§ 17337. United States-Israel energy cooperation

(a) Findings Congress finds that—

(1) it is in the highest national security interests of the United States to develop renewable energy sources;

(2) the State of Israel is a steadfast ally of the United States;

(3) the special relationship between the United States and Israel is manifested in a variety of cooperative scientific research and development programs, such as—

(A) the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation; and

(B) the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation;

(4) those programs have made possible many scientific, technological, and commercial breakthroughs in the fields of life sciences, medicine, bioengineering, agriculture, biotechnology, communications, and others;

(5) on February 1, 1996, the Secretary of Energy (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) and the Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure signed an agreement to establish a framework for collaboration between the United States and Israel in energy research and development activities;

(6) Israeli scientists and engineers are at the forefront of research and development in the field of renewable energy sources; and

(7) enhanced cooperation between the United States and Israel for the purpose of research and development of renewable energy sources would be in the national interests of both countries.

(b) Grant program

(1) Establishment

In implementing the agreement entitled the “Agreement between the Department of Energy of the United States of America and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of Israel Concerning Energy Cooperation”, dated February 1, 1996, the Secretary shall establish a grant program in accordance with the requirements of sections 16352 and 16353 of this title to support research, development, and commercialization of renewable energy or energy efficiency.

(2) Types of energy In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary may make grants to promote—

(A) solar energy;

(B) biomass energy;

(C) energy efficiency;

(D) wind energy;

(E) geothermal energy;

(F) wave and tidal energy; and

(G) advanced battery technology.

(3) Eligible applicants An applicant shall be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection if the project of the applicant—

(A) addresses a requirement in the area of improved energy efficiency or renewable energy sources, as determined by the Secretary; and

(B) is a joint venture between—

(i)

(I) a for-profit business entity, academic institution, National Laboratory (as defined in section 15801 of this title), or nonprofit entity in the United States; and

(II) a for-profit business entity, academic institution, or nonprofit entity in Israel; or

(ii)

(I) the Federal Government; and

(II) the Government of Israel.

(4) Applications

To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, an applicant shall submit to the Secretary an application for the grant in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary, in consultation with the advisory board established under paragraph (5).

(5) Advisory board

(A) Establishment The Secretary shall establish an advisory board—

(i) to monitor the method by which grants are awarded under this subsection; and

(ii) to provide to the Secretary periodic performance reviews of actions taken to carry out this subsection.

(B) Composition The advisory board established under subparagraph (A) shall be composed of 3 members, to be appointed by the Secretary, of whom—

(i) 1 shall be a representative of the Federal Government;

(ii) 1 shall be selected from a list of nominees provided by the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation; and

(iii) 1 shall be selected from a list of nominees provided by the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation.

(6) Contributed funds Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, the Secretary may accept, retain, and use funds contributed by any person, government entity, or organization for purposes of carrying out this subsection—

(A) without further appropriation; and

(B) without fiscal year limitation.

(7) Report Not later than 180 days after the date of completion of a project for which a grant is provided under this subsection, the grant recipient shall submit to the Secretary a report that contains—

(A) a description of the method by which the recipient used the grant funds; and

(B) an evaluation of the level of success of each project funded by the grant.

(8) Classification

Grants shall be awarded under this subsection only for projects that are considered to be unclassified by both the United States and Israel.

(c) Termination

The grant program and the advisory committee established under this section terminate on the date that is 7 years after December 19, 2007.

(d) Authorization of appropriations

The Secretary shall use amounts authorized to be appropriated under section 16231 of this title to carry out this section.

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IX, § 917, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1730.)