[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3227 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3227
To require the Secretary of Defense to carry out the Direct Air Capture
and Blue Carbon Removal Technology Program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 12, 2019
Mr. Beyer (for himself, Mr. Schweikert, and Mr. Brown of Maryland)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Defense to carry out the Direct Air Capture
and Blue Carbon Removal Technology Program, 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.
This Act may be cited as the ``Securing Energy for our Armed Forces
Using Engineering Leadership Act of 2019'' or the ``SEA FUEL Act of
2019''.
SEC. 2. DIRECT AIR CAPTURE AND BLUE CARBON REMOVAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.
(a) Program Required.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, in coordination
with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of
Energy, and the heads of such other Federal agencies as the
Secretary of Defense considers appropriate, shall carry out a
program on research, development, testing, evaluation, study,
and demonstration of technologies related to blue carbon
capture and direct air capture.
(2) Program goals.--The goals of the program established
under paragraph (1) are as follows:
(A) To develop technologies that capture carbon
dioxide from seawater and the air to turn such carbon
dioxide into clean fuels to enhance fuel and energy
security.
(B) To develop and demonstrate technologies that
capture carbon dioxide from seawater and the air to
reuse such carbon dioxide to create products for
military uses.
(C) To develop direct air capture technologies for
use--
(i) at military installations or facilities
of the Department of Defense; or
(ii) in modes of transportation by the Navy
or the Coast Guard.
(3) Phases.--The program established under paragraph (1)
shall be carried out in two phases as follows:
(A) The first phase shall consist of research and
development and shall be carried out as described in
subsection (b).
(B) The second phase shall consist of testing and
evaluation and shall be carried out as described in
subsection (c), if the Secretary determines that the
results of the research and development phase justify
implementing the testing and evaluation phase.
(4) Designation.--The program established under paragraph
(1) shall be known as the ``Direct Air Capture and Blue Carbon
Removal Technology Program'' (in this section referred to as
the ``Program'').
(b) Research and Development Phase.--
(1) In general.--During the research and development phase
of the Program, the Secretary of Defense shall conduct research
and development in pursuit of the goals set forth in subsection
(a)(2).
(2) Direct air capture.--The research and development phase
of the Program may include, with respect to direct air capture,
a front end engineering and design study that includes an
evaluation of direct air capture designs to produce fuel for
use--
(A) at military installations or facilities of the
Department of Defense; or
(B) in modes of transportation by the Navy or the
Coast Guard.
(3) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the research
and development phase of the Program during a four-year period
commencing not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
(4) Grants authorized.--The Secretary may carry out the
research and development phase of the Program through the award
of grants to private entities and eligible laboratories.
(5) Report required.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the completion of the research and development phase of
the Program, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on
the research and development carried out under the Program.
(6) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out the research and development
phase of the Program--
(A) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2020; and
(B) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021
through 2023.
(c) Testing and Evaluation Phase.--
(1) In general.--During the testing and evaluation phase of
the Program, the Secretary shall, in pursuit of the goals set
forth in subsection (a)(2), conduct tests and evaluations of
the technologies researched and developed during the research
and development phase of the Program.
(2) Direct air capture.--The testing and evaluation phase
of the Program may include demonstration projects for direct
air capture to produce fuel for use--
(A) at military installations or facilities of the
Department of Defense; or
(B) in modes of transportation by the Navy or the
Coast Guard.
(3) Duration.--Subject to subsection (a)(3)(B), the
Secretary shall carry out the testing and evaluation phase of
the Program during the three-year period commencing on the date
of the completion of the research and development phase
described in subsection (b), except that the testing and
evaluation phase of the Program with respect to direct air
capture may commence at such time after a front end engineering
and design study demonstrates to the Secretary that
commencement of such phase is appropriate.
(4) Grants authorized.--The Secretary may carry out the
testing and evaluation phase of the Program through the award
of grants to private entities and eligible laboratories.
(5) Locations.--The Secretary shall carry out the testing
and evaluation phase of the Program at military installations
or facilities of the Department of Defense.
(6) Report required.--Not later than September 30, 2026,
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the findings
of the Secretary with respect to the effectiveness of the
technologies tested and evaluated under the Program.
(7) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out the testing and evaluation
phase of the Program $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024
through 2026.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Blue carbon capture.--The term ``blue carbon capture''
means the removal of dissolved carbon dioxide from seawater
through engineered or inorganic processes, including filters,
membranes, or phase change systems.
(2) Direct air capture.--
(A) In general.--The term ``direct air capture'',
with respect to a facility, technology, or system,
means that the facility, technology, or system uses
carbon capture equipment to capture carbon dioxide
directly from the air.
(B) Exclusion.--The term ``direct air capture''
does not include any facility, technology, or system
that captures carbon dioxide--
(i) that is deliberately released from a
naturally occurring subsurface spring; or
(ii) using natural photosynthesis.
(3) Eligible laboratory.--The term ``eligible laboratory''
means--
(A) a National Laboratory (as defined in section 2
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801)); or
(B) a laboratory of the Department of Defense.
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