Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), assistant to the Speaker of the House, has introduced the Green Bank Act of 2009, which creates the Green Bank as an independent, tax-exempt, wholly owned corporation of the U.S. The bank’s mission will be to provide a comprehensive range of financing support to qualified clean-energy and energy-efficiency projects within the territorial U.S. The act would provide the Green Bank with initial capital of $10 billion through the issuance of Green Bonds by the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Department of Treasury. The maximum authorized limit of Green Bonds outstanding at any one time is $50 billion. The Green Bank also would assist in advancing energy-related national objectives and include robust spending safeguards and public-disclosure requirements. For more information, visit www.house.gov.