,,ib ,union ,calendar ,no4 #cba #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bedh ,report ,no4 #aac-dcc1 ,part ,i ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,june #bg1 #bjac ,mr4 ,royce 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,engel1 ,mr4 ,smith of ,new ,jersey1 and ,ms4 ,bass7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,may #b1 #bjad ,additional sponsors3 ,mr4 ,doggett1 ,mr4 ,andrews1 ,mr4 ,weber of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,stockman1 ,mr4 ,israel1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,mr4 ,griffin of ,arkansas1 ,mr4 ,long1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,mr4 ,schock1 ,mr4 ,roskam1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,mr4 ,schiff1 ,mr4 ,connolly1 ,mr4 ,cooper1 ,ms4 ,mc,collum1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,mr4 ,welch1 ,ms4 ,wilson of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,paulsen1 ,mr4 ,reichert1 ,mr4 ,kildee1 ,ms4 ,hanabusa1 ,ms4 ,pingree of ,maine1 ,mr4 ,cicilline1 ,mr4 ,larson of ,connecticut1 ,mr4 ,mc,dermott1 ,mr4 ,payne1 ,ms4 ,shea-,porter1 ,ms4 ,bonamici1 ,mr4 ,sires1 ,ms4 ,frankel of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,mr4 ,kinzinger of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,keating1 ,mr4 ,o',rourke1 ,mr4 ,hastings of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,mc,caul1 ,mr4 ,perry1 ,mr4 ,simpson1 ,mr4 ,maffei1 ,mr4 ,bera of ,california1 ,mr4 ,nolan1 ,mrs4 ,bustos1 ,mr4 ,lewis1 ,mr4 ,sherman1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,mr4 ,guthrie1 ,mr4 ,deutch1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 ,mrs4 ,mc,morris ,rodgers1 ,mr4 ,quigley1 ,ms4 ,ros-,lehtinen1 ,mr4 ,conyers1 ,mr4 ,higgins1 ,ms4 ,linda ,t4 ,snchez of ,california1 ,mr4 ,dent1 ,ms4 ,esty1 ,mr4 ,fattah1 ,mr4 ,kilmer1 ,mr4 ,meadows1 ,mr4 ,perlmutter1 ,mr4 ,yoho1 ,mr4 ,sensenbrenner1 ,ms4 ,herrera ,beutler1 ,mr4 ,barr1 ,mr4 ,bachus1 ,mr4 ,yoder1 ,mr4 ,crenshaw1 ,mr4 ,diaz-,balart1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,mr4 ,stivers1 ,mr4 ,lo,biondo1 ,mr4 ,bishop of ,new ,york1 ,mrs4 ,mc,carthy of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,king of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,ribble1 ,mr4 ,runyan1 ,mr4 ,polis1 ,mr4 ,honda1 ,mr4 ,lance1 ,ms4 ,de,lauro1 ,mr4 ,duffy1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,mrs4 ,carolyn ,b4 ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,meng1 ,mr4 ,courtney1 ,mr4 ,gene ,green of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,mr4 ,langevin1 ,mr4 ,rangel1 ,mr4 ,grimm1 ,ms4 ,del,bene1 ,mrs4 ,wagner1 ,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz1 ,mr4 ,rogers of ,michigan1 ,mr4 ,michaud1 ,mr4 ,cook1 ,ms4 ,lofgren1 ,mr4 ,murphy of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,mr4 ,braley of ,iowa1 ,mr4 ,cramer1 ,mr4 ,rooney1 ,mr4 ,gibson1 ,mr4 ,fortenberry1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,mr4 ,messer1 ,mrs4 ,hartzler1 ,mrs4 ,lummis1 ,mr4 ,smith of ,washington1 and ,ms4 ,gabbard ,may #b1 #bjad ,reported from the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs with amendments ,strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic ,may #b1 #bjad ,the ,committee on ,financial ,services discharged2 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union and ordered to be printed ,for text of introduced bill1 see copy of bill as introduced on ,june #bg1 #bjac ,a ,,bill ,to establish a comprehensive ,united ,states ,government policy to assist countries in sub-,saharan ,africa to develop an appropriate mix of power solutions for more broadly distributed electricity access in order to support poverty alleviation and drive economic growth1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,electrify ,africa ,act of #bjad4 #b4 ,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to encourage the efforts of countries in sub-,saharan ,africa to improve access to affordable and reliable electricity in ,africa in order to unlock the potential for economic growth1 job creation1 food security1 improved health1 education and environmental outcomes1 and poverty reduction4 #c4 ,findings ,congress finds that-- 7#a7 #ehi1jjj1jjj people in sub-,saharan ,africa1 or #fh percent of the population1 did not have access to electricity1 as of #bjaj2 7#b7 in sub-,saharan ,africa1 electricity services are highly unreliable and they are at least twice as expensive for those with electricity access compared to other emerging markets2 7#c7 lack of access to electricity services disproportionally affects women and girls1 who often shoulder the burden of seeking sources of heat and light such as dung1 wood or charcoal and are often more exposed to the associated negative health impacts4 ,women and girls also face an increased risk of assault from walking long distances to gather fuel sources2 7#d7 access to electricity creates opportunities1 including entrepreneurship1 for people to work their way out of poverty2 7#e7 a lack of electricity contributes to the high use of inefficient and often highly polluting fuel sources for indoor cooking1 heating1 and lighting that produce toxic fumes resulting in more than #c1jjj1jjj annual premature deaths from