[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2200 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2200
To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a research,
development, demonstration, and deployment program to improve the
efficiency, increase the durability, and reduce the cost of producing
hydrogen using electrolyzers, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 23, 2021
Mr. Heinrich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a research,
development, demonstration, and deployment program to improve the
efficiency, increase the durability, and reduce the cost of producing
hydrogen using electrolyzers, 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 ``Advancing the Clean Hydrogen Future
Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to enhance the leadership role of the United States in
the widespread use of renewable energy and clean energy
technologies;
(2) to reduce greenhouse emissions in the United States by
increasing the supply of economical hydrogen for use in
transportation, industrial, and power-generation applications;
(3) to support existing electrolyzer research, development,
and demonstration efforts of the Department, including the
H2NEW consortium of National Laboratories and the hydrogen and
fuel cell community, which was established by the Office of
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies of the Department and
focuses on making large-scale electrolyzers more durable,
efficient, and affordable; and
(4) to promote job creation in the United States through
the manufacturing of advanced clean energy technologies,
including through the manufacturing of electrolyzers and
associated systems.
SEC. 3. HYDROGEN ELECTROLYSIS RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND
DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--
(1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Energy.
(2) Electrolysis.--The term ``electrolysis'' means a
process that uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and
oxygen.
(3) Electrolyzer.--The term ``electrolyzer'' means a system
that produces hydrogen using electrolysis.
(4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) an institution of higher education;
(B) a nongovernmental organization;
(C) a National Laboratory;
(D) a federally recognized Tribal government or
Tribal organization;
(E) a private entity; and
(F) a partnership or consortium of 2 or more
entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (E).
(5) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(6) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory''
has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
(7) Program.--The term ``program'' means the program
established under subsection (b).
(8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
(b) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a research,
development, demonstration, and deployment program to improve the
efficiency, increase the durability, and reduce the cost of producing
hydrogen using electrolyzers.
(c) Coordination.--In establishing and carrying out the program,
the Secretary shall--
(1) coordinate activities carried out under this section
with--
(A) activities carried out under other relevant
programs of the Department, including activities
carried out by the National Laboratories; and
(B) activities carried out by other relevant
Federal agencies;
(2) effectively manage crosscutting research priorities
across relevant programs of the Department, including programs
carried out by the National Laboratories; and
(3) coordinate with the heads of other relevant Federal
agencies to ensure the effective management of crosscutting
research priorities shared by the Department and those
agencies.
(d) Collaboration.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary
shall collaborate with--
(1) industry;
(2) the National Laboratories;
(3) other relevant Federal agencies;
(4) relevant State agencies;
(5) institutions of higher education; and
(6) international bodies with relevant scientific and
technical expertise.
(e) Goal.--The goal of the program is to reduce the cost of
hydrogen produced using electrolyzers to less than $2 per kilogram of
hydrogen by 2026.
(f) Duration.--The program shall have a duration of 5 years.
(g) Focus.--The program shall focus on research relating to, and
the development, demonstration, and deployment of--
(1) low-temperature electrolyzers, including liquid-
alkaline electrolyzers, membrane-based electrolyzers, and other
advanced electrolyzers, capable of converting intermittent
sources of electric power to hydrogen with enhanced efficiency
and durability;
(2) high-temperature electrolyzers that combine electricity
and heat to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production;
(3) advanced reversible fuel cells that combine the
functionality of an electrolyzer and a fuel cell;
(4) new highly active, selective, and durable electrolyzer
catalysts and electro-catalysts that--
(A) greatly reduce or eliminate the need for
platinum group metals; and
(B) enable electrolysis of complex mixtures with
impurities, including seawater;
(5) modular electrolyzers for distributed energy systems
and the bulk-power system (as defined in section 215(a) of the
Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o(a)));
(6) low-cost membranes or electrolytes and separation
materials that are durable in the presence of impurities or
seawater;
(7) improved component design and material integration,
including with respect to electrodes, porous transport layers
and bipolar plates, and balance-of-system components, to allow
for scale-up and domestic manufacturing of electrolyzers at a
high volume;
(8) hydrogen storage technologies;
(9) technologies that integrate hydrogen production with--
(A) hydrogen compression and drying technologies;
(B) hydrogen storage; and
(C) transportation or stationary systems; and
(10) integrated systems that combine hydrogen production
with renewable power generation technologies, including hybrid
systems with hydrogen storage.
(h) Grants, Contracts, Cooperative Agreements, and Demonstration
Projects.--
(1) Grants.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary
shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible
entities for projects that the Secretary determines would
provide the greatest progress toward achieving the goal of the
program described in subsection (e).
(2) Contracts and cooperative agreements.--In carrying out
the program, the Secretary may enter into contracts and
cooperative agreements with eligible entities and Federal
agencies for projects that the Secretary determines would
further the purpose of the program described in subsection (b).
(3) Demonstration projects.--In supporting technologies
developed under the program, the Secretary shall fund
demonstration projects--
(A) to demonstrate technologies that produce
hydrogen using electrolysis; and
(B) to validate information on the cost,
efficiency, durability, and feasibility of commercial
deployment of the technologies described in
subparagraph (A).
(4) Applications.--An eligible entity desiring to receive a
grant under paragraph (1), to enter into a contract or
cooperative agreement under paragraph (2), or to receive
funding for a demonstration project under paragraph (3) shall
submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may
require.
(5) Cost sharing.--In awarding grants, entering into
contracts and cooperative agreements, and funding demonstration
projects under this section, the Secretary shall require cost
sharing in accordance with section 988 of the Energy Policy Act
of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16352).
(i) Reports.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress 2
reports describing, as of the date of the applicable report--
(A) the activities carried out by the Secretary
under this section; and
(B) any progress made toward achieving the goal of
the program described in subsection (e).
(2) Timing of submissions.--The Secretary shall submit the
reports described in paragraph (1) by--
(A) in the case of the first report, not later than
2 years after the date of enactment of this Act; and
(B) in the case of the second report, not later
than 6 years after that date of enactment.
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the program $200,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, to remain available until
expended.
<all>