[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2994 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2994
To promote marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy research and
development, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 21, 2011
Mr. Inslee (for himself, Mr. Young of Alaska, and Mr. Deutch)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To promote marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy research and
development, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Marine and
Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Promotion Act of 2011''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy research and
development program.
Sec. 3. Test facilities.
Sec. 4. National Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Research,
Development, and Demonstration Centers.
Sec. 5. Marine-based energy device verification program.
Sec. 6. Adaptive management and environmental grant program.
Sec. 7. Administration.
Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations.
SEC. 2. MARINE AND HYDROKINETIC RENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
Section 633(a) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
(42 U.S.C. 17212(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (13), by striking ``; and'' and inserting
a semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (14), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(15)(A) apply advanced systems engineering and system
integration methods to identify critical interfaces and develop
open standards for marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy;
``(B) transfer the resulting environmental data to industry
stakeholders as public information through published interface
definitions, standards, and demonstration projects; and
``(C) develop incentives for industry to comply with the
standards.''.
SEC. 3. TEST FACILITIES.
Section 633 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42
U.S.C. 17212) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Test Facilities.--
``(1) In general.--In carrying out this section, not later
than 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection,
the Secretary shall award competitive grants to support 4 or
more geographically dispersed marine and hydrokinetic renewable
energy technology research, development, and demonstration test
facilities for the demonstration of multiple technologies in
actual operating marine environments (including industry
demonstrations).
``(2) Preference.--In awarding competitive grants under
this subsection, the Secretary shall give preference to
existing marine and hydrokinetic testing facilities and
existing Centers established under section 634.
``(3) Facilities.--Grants under this subsection may
support--
``(A) modification of an existing facility
(including a Center established under section 634); or
``(B) construction of a new test facility.
``(4) Program objectives.--In awarding grants under this
subsection, the Secretary shall provide for the demonstration
of--
``(A) a variety of technologies at each test
facility;
``(B) a variety of technologies among all of the
test facilities established; and
``(C) technologies on a variety of scales.
``(5) Activities.--Each test facility established under
this subsection shall--
``(A) provide infrastructure and resources for the
evaluation and technical viability testing of marine
and hydrokinetic renewable energy technologies; and
``(B) conduct and support research, development,
and demonstration activities with respect to marine and
hydrokinetic renewable energy technologies.
``(6) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this
subsection, an applicant for a grant shall--
``(A) be--
``(i) a nonprofit institution;
``(ii) a State or local government;
``(iii) an institution of higher education;
``(iv) university consortia;
``(v) a National Laboratory; or
``(vi) a Center established under section
634; and
``(B) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the
Secretary the ability and intention to--
``(i) combine expertise from relevant
academic fields, including fields relating to--
``(I) the environment;
``(II) marine and riverine
sciences;
``(III) energy;
``(IV) ocean engineering; and
``(V) electrical, mechanical, and
civil engineering; and
``(ii) partner with other entities
(including industry) that have expertise in
advancing marine and hydrokinetic renewable
energy technologies.''.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MARINE AND HYDROKINETIC RENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH,
DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION CENTERS.
Section 634 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42
U.S.C. 17213) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by inserting ``and
hydrokinetic'' after ``marine'';
(2) in the first sentence of subsection (a), by inserting
``and Hydrokinetic'' after ``Marine''; and
(3) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
``(b) Purposes.--The Centers--
``(1) shall--
``(A) advance research, development, demonstration,
and commercial application of marine and hydrokinetic
renewable energy technologies; and
``(B) serve as information clearinghouses for the
marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy industry by
collecting and disseminating information on best
practices in all areas relating to developing and
managing marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy
technologies; and
``(2) may serve as technology test facilities established
under section 633(c).''.
SEC. 5. MARINE-BASED ENERGY DEVICE VERIFICATION PROGRAM.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17211
et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating sections 635 and 636 (42 U.S.C. 17214,
17215) as sections 638 and 639, respectively; and
(2) by inserting after section 634 (42 U.S.C. 17213) the
following:
``SEC. 635. MARINE-BASED ENERGY DEVICE VERIFICATION PROGRAM.
