South Carolina § 11-46-20 - South Carolina Hydrogen Infrastructure Development Fund; applications for and distribution of grants.

§ 11-46-20. South Carolina Hydrogen Infrastructure Development Fund; applications for and distribution of grants.

(A) There is established in the State Treasury a separate and distinct fund known as the "South Carolina Hydrogen Infrastructure Development Fund". The revenues of the fund must be distributed in the form of grants by the South Carolina Research Authority (authority) and used for the purpose of promoting the development and deployment of hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and dispensing infrastructure and related products and services that enable the growth of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in the State, either by the authority or a grantee. Unexpended revenues in this fund carry forward into succeeding fiscal years through June 30, 2012, and earnings in this fund must be credited to it.

(B) The General Assembly must not appropriate more than a total of fifteen million dollars in grants as provided for in Section 11-46-30(B). Grants may not be made after June 30, 2012. Revenues remaining in the fund after that date, regardless of source, lapse to the general fund of the State.

(C) The authority shall implement and manage the application for grants. The authority shall administer the fund and provide grants for any purpose that furthers the creation of a sustainable foundation upon which a hydrogen economy may develop across the State including, but not limited to, a demonstration project, pilot project, and the purchase of machinery and equipment. The authority may charge an applicant a maximum of three percent of the total amount of the grant for the administrative costs of managing the grant process. The authority, upon consultation with the South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance, the University of South Carolina's Fuel Cell Center of Excellence, Clemson University, South Carolina State University's Clyburn Transportation Center, the Savannah River National Laboratory, the Center for Hydrogen Research, the Medical University of South Carolina, and the Columbia Innovation Center, shall establish guidelines for the application for and approval of grants, including specific objectives that an applicant must meet to receive a grant. The executive committee of the authority has the ultimate authority to determine any matter relating to the fund and to the application of fund proceeds including, but not limited to, the approval of grants.

(D) Grants distributed from the fund are subject to the procurement procedures followed by the authority.

(E) Appropriations made to the fund pursuant to Section 11-46-30(B) may be distributed as grants only to the extent that there is a dollar-for-dollar match, in cash or in kind, from a source other than the State. However, the executive committee of the authority, based on the merits of a grant proposal and its projected economic benefit, may reduce or eliminate the matching requirement on a case-by-case basis.

(F) The authority shall make and implement all final decisions concerning any matter provided for in this chapter; however, a grant must not be made to the authority without approval by the Secretary of Commerce.

HISTORY: 2007 Act No. 83, SECTION 2.