[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 711 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 711

 To amend the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 to 
   reauthorize that Act and to promote the research, identification, 
 assessment, exploration, and development of methane hydrate resources.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 5, 2005

Mr. Akaka (for himself, Ms. Murkowski, and Mr. Stevens) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 to 
   reauthorize that Act and to promote the research, identification, 
 assessment, exploration, and development of methane hydrate resources.

    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 ``Methane Hydrate Research and 
Development Reauthorization Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. METHANE HYDRATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    The Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 (30 U.S.C. 
1902 note; Public Law 106-193) is amended to read as follows:

``SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    ``This Act may be cited as the `Methane Hydrate Research and 
Development Act of 2000'.

``SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    ``Congress finds that--
            ``(1) in order to promote energy independence and meet the 
        increasing demand for energy, the United States will require a 
        diversified portfolio of substantially increased quantities of 
        electricity, natural gas, and transportation fuels;
            ``(2) according to the report submitted to Congress by the 
        National Research Council entitled `Charting the Future of 
        Methane Hydrate Research in the United States', the total 
        United States resources of gas hydrates have been estimated to 
        be on the order of 200,000 trillion cubic feet;
            ``(3) according to the report of the National Commission on 
        Energy Policy entitled `Ending the Energy Stalemate--A 
        Bipartisan Strategy to Meet America's Energy Challenge', and 
        dated December 2004, the United States may be endowed with over 
        1/4 of the methane hydrate deposits in the world;
            ``(4) according to the Energy Information Administration, a 
        shortfall in natural gas supply from conventional and 
        unconventional sources is expected to occur in or about 2020; 
        and
            ``(5) the National Academy of Science states that methane 
        hydrate may have the potential to alleviate the projected 
        shortfall in the natural gas supply.

``SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this Act:
            ``(1) Contract.--The term `contract' means a procurement 
        contract within the meaning of section 6303 of title 31, United 
        States Code.
            ``(2) Cooperative agreement.--The term `cooperative 
        agreement' means a cooperative agreement within the meaning of 
        section 6305 of title 31, United States Code.
            ``(3) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director of 
        the National Science Foundation.
            ``(4) Grant.--The term `grant' means a grant awarded under 
        a grant agreement (within the meaning of section 6304 of title 
        31, United States Code).
            ``(5) Industrial enterprise.--The term `industrial 
        enterprise' means a private, nongovernmental enterprise that 
        has an expertise or capability that relates to methane hydrate 
        research and development.
            ``(6) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' means an institution of 
        higher education (as defined in section 102 of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)).
            ``(7) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Energy, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Fossil 
        Energy.
            ``(8) Secretary of commerce.--The term `Secretary of 
        Commerce' means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the 
        Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration.
            ``(9) Secretary of defense.--The term `Secretary of 
        Defense' means the Secretary of Defense, acting through the 
        Secretary of the Navy.
            ``(10) Secretary of the interior.--The term `Secretary of 
        the Interior' means the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
        through the Director of the United States Geological Survey, 
        the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, and the Director 
        of the Minerals Management Service.

