[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6533 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6533
To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish an Office of Advanced
Clean Energy Technologies to manage a network of Regional Energy
Innovation and Development Institutes to advance clean energy
technologies, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 1, 2022
Ms. Bonamici introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology, 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 direct the Secretary of Energy to establish an Office of Advanced
Clean Energy Technologies to manage a network of Regional Energy
Innovation and Development Institutes to advance clean energy
technologies, 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 ``Regional Clean Energy Innovation
Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Clean energy technology.--The term ``clean energy
technology'' means a technology, production process, or
methodology that--
(A) produces energy from solar, wind, geothermal,
biomass, tidal, wave, ocean, or another renewable
energy source (as defined in section 609 of the Public
Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C.
918c));
(B) more efficiently transmits, distributes, or
stores energy;
(C) enhances energy efficiency for buildings,
manufacturing processes, and industry, including
combined heat and power;
(D) enables the development of a Smart Grid (as
described in section 1301 of the Energy Independence
and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17381)), including
integration of renewable energy sources and distributed
generation, demand response, demand side management,
and systems analysis;
(E) produces an advanced or sustainable material
with clean energy or energy efficiency applications; or
(F) improves energy efficiency for transportation,
including electric vehicles.
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office of Advanced Clean Energy Technologies.
(3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a
State, a unit of local government, a Tribal government, an
institution of higher education, a business, a National
Laboratory, a labor organization, and any other entity the
Secretary determines appropriate.
(4) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory''
has the meaning given such term in section 2(3) of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801(3)).
(5) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office of
Advanced Clean Energy Technologies established under section
3(a).
(6) Regional energy innovation and development institute or
reidi.--The term ``Regional Energy Innovation and Development
Institute'' or ``REIDI'' means a partnership--
(A) of at least 2 eligible entities; and
(B) that is designated by the Director under the
program established under section 3(e).
(7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
SEC. 3. OFFICE OF ADVANCED CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish an Office of
Advanced Clean Energy Technologies within the Department of Energy.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Office is to advance mid-stage and
late-stage innovation, development, demonstration, and
commercialization of clean energy technologies, in accordance with
regional capabilities and market needs, in order to further regional
net-zero greenhouse gas emissions pathways.
(c) Director.--The Office shall be headed by a Director who shall
be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the
Senate, and shall report to the Secretary.
(d) Duties.--The duties of the Director shall include--
(1) assessing regional capabilities to develop and utilize,
and market needs for, clean energy technologies;
(2) analyzing region-specific pathways to decarbonization
and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions to inform the designation
of Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes;
(3) establishing and carrying out the program described in
subsection (e);
(4) establishing and maintaining a staff with sufficient
qualifications and expertise to enable the Office to carry out
its duties in conjunction with other operations of the
Department of Energy; and
(5) coordinating with National Laboratories and other
Federal agencies, offices, and programs, including the Economic
Development Administration, to avoid duplication of effort and
to work together to address gaps in mid-stage and late-stage
innovation, demonstration, deployment, and commercialization of
clean energy technologies.
(e) Program To Designate and Support REIDIs.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall establish and carry out
a program to designate, and provide financial assistance and
other support to, Regional Energy Innovation and Development
Institutes in accordance with this subsection.
