(a)  Coordinating consortia program

The Secretary may provide financial assistance to coordinating consortia of interdisciplinary participants for demonstrations designed to accelerate the use of distributed energy technologies (such as fuel cells, microturbines, reciprocating engines, thermally activated technologies, and combined heat and power systems) in high-energy intensive commercial applications.

(b)  Small-scale portable power program

(1)  In general

The Secretary shall⁠—

(A)  establish a research, development, and demonstration program to develop working models of small scale portable power devices; and

(B)  to the fullest extent practicable, identify and utilize the resources of universities that have shown expertise with respect to advanced portable power devices for either civilian or military use.

(2)  Organization

The universities identified and utilized under paragraph (1)(B) are authorized to establish an organization to promote small scale portable power devices.

(3)  Definition

For purposes of this subsection, the term “small scale portable power device” means a field-deployable portable mechanical or electromechanical device that can be used for applications such as communications, computation, mobility enhancement, weapons systems, optical devices, cooling, sensors, medical devices, and active biological agent detection systems.