respiratory disease1 more annual deaths than from ,,hiv_/,,aids and malaria in sub-,saharan ,africa2 7#f7 electricity access is crucial for the cold storage of vaccines and anti-retroviral and other lifesaving medical drugs1 as well as the operation of modern lifesaving medical equipment2 7#g7 electricity access can be used to improve food security by enabling post-harvest processing1 pumping1 irrigation1 dry grain storage1 milling1 refrigeration1 and other uses2 7#h7 reliable electricity access can provide improved lighting options and information and communication technologies1 including ,internet access and mobile phone charging1 that can greatly improve health1 social1 and education outcomes1 as well as economic and commercial possibilities2 7#i7 sub-,saharan ,africa's consumer base of nearly one billion people is rapidly growing and will create increasing demand for ,united ,states goods1 services1 and technologies1 but the current electricity deficit in sub-,saharan ,africa limits this demand by restricting economic growth on the continent2 7#aj7 approximately #cj ,african countries face endemic power shortages1 and nearly #gj percent of surveyed ,african businesses cite unreliable power as a major constraint to growth2 7#aa7 the ,millennium ,challenge ,corporation's work in the energy sector shows high projected economic rates of return that translate to sustainable economic growth and that the highest returns are projected when infrastructure improvements are coupled with significant legislative1 regulatory1 institutional1 and policy reforms2 7#ab7 in many countries1 weak governance capacity1 regulatory bottlenecks1 legal constraints1 and lack of transparency and accountability can stifle the ability of private investment to assist in the generation and distribution of electricity2 and 7#ac7 without new policies and more effective investments in electricity sector capacity to increase and expand electricity access in sub-,saharan ,africa1 over #gj percent of the rural population1 and #dh percent of the total population1 will potentially remain without access to electricity by #bjcj4 #d4 ,statement of policy ,congress declares that it is the policy of the ,united ,states-- 7#a7 in consultation with sub-,saharan ,african governments1 to encourage the private sector1 international community1 ,african ,regional ,economic ,communities1 philanthropies1 civil society1 and other governments to promote-- 7,a7 the installation of at least an additional #bj1jjj megawatts of electrical power in sub-,saharan ,africa by #bjbj to support poverty reduction1 promote development outcomes1 and drive economic growth2 7,b7 first-time direct access to electricity for at least #ej1jjj1jjj people in sub-,saharan ,africa by #bjbj in both urban and rural areas2 7,c7 efficient institutional platforms with accountable governance to provide electrical service to rural and underserved areas2 and 7,d7 the necessary in-country legislative1 regulatory and policy reforms to make such expansion of electricity access possible2 and 7#b7 to encourage private sector and international support for construction of hydroelectric dams in sub-,saharan ,africa that-- 7,a7 offer low-cost clean energy consistent with-- 7i7 the national security interests of the ,united ,states2 and 7ii7 best international practices regarding social and environmental safeguards1 including-- 7,i7 engagement of local communities regarding the design1 implementation1 monitoring1 and evaluation of such projects2 7,,ii7 the consideration of energy alternatives1 including distributed renewable energy2 and 7,,iii7 the development of appropriate mitigation measures2 and 7,b7 support partner country efforts4 #e4 ,development of a comprehensive1 multiyear strategy 7a7 ,strategy ,the ,president shall establish a comprehensive1 integrated1 multiyear policy1 partnership1 and funding strategy to encourage countries in sub-,saharan ,africa to develop an appropriate mix of power solutions1 including renewable energy1 to provide sufficient electricity access to people living in rural and urban areas in order to alleviate poverty and drive economic growth4 ,such strategy shall maintain sufficient flexibility and remain responsive to technological innovation in the power sector4 7b7 ,report 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,president shall transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a report setting forth the strategy described in subsection 7a74 7#b7 ,report contents ,the report required by paragraph 7#a7 shall include a discussion of the elements described in paragraph 7#c71 and should include a discussion of any additional elements relevant to the strategy described in subsection 7a74 7#c7 ,report elements ,the elements referred to in paragraph 7#b7 are the following3 7,a7 ,the general and specific objectives of the strategy described in subsection 7a71 the criteria for determining success of the strategy1 a description of the manner in which the strategy will support partner country efforts to increase production and improve access to electricity1 and criteria and indicators used to select partner countries for focused engagement on the power sector4 7,b7 ,development1 by partner country governments1 of plans and regulations at the national1 regional1 and local level to increase power production1 strengthen existing electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure1 bolster accountable governance and oversight1 and improve access to electricity4 7,c7 ,administration plans to support partner country efforts to increase new access to electricity1 including a description of how the strategy will address commercial and residential needs1 as well as urban and rural access4 7,d7 ,administration strategy to support partner country efforts to reduce government waste1 fraud1 and corruption1 and improve existing power generation through improvement of existing transmission and distribution systems1 as well as the use of a broad power mix1 including renewable energy1 and the use of a distributed generation model4 7,e7 ,administration policy to support partner country efforts to attract private sector investment and public sector resources4 7,f7 ,a description of the ,administration's strategy for the transfer of relevant technology1 skills1 and information to increase local participation in the long-term maintenance and management of the power sector to ensure investments are sustainable and transparent1 including details of the programs to be undertaken to maximize ,united ,states contributions in the areas of technical assistance and training4 7,g7 ,an identification of the relevant executive branch agencies that will be involved in carrying out the strategy1 the level and distribution of resources that will be dedicated on an annual basis among such agencies1 timely and comprehensive publication of aid information and available transmission of resource data consistent with ,administration commitments to implement the transparency measures specified in the ,international ,aid ,transparency ,initiative by ,december #bjae1 the assignment of priorities to such agencies1 a description of the role of each such agency1 and the types of programs that each such agency will undertake4 7,h7 ,a description of the mechanisms that will be utilized by the ,administration1 including the ,international ,aid ,transparency ,initiative1 to coordinate the efforts of the relevant executive branch agencies in carrying out the strategy to avoid duplication of efforts1 enhance coordination1 and ensure that each agency undertakes programs primarily in those areas where each such agency has the greatest expertise1 technical capabilities1 and potential for success4 7,i7 ,a description of the mechanisms that will be established by the ,administration for monitoring and evaluating the strategy and its implementation1 including procedures for learning and sharing best practices among relevant executive branch agencies1 as well as among participating countries1 and for terminating unsuccessful programs4 7,j7 ,a description of the ,administration's engagement plan1 consistent with international best practices1 to ensure local and affected communities are informed1 consulted1 and benefit from projects encouraged by the ,united ,states1 as well as the environmental and social impacts of the projects4 7,k7 ,a description of the mechanisms that will be utilized to ensure greater coordination between the ,united ,states and foreign governments1 international organizations1 ,african regional economic communities1 international fora1 the private sector1 and civil society organizations4 7,l7 ,a description of how ,united ,states leadership will be used to enhance the overall international response to prioritizing electricity access for sub-,saharan ,africa and to strengthen coordination among relevant international forums such as the ,post-#bjae ,development ,agenda and the ,g#h and ,g#bj1 as well as the status of efforts to support reforms that are being undertaken by partner country governments4 7,m7 ,an outline of how the ,administration intends to partner with foreign governments1 the international community1 and other public sector entities1 civil society groups1 and the private sector to assist sub-,saharan ,african countries to conduct comprehensive project feasibility studies and facilitate project development4 7,n7 ,a description of how the ,administration intends to help facilitate transnational and regional power and electrification projects where appropriate4 #f4 ,,usaid 7a7 ,loan guarantees ,it is the sense of ,congress that in pursuing the policy goals described in section #d1 the ,administrator of ,,usaid should identify and prioritize-- 7#a7 loan guarantees to local sub-,saharan ,african financial institutions that would facilitate the involvement of such financial institutions in power projects in sub-,saharan ,africa2 and 7#b7 partnerships and grants for research1 development1 and deployment of technology that would increase access to electricity in sub-,saharan ,africa4 7b7 ,grants ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,administrator of ,,usaid should consider providing grants to-- 7#a7 support the development and implementation of national1 regional1 and local energy and electricity policy plans2 7#b7 expand distribution of electricity access to the poorest2 and 7#c7 build a country's capacity to plan1 monitor and regulate the energy and