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H.R. 2776:
Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007
110th Congress

This is a bill in the U.S. Congress originating in the House of Representatives ("H.R."). A bill must be passed by both the House and Senate and then be signed by the President before it becomes law.

Bill numbers restart from 1 every two years. Each two-year cycle is called a session of Congress. This bill was created in the 110th Congress, in 2007-2008.

The titles of bills are written by the bill's sponsor and are a part of the legislation itself. GovTrack does not editorialize bill summaries.

2007-2008

Summaries

Highlights from Project Vote Smart

The following is Project Vote Smart's highlights for this bill, generously made available by PVS:

  • The following summary was for the Passage for this bill on 2007-08-04. The bill may have changed since then.
  • -Extends the renewable energy credit from January 1, 2009 to January 1, 2013 (Sec. 101).
  • -Adds energy derived from waves, tides, ocean currents, free flowing rivers, free flowing canals, and other marine sources to the list of qualified energy sources for the purpose of claiming renewable energy credits, unless diversionary structures such as dams or impoundments are used (Sec. 102).
  • -Extends solar energy property credits to January 1, 2017 and fuel cell property credits to December 31, 2016 (Sec. 103).
  • -Allows a base tax credit for plug-in hybrid vehicles of $4,000 with an additional $200 per kilowatt-hour for vehicles with a capacity above five kilowatt-hours (Sec. 201).
  • -Phases out the hybrid tax credit a year after the number of hybrid vehicles sold totals 60,000 (Sec. 201)
  • -Authorizes a 50 cent per gallon credit for any qualified cellulosic alcohol fuel producer (Sec. 204).
  • -Repeals the 9 percent tax deduction for income attributable to “the sale, exchange, or other disposition of oil, natural gas, or any primary product thereof” (Sec. 301).
  • -Extends the amortization period of geological and geophysical expenditures for major integrated oil companies from 5 years to 7 years (Sec. 302).
  • NOTE:
  • Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 615, bill text was appended at the end of H.R. 3221 as a new matter.
  • Congressional Research Service Summary

    The following summary was written by the Congressional Research Service, a well-respected nonpartisan arm of the Library of Congress. GovTrack did not write and has no control over these summaries.

    8/4/2007--Passed House amended. Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to renewable energy sources and energy conservation.
    Title I - Production Incentives
    Section 101 -
    Extends through 2012 the tax credit for the production of electricity from renewable resources (e.g., wind, closed and open-loop biomass, geothermal energy, small irrigation power, municipal solid waste, and qualified hydropower). Imposes a limit on such tax credit based upon investment in renewable resource facilities placed in service after 2008 in lieu of the current phaseout provisions for such credit.

    Section 102 -
    Includes marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy as a renewable resource for purposes of the tax credit for producing electricity from renewable resources.

    Section 103 -
    Extends through 2016 the energy tax credit for investment in solar energy and fuel cell property.

    Allows an offset against alternative minimum tax liability for certain energy tax credit amounts.

    Increases to $1,500 the credit limitation for fuel cell property. Allows public electric utility property to qualify for the energy tax credit.

    Section 104 -
    Allows a new tax credit for investment in qualified new clean renewable energy bonds.
    Section 105 -
    Extends through 2009 the special rule for the treatment of gain from electronic transmission transactions by a qualified electric utility (as defined by the Federal Power Act).

    Section 106 -
    Repeals the dollar limitation on the residential energy efficient property tax credit for solar electric and solar water heating property expenditures and for qualified fuel cell property expenditures. Requires performance certification of solar water heating property as a condition of eligibility for the tax credit. Allows an offset against alternative minimum tax liability of tax credit amounts.
    Title II - Conservation
    Subtitle A - Transportation
    Section 201 -
    Allows a new tax credit for the production of qualified plug-in hybrid motor vehicles. Defines "qualified plug-in hybrid vehicle" as a motor vehicle weighing less than 14,000 pounds that meets certain emission standards under the Clean Air Act and that is propelled to a significant extent by an electric motor that draws electricity from a rechargeable battery.

    Section 202 -
    Extends through 2010 the tax credit for installing nonhydrogen alternative fuel refueling property. Increases the rate of the tax credit for alternative fuel refueling property expenditures from 30 to 50% and raises the dollar limit for commercial properties to $50,000.
    Section 203 -
    Extends through 2010 the income and excise tax credits for biodiesel (including agri-biodiesel) and renewable diesel used as fuel. Eliminates the requirement that renewable diesel be made using a thermal depolymerization process.

    Section 204 -
    Allows an alcohol fuels tax credit for the production of qualified cellulosic alcohol fuel.

    Section 205 -
    Excludes from gross income for income tax purposes reimbursements for bicycle commuting expenses.

    Section 206 -
    Modifies the definition of "passenger automobile" for purposes of limitations on depreciation and expensing of vehicles to include any four-wheeled vehicles that are designed primarily to carry passengers over public streets, roads, or highways and that are rated at not more than 14,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.

    Section 207 -
    Allows a tax credit against payroll liabilities of New York Liberty Zone governmental units (i.e., New York State, the City of New York, or any agencies or instrumentalities thereof) for expenditures involving transportation infrastructure projects in or connecting with the New York Liberty Zone.

    Subtitle B - Other Conservation Provisions
    Section 211 -
    Authorizes the issuance of tax-credit energy conservation and qualified residential energy efficiency assistance bonds.
    Section 213 -
    Extends through 2013 the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial building expenditures.
    Section 214 -
    Revises the tax credit amounts for energy efficient appliances (i.e., dishwashers, clothes washers, refrigerators, and dehumidifiers) produced after 2007.

    Section 215 -
    Allows a five-year recovery period for the depreciation of qualified energy management devices. Defines "qualified energy management device" as a device that measures and records electricity usage data on a time-differentiated basis in at least 24 separate time segments per day and allows for the exchange of electricity-usage information and data.

    Title III - Revenue Provisions
    Subtitle A - Denial of Oil and Gas Tax Benefits
    Section 301 -
    Denies a tax deduction for income attributable to the domestic production of oil, natural gas, or any primary products thereof.

    Section 302 -
    Increases from five to seven years the amortization period for geological and geophysical expenditures for certain major integrated oil companies (i.e., companies with an average daily worldwide production of crude oil of at least 500,000 barrels, gross receipts in excess of $1 billion, and an ownership interest in a crude oil refiner of 15% or more).

    Section 303 -
    Revises the standard for calculating foreign oil and gas extraction income for purposes of the foreign tax credit to require a fair market valuation.

    Subtitle B - Clarification of Eligibility for Certain Fuel Credits
    Section 311 -
    Modifies the definition of "renewable diesel" for purposes of the income and excise tax credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel used as fuel to exclude any fuel derived from coprocessing biomass with a feedstock which is not biomass.

    Section 312 -
    Disqualifies foreign-produced fuel that is used or sold for use outside the United States for the income and excise tax credits for alcohol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and alternative fuel production.

    Title IV - Other Provisions
    Subtitle A - Studies
    Section 401 -
    Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences for a comprehensive review of federal tax provisions that have the largest effects on carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions and to estimate the magnitude of those effects. Requires the Academy to report to Congress on such study not later than two years after the enactment of this Act. Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2009.

    Section 402 -
    Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the Academy to analyze and report to Congress on current scientific findings relating to biofuels production.

    Subtitle B - Application of Certain Labor Standards on Projects Financed Under Tax Credit Bonds
    Section 411 -
    Makes federal public buildings and works labor standards applicable to projects financed by tax credit bonds.

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