15 USC 2503 – Duties of Secretary of Energy
(a) Establishment of project
The Secretary of Energy shall promptly establish, as an organizational entity within the Department of Energy, the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Project.
(b) Management of project; arrangements with competent agencies
Terms Used In 15 USC 2503
- hybrid vehicle: means a vehicle propelled by a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine or other power source and components thereof. See 15 USC 2502
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- project: means the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Project established under section 2503(a) of this title. See 15 USC 2502
- vehicle: includes every description of carriage or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on land. See 1 USC 4
The Secretary of Energy shall have the responsibility for the overall management of the project. The Secretary of Energy may enter into any agreement or other arrangement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Transportation, the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Agriculture, or any other Federal agency, pursuant to which such agency shall conduct such specified parts or aspects of the project as the Secretary of Energy deems necessary or appropriate and within the particular competence of such agency, to the extent that such agency has capabilities which would enable it to contribute to the success of the project and the attainment of the purposes of this chapter.
(c) Promotion of research and development; demonstration projects; consumer needs; resulting changes
In providing for the effective management of this project, the Secretary of Energy shall have specific responsibility to—
(1) promote basic and applied research on electric and hybrid vehicle batteries, controls, and motors;
(2) determine optimum overall electric and hybrid vehicle design;
(3) conduct demonstration projects with respect to the feasibility of commercial electric and hybrid vehicles (A) by contracting for the purchase or lease of electric and hybrid vehicles for practical use, and (B) by entering into arrangements, with other governmental entities and with nongovernmental entities, for the operation of such vehicles;
(4) ascertain consumer needs and desires so as to match the design of electric and hybrid vehicles to their potential market; and
(5) ascertain the long-term changes in road design, urban planning, traffic management, maintenance facilities, utility rate structures, and tax policies which are needed to facilitate the manufacture and use of electric and hybrid vehicles in accordance with sections 2512 and 2513 1 of this title.