[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3133 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3133

    To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish an annual 
 production incentive fee with respect to Federal onshore and offshore 
 land that is subject to a lease for production of oil or natural gas 
 under which production is not occurring, to authorize use of the fee 
  for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 12, 2008

  Mr. Dodd (for himself, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Menendez) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish an annual 
 production incentive fee with respect to Federal onshore and offshore 
 land that is subject to a lease for production of oil or natural gas 
 under which production is not occurring, to authorize use of the fee 
  for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, 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 ``Responsible Ownership of Public Land 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Covered lease.--The term ``covered lease'' means a 
        lease for the production of oil or natural gas under which 
        production is not occurring.
            (2) Fee.--The term ``fee'' means the production incentive 
        fee established under section 3(a).
            (3) Fund.--The term ``Fund'' means the Energy Efficiency 
        and Renewable Energy Fund established by section 4(a).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 3. PRODUCTION INCENTIVE FEE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations to 
establish an annual production incentive fee with respect to Federal 
onshore and offshore land that is subject to a covered lease.
    (b) Applicability.--The fee shall apply to land that is subject to 
any covered lease that is in effect on, or issued after, the date on 
which final regulations are promulgated under subsection (a).
    (c) Amount.--For each acre of land subject to a covered lease from 
which oil or natural gas is produced for less than 90 days in a 
calendar year, the fee shall be equal to--
            (1) $5 per acre for the first 3 years of the covered lease 
        after the date of enactment of this Act;
            (2) $25 per acre for the fourth year of the covered lease 
        after the date of enactment of this Act; and
            (3) $50 per acre for the fifth year of the covered lease 
        and each year thereafter for which the covered lease is in 
        effect after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (d) Assessment and Collection.--The Secretary shall assess and 
collect the fee.
    (e) Regulations.--The Secretary may promulgate regulations to carry 
out this section, including prevention of evasion of the fee.

SEC. 4. ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of the 
United States a separate account, which shall be known as the ``Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund'', consisting of such amounts as 
are appropriated to the Fund under subsection (b).
    (b) Transfers to Fund.--There are appropriated to the Fund, out of 
funds of the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, amounts equivalent to 
amounts collected as fees and received in the Treasury under section 3.
    (c) Use.--Subject to appropriations, of the amounts in the Fund for 
each fiscal year--
            (1) $100,000,000 shall be made available for necessary 
        expenses for a program to accelerate the research, development, 
        demonstration, and deployment of solar energy technologies and 
        any public education and outreach materials under the program, 
        as authorized under section 931(a)(2)(A) of the Energy Policy 
        Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16231(a)(2)(A));
            (2) $65,000,000 shall be made available for necessary 
        expenses for a program to support the development of next-
        generation wind turbines, including turbines capable of 
        operating in areas with low wind speeds, as authorized under 
        section 931(a)(2)(B) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
        U.S.C. 16231(a)(2)(B));
            (3) $200,000,000 shall be transferred to the 
        ``Weatherization Assistance Program'' account, for a program to 
        weatherize low income housing, as authorized under section 411 
        of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (12 Stat. 
        1600) (and the amendments made by that section);
            (4) $70,000,000 shall be made available for necessary 
        expenses for a program to accelerate the research, development, 
        demonstration, and deployment of new technologies to improve 
        the energy efficiency of and reduce greenhouse gas emissions 
        from buildings, as authorized under--
                    (A) section 321(g) of the Energy Independence and 
                Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 6295 note; Public Law 
                110-140);
                    (B) section 422 of the Energy Independence and 
                Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17082); and
                    (C) section 912 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
                (42 U.S.C. 16192);
            (5) $30,000,000 shall be made available for necessary 
        expenses for a program to accelerate basic research on energy 
        storage systems to support electric drive vehicles, stationary 
        applications, and electricity transmission and distribution, as 
        authorized under section 641(f) of the Energy Independence and 
        Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17231(f));
            (6) $30,000,000 shall be made available for a program to 
        accelerate applied research on energy storage systems to 
        support electric drive vehicles, stationary applications, and 
        electricity transmission and distribution as authorized under 
        section 641(g) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 
        2007 (42 U.S.C. 17231(g));
            (7) $20,000,000 shall be made available for energy storage 
        systems demonstrations as authorized under section 641(i) of 
        the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 
        17231(i));
            (8) $20,000,000 shall be made available for vehicle energy 
        storage systems demonstrations as authorized under section 
        641(j) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 
        U.S.C. 17231(j));
            (9) $40,000,000 shall be made available for necessary 
        expenses for research, development, and demonstration on 
        advanced, cost-effective technologies to improve the energy 
        efficiency and environmental performance of vehicles, as 
        authorized under section 911(a)(2)(A) of the Energy Policy Act 
        of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16191(a)(2)(A));
            (10) $50,000,000 shall be made available for audits, 
        investigations, and environmental mitigation for oil and gas 
        production by the Department of Interior; and
            (11) the remainder shall be made available for use for the 
        low-income home energy assistance program established under the 
        Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621 
        et seq.).
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