``SEC. 4. METHANE HYDRATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--
            ``(1) Commencement of program.--Not later than 90 days 
        after the date of the enactment of the Methane Hydrate Research 
        and Development Reauthorization Act of 2005, the Secretary, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of 
        Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Director, shall 
        commence a program of methane hydrate research and development 
        in accordance with this section.
            ``(2) Designations.--The Secretary, the Secretary of 
        Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the 
        Interior, and the Director shall designate individuals to carry 
        out this section.
            ``(3) Coordination.--The individual designated by the 
        Secretary shall coordinate all activities within the Department 
        of Energy relating to methane hydrate research and development.
            ``(4) Meetings.--The individuals designated under paragraph 
        (2) shall meet not later than 180 days after the date of the 
        enactment of the Methane Hydrate Research and Development 
        Reauthorization Act of 2005 and not less frequently than every 
        180 days thereafter to--
                    ``(A) review the progress of the program under 
                paragraph (1); and
                    ``(B) coordinate interagency research and 
                partnership efforts in carrying out the program.
    ``(b) Grants, Contracts, Cooperative Agreements, Interagency Funds 
Transfer Agreements, and Field Work Proposals.--
            ``(1) Assistance and coordination.--In carrying out the 
        program of methane hydrate research and development authorized 
        by this section, the Secretary may award grants to, or enter 
        into contracts or cooperative agreements with, institutions of 
        higher education and industrial enterprises to--
                    ``(A) conduct basic and applied research to 
                identify, explore, assess, and develop methane hydrate 
                as a commercially viable source of energy;
                    ``(B) identify methane hydrate resources through 
                remote sensing;
                    ``(C) acquire and reprocess seismic data suitable 
                for characterizing methane hydrate accumulations;
                    ``(D) assist in developing technologies required 
                for efficient and environmentally sound development of 
                methane hydrate resources;
                    ``(E) promote education and training in methane 
                hydrate resource research and resource development 
                through fellowships or other means for graduate 
                education and training;
                    ``(F) conduct basic and applied research to assess 
                and mitigate the environmental impact of hydrate 
                degassing (including both natural degassing and 
                degassing associated with commercial development);
                    ``(G) develop technologies to reduce the risks of 
                drilling through methane hydrates; and
                    ``(H) conduct exploratory drilling, well testing, 
                and production testing operations on permafrost and 
                non-permafrost gas hydrates in support of the 
                activities authorized by this paragraph, including 
                drilling of 1 or more full-scale production test wells.
            ``(2) Competitive peer review.--Funds made available under 
        paragraph (1) shall be made available based on a competitive 
        process using external scientific peer review of proposed 
        research.
    ``(c) Methane Hydrates Advisory Panel.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish an 
        advisory panel (including the hiring of appropriate staff) 
        consisting of representatives of industrial enterprises, 
        institutions of higher education, oceanographic institutions, 
        State agencies, and environmental organizations with knowledge 
        and expertise in the natural gas hydrates field, to--
                    ``(A) assist in developing recommendations and 
                broad programmatic priorities for the methane hydrate 
                research and development program carried out under 
                subsection (a)(1);
                    ``(B) provide scientific oversight for the methane 
                hydrates program, including assessing progress toward 
                program goals, evaluating program balance, and 
                providing recommendations to enhance the quality of the 
                program over time; and
                    ``(C) not later than 2 years after the date of the 
                enactment of the Methane Hydrate Research and 
                Development Reauthorization Act of 2005, and at such 
                later dates as the panel considers advisable, submit to 
                Congress--
                            ``(i) an assessment of the methane hydrate 
                        research program; and
                            ``(ii) an assessment of the 5-year research 
                        plan of the Department of Energy.
            ``(2) Conflicts of interest.--In appointing each member of 
        the advisory panel established under paragraph (1), the 
        Secretary shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that 
        the appointment of the member does not pose a conflict of 
        interest with respect to the duties of the member under this 
        Act.
            ``(3) Meetings.--The advisory panel shall--
                    ``(A) hold the initial meeting of the advisory 
                panel not later than 180 days after the date of 
                establishment of the advisory panel; and
                    ``(B) meet biennially thereafter.
            ``(4) Coordination.--The advisory panel shall coordinate 
        activities of the advisory panel with program managers of the 
        Department of Energy at appropriate national laboratories
    ``(d) Construction Costs.--None of the funds made available to 
carry out this section may be used for the construction of a new 
building or the acquisition, expansion, remodeling, or alteration of an 
existing building (including site grading and improvement and architect 
fees).
    ``(e) Responsibilities of the Secretary.--In carrying out 
subsection (b)(1), the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) facilitate and develop partnerships among government, 
        industrial enterprises, and institutions of higher education to 
        research, identify, assess, and explore methane hydrate 
        resources;
            ``(2) undertake programs to develop basic information 
        necessary for promoting long-term interest in methane hydrate 
        resources as an energy source;
            ``(3) ensure that the data and information developed 
        through the program are accessible and widely disseminated as 
        needed and appropriate;
            ``(4) promote cooperation among agencies that are 
        developing technologies that may hold promise for methane 
        hydrate resource development;
            ``(5) report annually to Congress on the results of actions 
        taken to carry out this Act; and
            ``(6) ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, greater 
        participation by the Department of Energy in international 
        cooperative efforts.

``SEC. 5. NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL STUDY.

    ``(a) Agreement for Study.--The Secretary shall offer to enter into 
an agreement with the National Research Council under which the 
National Research Council shall--
            ``(1) conduct a study of the progress made under the 
        methane hydrate research and development program implemented 
        under this Act; and
            ``(2) make recommendations for future methane hydrate 
        research and development needs.
    ``(b) Report.--Not later than September 30, 2009, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report containing the findings and 
recommendations of the National Research Council under this section.

``SEC. 6. REPORTS AND STUDIES FOR CONGRESS.

    ``The Secretary shall provide to the Committee on Science of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate copies of any report or study that the 
Department of Energy prepares at the direction of any committee of 
Congress.

``SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this Act, to remain available until expended--
            ``(1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
            ``(2) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;
            ``(3) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
            ``(4) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
            ``(5) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.''.
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