(2) Program contents.--In carrying out the program
established under paragraph (1) the Director shall--
(A) establish goals for Regional Energy Innovation
and Development Institutes and publicize the goals to
eligible entities;
(B) support the creation and development of
Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes
by providing incentives to eligible entities to
organize as partnerships and address specific targeted
clean energy technologies and market intersections;
(C) provide assistance to partnerships of eligible
entities in applying to be designated as Regional
Energy Innovation and Development Institutes;
(D) designate partnerships of eligible entities as
Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes,
taking into consideration--
(i) an appropriate balance of geographical
interests;
(ii) existing clean energy technology
innovation efforts, including innovation
efforts of National Laboratories, and other
resources;
(iii) regional variations in energy supply
and demand and in resilience of energy supply
and demand;
(iv) the potential for job creation in the
area to be served by the proposed Regional
Energy Innovation and Development Institute
from mid-stage and late-stage innovation,
demonstration, deployment, and
commercialization of clean energy technologies;
and
(v) the extent to which the proposed
Regional Energy Innovation and Development
Institute will address environmental justice
and energy issues for rural and low-income
households, communities of color, Tribal
communities, and communities that are
disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of
climate change and greenhouse gas emissions;
(E) promote collaboration and resource sharing
among Regional Energy Innovation and Development
Institutes;
(F) in collaboration with National Laboratories,
provide technical assistance to Regional Energy
Innovation and Development Institutes;
(G) provide financial assistance to Regional Energy
Innovation and Development Institutes to carry out
activities described in paragraph (3);
(H) share best practices for establishing and
operating Regional Energy Innovation and Development
Institutes;
(I) support Regional Energy Innovation and
Development Institutes in the navigation of regulatory
processes; and
(J) assess the success of the Regional Energy
Innovation and Development Institutes through the
establishment of technical milestones, which shall be
used to determine whether to terminate the designation
of Regional Energy Innovation and Development
Institutes that are not achieving such milestones.
(3) Use of funds.--A Regional Energy Innovation and
Development Institute may use financial assistance provided
under the program established under paragraph (1) to carry out
activities that advance mid-stage and late-stage innovation,
development, demonstration, and commercialization of clean
energy technologies, in accordance with regional capabilities
and market needs, in order to further regional net-zero
greenhouse gas emissions pathways, including activities that--
(A) facilitate commercialization of clean energy
technologies through collaboration with relevant
regulatory authorities and identification of regulatory
structures that create obstacles to deployment and
commercialization of clean energy technologies;
(B) connect eligible entities that are partners in
the Regional Energy Innovation and Development
Institute to technical resources, modeling, and test
beds;
(C) foster mentorship, business development,
education, and research and development investments
relating to clean energy technologies; and
(D) design and implement initiatives to stimulate
market demand for clean energy technologies that will
substantially contribute to regional net-zero
greenhouse gas emissions pathways.
(4) Cost share.--The Federal share of the cost of any
activity carried out by a Regional Energy Innovation and
Development Institute shall be not more than 50 percent.
(5) Applications.--To apply for designation as a Regional
Energy Innovation and Development Institute, and for financial
and other assistance, under the program established under
paragraph (1), a partnership of eligible entities shall submit
an application to the Director that includes--
(A) a description of the eligible entities in the
partnership;
(B) a description of the geographical region that
will be represented by the Regional Energy Innovation
and Development Institute;
(C) a plan for and description of the activities to
be carried out by the Regional Energy Innovation and
Development Institute with Federal funds, including a
description of how such activities will--
(i) align with State, local, regional, and
Tribal policies;
(ii) contribute to job creation;
(iii) contribute to regional net-zero
greenhouse gas emissions pathways and
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions; and
(iv) address market need in deployment, and
increase market competitiveness, of clean
energy technologies;
(D) a description of the clean energy sectors that
will be served by the Regional Energy Innovation and
Development Institute, and how such sectors were
identified in relation to regional market needs;
(E) a description of the non-Federal funding
sources to be utilized in carrying out the activities
of the Regional Energy Innovation and Development
Institute; and
(F) such other information as the Director may
require.
(f) Reports and Plan.--
(1) Annual report.--The Director shall annually submit to
Congress, as part of the Department of Energy's annual budget
submitted for a fiscal year, a report describing activities
conducted by each Regional Energy Innovation and Development
Institute during the previous fiscal year.
(2) Strategic plan.--Not later than one year after the date
of enactment of this Act, and at least once every 5 years
thereafter, the Director shall submit to Congress a strategic
plan for the Office for the following 5 years that includes a
plan for how the Office will advance mid-stage and late-stage
innovation, development, demonstration, and commercialization
of clean energy technologies, in accordance with regional
capabilities and market needs, in order to further regional
net-zero greenhouse gas emissions pathways.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated, for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027, $150,000,000
to carry out this section, of which not more than $25,000,000 shall be
for the administrative expenses of the Office each fiscal year.
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