II 110th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3133 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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Responsible Ownership of Public Land Act.
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.
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.
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.).