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a marine-based
energy device verification program to provide a bridge from the marine
and hydrokinetic renewable energy capture device design and development
efforts underway across the industry to commercial deployment of marine
and hydrokinetic renewable energy devices.
``(b) Purposes.--The purposes of the program are to fund,
facilitate the development and installation of, and evaluate marine and
hydrokinetic renewable energy projects, in partnership with Federally
Funded Research and Development Centers, and in conjunction with
Centers established under section 634, universities and other
institutions of higher education, private business entities, and other
appropriate organizations, in order--
``(1) to increase marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy
experience; and
``(2) to build and operate enough candidate devices to
obtain statistically significant operating and maintenance
data.
``(c) Objectives.--The objectives of the program shall include--
``(1) verifying the performance, reliability,
maintainability, and cost of new marine and hydrokinetic
renewable energy device designs and system components in an
operating environment;
``(2) providing States, regulators, utilities, and other
stakeholders with a valid opportunity to test and evaluate
marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy technology in new
areas;
``(3) documenting and communicating the experience from
those projects for the benefit of utilities, independent power
producers, other nonutility generators, device suppliers, and
others in the marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy
development community; and
``(4) resolving environmental issues through robust
characterization, reliable impact prediction, effective
monitoring, development, and use of adaptive management, and
informing engineering design to improve environmental
performance.''.
SEC. 6. ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL GRANT PROGRAM.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17211
et seq.) (as amended by section 5) is amended by inserting after
section 635 the following:
``SEC. 636. ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL GRANT PROGRAM.
``(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
``(1) the use of marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy
technologies can reduce contributions to global warming;
``(2) marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy technologies
can be produced domestically;
``(3) marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy is a nascent
industry; and
``(4) the United States must work to promote new renewable
energy technologies that reduce contributions to global warming
gases and improve domestic energy production.
``(b) Grant Program.--
``(1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of
enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall establish a
program under which the Secretary shall award grants to
eligible entities--
``(A) to advance the development of marine and
hydrokinetic renewable energy;
``(B) to help fund the costs of environmental
analysis affecting the deployment of marine
hydrokinetic devices;
``(C) to help enable the eligible entities--
``(i) to gather and collect the types of
environmental data that are required when
working in a public resource (including the
waterways and oceans of the United States); and
``(ii) to monitor the impacts of
demonstration projects and make the resulting
information available for widespread
dissemination to aid future projects; and
``(D) to help fund the cost of advancing renewable
marine and hydrokinetic technologies in ocean and
riverine environments from demonstration projects to
development and deployment.
``(2) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this paragraph, an entity shall submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require.''.
SEC. 7. ADMINISTRATION.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17211
et seq.) (as amended by section 6) is amended by inserting after
section 636 the following:
``SEC. 637. ADMINISTRATION.
``(a) In General.--In carrying out this subtitle, the Secretary
shall--
``(1) coordinate and avoid duplication of activities across
programs of the Department and other applicable Federal
agencies, including the National Laboratories;
``(2) collaborate with (as applicable)--
``(A) industry;
``(B) stakeholders;
``(C) other Federal agencies, including the
National Laboratories;
``(D) academic institutions; and
``(E) international bodies with relevant scientific
expertise; and
``(3) obtain from the recipient of assistance and make
available to the public, through Web sites, reports, and
databases of the Department, any research, development,
demonstration, and commercial application information produced
with respect to supported technology, including information
obtained after the completion of supported activities, except
to the extent that the information is protected from disclosure
under section 552(b) of title 5, United States Code.
``(b) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this section and at least once every 2 years thereafter, the
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on findings and activities
conducted under this subtitle.''.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 639 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42
U.S.C. 17215) (as redesignated by section 5(1)) is amended to read as
follows:
``SEC. 639. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this subtitle, to remain available until expended--
``(1) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2012; and
``(2) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2013.
``(b) Renewable Energy Funds.--No funds shall be appropriated under
this section for activities that are receiving funds under section
931(a)(2)(E)(i) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
16231(a)(2)(E)(i)).''.
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