electricity sector4 7c7 ,,usaid defined ,in this section1 the term ,,usaid means the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development4 #g4 ,leveraging international support ,in pursuing the policy goals described in section #d1 the ,president should direct the ,united ,states' representatives to appropriate international bodies to use the influence of the ,united ,states1 consistent with the broad development goals of the ,united ,states1 to advocate that each such body-- 7#a7 commit to significantly increase efforts to promote investment in well-designed power sector and electrification projects in sub-,saharan ,africa that increase energy access1 in partnership with the private sector and consistent with the host countries' absorptive capacity2 7#b7 address energy needs of individuals and communities where access to an electricity grid is impractical or cost-prohibitive2 7#c7 enhance coordination with the private sector in sub-,saharan ,africa to increase access to electricity2 7#d7 provide technical assistance to the regulatory authorities of sub-,saharan ,african governments to remove unnecessary barriers to investment in otherwise commercially viable projects2 and 7#e7 utilize clear1 accountable1 and metric-based targets to measure the effectiveness of such projects4 #h4 ,overseas private investment corporation 7a7 ,in general ,the ,overseas ,private ,investment ,corporation should-- 7#a7 in carrying out its programs and pursuing the policy goals described in section #d1 place a priority on supporting investment in the electricity sector of sub-,saharan ,africa1 including renewable energy1 and implement procedures for expedited review of and1 where appropriate1 approval of1 applications by eligible investors for loans1 loan guarantees1 and insurance for such investments2 7#b7 support investments in projects and partner country strategies to the extent permitted by its authorities1 policies1 and programs1 that will-- 7,a7 maximize the number of people with new access to electricity to support economic development2 7,b7 improve the generation1 transmission1 and distribution of electricity2 7,c7 provide reliable and low-cost electricity1 including renewable energy and on-grid1 off-grid1 and multi-grid solutions1 to people living in rural and urban communities2 7,d7 consider energy needs of individuals where access to an electricity grid is impractical or cost-prohibitive2 7,e7 reduce transmission and distribution losses and improve end-use efficiency2 and 7,f7 reduce energy-related impediments to business and investment opportunity and success2 7#c7 encourage locally-owned1 micro1 small- and medium-sized enterprises and cooperative service providers to participate in investment activities in sub-,saharan ,africa2 and 7#d7 publish in an accessible digital format measurable development impacts of its investments1 including appropriate quantifiable metrics to measure energy access at the individual household1 enterprise1 and community level2 and 7#e7 publish in an accessible digital format the amount1 type1 location1 duration1 and measurable results1 with links to relevant reports and displays on an interactive map1 where appropriate1 of all ,,opic investments and financings4 7b7 ,amendments ,title ,,iv of chapter #b of part ,i of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa is amended-- 7#a7 in section #bcc 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baic7-- 7,a7 in subsection 7b71 by inserting after the sixth sentence the following new sentence3 ,of the eight such ,directors1 not more than five should be of the same political party42 and 7,b7 by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7e7 ,investment advisory council ,the ,board shall take prompt measures to increase the loan1 guarantee1 and insurance programs1 and financial commitments1 of the ,corporation in sub-,saharan ,africa1 including through the use of an investment advisory council to assist the ,board in developing and implementing policies1 programs1 and financial instruments with respect to sub-,saharan ,africa4 ,in addition1 the investment advisory council shall make recommendations to the ,board on how the ,corporation can facilitate greater support by the ,united ,states for trade and investment with and in sub-,saharan ,africa4 ,the investment advisory council shall terminate on ,december #ca1 #bjag4 2 7#b7 in section #bcd7;c7 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baid7;c771 by inserting eligible investors or after involve2 7#c7 in section #bce7;a77#b7 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baie71 by striking #bjjg and inserting #bjag2 7#d7 in section #bcg7;d7 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baig7;d77-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#b71 by inserting 1 systems infrastructure costs1 after outside the ,corporation2 and 7,b7 in paragraph 7#c71 by inserting 1 systems infrastructure costs1 after project-specific transaction costs2 and 7#e7 by amending section #bci7;e7 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baii7;e77 to read as follows3 7e7 ,inspector general ,the ,board shall appoint and maintain an ,inspector ,general in the ,corporation1 in accordance with the ,inspector ,general ,act of #aigh 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 ,app474 4 7c7 ,annual consumer satisfaction survey and report 7#a7 ,survey 7,a7 ,in general ,for each of calendar years #bjad through #bjaf1 the ,overseas ,private ,investment ,corporation shall conduct a survey of private entities that sponsor or are involved in projects that are insured1 reinsured1 guaranteed1 or financed by the ,corporation regarding the level of satisfaction of such entities with the operations and procedures of the ,corporation with respect to such projects4 7,b7 ,priority ,the survey shall be primarily focused on ,united ,states small businesses and businesses that sponsor or are involved in projects with a cost of less than #bj1jjj1jjj 7as adjusted for inflation74 7#b7 ,report 7,a7 ,in general ,not later than each of ,july #a1 #bjae1 ,july #a1 #bjaf1 and ,july #a1 #bjag1 the ,corporation should submit to the congressional committees specified in subparagraph 7,c7 a report on the results of the survey required under paragraph 7#a74 7,b7 ,matters to be included ,the report should include the ,corporation's plans to revise its operations and procedures based on concerns raised in the results of the survey1 if appropriate4 7,c7 ,form ,the report shall be submitted in unclassified form and shall not disclose any confidential business information4 7,d7 ,congressional committees specified ,the congressional committees specified in this subparagraph are-- 7i7 the ,committee on ,appropriations and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7ii7 the ,committee on ,appropriations and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate4 #i4 ,trade and development agency 7a7 ,in general ,the ,director of the ,trade and ,development ,agency should-- 7#a7 promote ,united ,states private sector participation in energy sector development projects in sub-,saharan ,africa through project preparation activities1 including feasibility studies at the project1 sector1 and national level1 technical assistance1 pilot projects1 reverse trade missions1 conferences and workshops2 and 7#b7 seek opportunities to fund project preparation activities that involve increased access to electricity1 including power generation and trade capacity building4 7b7 ,focus ,in pursuing the policy goals described in section #d1 project preparation activities described in subsection 7a7 should focus on power generation1 including renewable energy1 improving the efficiency of transmission and distribution grids1 including on-grid1 off-grid and mini-grid solutions1 and promoting energy efficiency and demand-side management4 #aj4 ,progress report ,not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,president shall transmit to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate1 and post through appropriate digital means1 a report on progress made toward achieving the policy goals described in section #d1 including the following3 7#a7 ,the number1 type1 and status of policy1 regulatory1 and legislative changes implemented in partner countries to support increased electricity generation and access1 and strengthen effective1 accountable governance of the electricity sector since ,united ,states engagement4 7#b7 ,a list of power sector and electrification projects ,united ,states ,government instruments are supporting to achieve the policy goals described in section #d1 and for each such project-- 7,a7 a description of how each such project fits into the national power plans of the partner country2 7,b7 the total cost of each such project and predicted ,united ,states ,government contributions1 and actual grants and other financing provided to such projects1 broken down by ,united ,states ,government funding source1 including from the ,overseas ,private ,investment ,corporation1 the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 the ,department of the ,treasury1 and other appropriate ,united ,states ,government departments and agencies2 7,c7 the predicted electrical power capacity of each project upon completion1 with metrics appropriate to the scale of electricity access being supplied1 as well as total megawatts installed2 7,d7 compliance with international best practices and expected environmental and social impacts from each project2 7,e7 the estimated number of women1 men1 poor communities1 businesses1 schools1 and health facilities that have gained electricity connections as a result of each project at the time of such report2 and 7,f7 the current operating electrical power capacity in wattage of each project4 ,amend the title so as to read3 ,a bill to establish a comprehensive ,united ,states ,government policy to encourage the efforts of countries in sub-,saharan ,africa to develop an appropriate mix of power solutions1 including renewable energy1 for more broadly distributed electricity access in order to support poverty reduction1 promote development outcomes1 and drive economic growth1 and for other purposes44 ,may #b1 #bjad ,reported from the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs with amendments ,may #b1 #bjad ,the ,committee on ,financial ,services discharged2 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union and ordered to be printed