1).
(b) Establishment
There is established the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy within the Department to overcome the long-term and high-risk technological barriers in the development of energy technologies.
(c) Goals
(1) In general
The goals of ARPA-E shall be—
(A) to enhance the economic and energy security of the United States through the development of energy technologies that result in—
(i) reductions of imports of energy from foreign sources;
(ii) reductions of energy-related emissions, including greenhouse gases; and
(iii) improvement in the energy efficiency of all economic sectors; and
(B) to ensure that the United States maintains a technological lead in developing and deploying advanced energy technologies.
(2) Means
ARPA-E shall achieve the goals established under paragraph (1) through energy technology projects by—
(A) identifying and promoting revolutionary advances in fundamental sciences;
(B) translating scientific discoveries and cutting-edge inventions into technological innovations; and
(C) accelerating transformational technological advances in areas that industry by itself is not likely to undertake because of technical and financial uncertainty.
(d) Director
(1) Appointment
There shall be in the Department of Energy a Director of ARPA-E, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
(2) Qualifications
The Director shall be an individual who, by reason of professional background and experience, is especially qualified to advise the Secretary on, and manage research programs addressing, matters pertaining to long-term and high-risk technological barriers to the development of energy technologies.
(3) Relationship to Secretary
The Director shall report to the Secretary.
(4) Relationship to other programs
No other programs within the Department shall report to the Director.
(e) Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the Director shall include—
(1) approving all new programs within ARPA-E;
(2) developing funding criteria and assessing the success of programs through the establishment of technical milestones;
(3) administering the Fund through awards to institutions of higher education, companies, research foundations, trade and industry research collaborations, or consortia of such entities, which may include federally-funded research and development centers, to achieve the goals described in subsection (c) through targeted acceleration of—
(A) novel early-stage energy research with possible technology applications;
(B) development of techniques, processes, and technologies, and related testing and evaluation;
(C) research and development of manufacturing processes for novel energy technologies; and
(D) coordination with nongovernmental entities for demonstration of technologies and research applications to facilitate technology transfer; and
(4) terminating programs carried out under this section that are not achieving the goals of the programs.
(f) Personnel
(1) Program managers
(A) In general
The Director shall designate employees to serve as program managers for each of the programs established pursuant to the responsibilities established for ARPA-E under subsection (e).
(B) Responsibilities
A program manager of a program shall be responsible for—
(i) establishing research and development goals for the program, including through the convening of workshops and conferring with outside experts, and publicizing the goals of the program to the public and private sectors;
(ii) soliciting applications for specific areas of particular promise, especially areas that the private sector or the Federal Government are not likely to undertake alone;
(iii) building research collaborations for carrying out the program;
(iv) selecting on the basis of merit, with advice under subsection (j) as appropriate, each of the projects to be supported under the program after considering—
(I) the novelty and scientific and technical merit of the proposed projects;
(II) the demonstrated capabilities of the applicants to successfully carry out the proposed project;
(III) the consideration by the applicant of future commercial applications of the project, including the feasibility of partnering with 1 or more commercial entities; and
(IV) such other criteria as are established by the Director;
(v) monitoring the progress of projects supported under the program; and
(vi) recommending program restructure or termination of research partnerships or whole projects.
(C) Term
The term of a program manager shall be 3 years and may be renewed.
(2) Hiring and management
(A) In general
The Director shall have the authority to—
(i) make appointments of scientific, engineering, and professional personnel without regard to the civil service laws; and
(ii) fix the compensation of such personnel at a rate to be determined by the Director.
(B) Number
The Director shall appoint not less than 70, and not more than 120, personnel under this section.
(C) Private recruiting firms
The Secretary, or the Director serving as an agent of the Secretary, may contract with private recruiting firms for the hiring of qualified technical staff to carry out this section.
(D) Additional staff
The Director may use all authorities in existence on August 9, 2007, that are provided to the Secretary to hire administrative, financial, and clerical staff as necessary to carry out this section.
(g) Reports and roadmaps
(1) Annual report
As part of the annual budget request submitted for each fiscal year, the Director shall provide to the relevant authorizing and appropriations committees of Congress a report describing projects supported by ARPA-E during the previous fiscal year.
(2) Strategic vision roadmap
Not later than October 1, 2008, and October 1, 2011, the Director shall provide to the relevant authorizing and appropriations committees of Congress a roadmap describing the strategic vision that ARPA-E will use to guide the choices of ARPA-E for future technology investments over the following 3 fiscal years.
(h) Coordination and nonduplication
(1) In general
To the maximum extent practicable, the Director shall ensure that the activities of ARPA-E are coordinated with, and do not duplicate the efforts of, programs and laboratories within the Department and other relevant research agencies.
(2) Technology Transfer Coordinator
To the extent appropriate, the Director may coordinate technology transfer efforts with the Technology Transfer Coordinator appointed under section 16391 of this title.
(i) Federal demonstration of technologies
The Secretary shall make information available to purchasing and procurement programs of Federal agencies regarding the potential to demonstrate technologies resulting from activities funded through ARPA-E.
(j) Advice
(1) Advisory committees
The Director may seek advice on any aspect of ARPA-E from—
(A) an existing Department of Energy advisory committee; and
(B) a new advisory committee organized to support the programs of ARPA-E and to provide advice and assistance on—
(i) specific program tasks; or
(ii) overall direction of ARPA-E.
(2) Additional sources of advice
In carrying out this section, the Director may seek advice and review from—
(A) the President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology; and
(B) any professional or scientific organization with expertise in specific processes or technologies under development by ARPA-E.
(k) ARPA-E evaluation
(1) In general
After ARPA-E has been in operation for 4 years, the Secretary shall offer to enter into a contract with the National Academy of Sciences under which the National Academy shall conduct an evaluation of how well ARPA-E is achieving the goals and mission of ARPA-E.
(2) Inclusions
The evaluation shall include—
(A) the recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences on whether ARPA-E should be continued or terminated; and
(B) a description of lessons learned from operation of ARPA-E.
(3) Availability
On completion of the evaluation, the evaluation shall be made available to Congress and the public.
(l) Existing authorities
The authorities granted by this section are—
(1) in addition to existing authorities granted to the Secretary; and
(2) are not intended to supersede or modify any existing authorities.
(m) Funding
(1) Fund
There is established in the Treasury of the United States a fund, to be known as the “Energy Transformation Acceleration Fund”, which shall be administered by the Director for the purposes of carrying out this section.
(2) Authorization of appropriations
Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), there are authorized to be appropriated to the Director for deposit in the Fund, without fiscal year limitation—
(A) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; and
(B) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010.
(3) Separate budget and appropriation
(A) Budget request
The budget request for ARPA-E shall be separate from the rest of the budget of the Department.
(B) Appropriations
Appropriations to the Fund shall be separate and distinct from the rest of the budget for the Department.
(4) Limitation
No amounts may be appropriated for ARPA-E for fiscal year 2008 unless the amount appropriated for the activities of the Office of Science of the Department for fiscal year 2008 exceeds the amount appropriated for the Office for fiscal year 2007, as adjusted for inflation in accordance with the Consumer Price Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor.
(5) Allocation
Of the amounts appropriated for a fiscal year under paragraph (2)—
(A) not more than 50 percent of the amount shall be used to carry out subsection (e)(3)(D);
(B) at least 2.5 percent of the amount shall be used for technology transfer and outreach activities; and
(C) no funds may be used for construction of new buildings or facilities during the 5-year period beginning on August 9, 2007.