American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Provides $2.5 billion for U.S. Department of Energy research, development, and deployment projects through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, including $800 million for projects related to biomass.

Provides $3.2 billion toward the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, as authorized by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. These grants are for state, local, and tribal governments for energy efficiency improvements, primarily in the transportation and building sectors.

Provides $2 billion toward grants for advanced battery systems and electric vehicle components manufacturing. These funds are intended to support domestic manufacturing of advanced lithium ion batteries and hybrid electric systems and components. Provides $300 million toward competitive grants for alternative fuels and advanced vehicle projects, as authorized by Section 721 of the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005. The grants are for state governments, local governments, and metropolitan transportation authorities, in partnership with an active and designated Clean Cities and Communities coalition.

Provides $400 million to support vehicle electrification efforts. Refer to Idaho National Laboratory’s Light-Duty Electric-Drive Vehicle and Charging Infrastructure Testing - Plug-in Electric Vehicle and Infrastructure Analysis Report for more information.

Provides $6 billion towards the Loan Guarantee Program, authorized by Section 1705 of EPAct 2005. A $10 million portion of these funds will support the administrative expenses of the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program.

Provides $3 billion for acquiring more fuel-efficient vehicles for the federal fleet. The funds are intended to increase the federal fleet's fuel efficiency and reduce emissions while stimulating the market for advanced technology vehicles such as hybrid electric, battery electric, and commercially available plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Provides $300 million to retrofit diesel vehicle fleets with cleaner burning engines in support of the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will administer grants via the DERA for eligible state, local government, and non-profit fleets. Private sector applicants may also apply in partnership with one of these groups.

Section 1123 amends the alternative fuel infrastructure tax credit for qualified equipment placed into service on or after January 1, 2009, increasing the maximum credit to 50% of the cost not to exceed $50,000.

Section 1141-1144 modifies the qualified plug-in electric-drive motor vehicle tax credit. Under this provision, the tax credit will be phased out for each manufacturer after 200,000 qualified plug-in electric-drive vehicles have been sold by that manufacturer for use in the United States, rather than phased out once the total number of qualified vehicles sold by all manufacturers reaches 250,000. Additionally, this section adds a 10% tax credit for qualified low-speed electric vehicles, electric motorcycles, three-wheeled electric vehicles, and electric vehicle conversions.

Section 1302 creates a 30% tax credit to encourage investment in advanced energy property manufacturing facilities. The credit applies to qualified projects that establish, re-equip, or expand facilities that manufacture: components for the production of renewable energy; energy storage systems for use with electric or hybrid electric motor vehicles; new qualified plug-in hybrid electric-drive motor vehicles or components that are designed specifically for use in such vehicles; advanced battery technology; and other next-generation renewable energy technologies. Eligible projects must be certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury.