1.
This Act may be cited as the
Methane Hydrate Research and
Development Reauthorization Act of 2005
.
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:
1.
This Act may be cited as the
Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000
.
2.
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.
3.
In this Act:
(1)
The term
contract means a procurement contract within the meaning of
section 6303 of title 31, United States Code.
(2)
The term cooperative
agreement means a cooperative agreement within the meaning of section
6305 of title 31, United States Code.
(3)
The term
Director means the Director of the National Science
Foundation.
(4)
The term grant
means a grant awarded under a grant agreement (within the meaning of section
6304 of title 31, United States Code).
(5)
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)
The term
Secretary means the Secretary of Energy, acting through the
Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy.
(8)
The term Secretary of
Commerce means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(9)
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.
4.
Methane hydrate research and development program
(a)
(1)
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)
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)
The individual designated
by the Secretary shall coordinate all activities within the Department of
Energy relating to methane hydrate research and development.
(4)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
The advisory panel shall
coordinate activities of the advisory panel with program managers of the
Department of Energy at appropriate national laboratories
(d)
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.
5.
National Research Council study
(a)
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)
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.
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.
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.
.