PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 7, 2009
21st Century Energy Independence Act of 2009 - Instructs the Secretary of Energy to seek to ensure: (1) the availability of 200% of the volume of renewable fuels required to be available in the United States by 2013 under the Energy Policy Act of 2005; and (2) the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from the production and use of renewable fuels by 25%.
Directs the Secretary to establish a loan guarantee program for up to 80% of the cost of a project for: (1) the harvesting, storing, and delivery of agriculture residues for use in cellulosic or traditional ethanol production plants; (2) cellulosic ethanol production technologies that will reduce the initial capital cost to $2.50 per annual gallon, and operation and maintenance costs to 125% of those at traditional corn ethanol plants; (3) advanced biomass gasifiers that can provide specified thermal input requirements for traditional ethanol plants to produce syngas; and (4) scaled catalytic conversion projects to convert syngas to liquid fuels.
Permits such loan guarantees for: (1) a traditional ethanol plant only if the agriculture residue products are used as feedstock to replace thermal input requirements otherwise provided by fossil fuels; and (2) an existing ethanol plant only if the applicant demonstrates the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions related to ethanol production by at least 75%.
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Authorizes the Secretary to provide grants for up to 50% of the capital costs of the initial commercialization for certain cellulosic ethanol production technologies.
People & committees
Rep. Jackson-Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] · D–TX
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
Referred to House Science and Technology
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Science and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to House Energy and Commerce
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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