[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 689 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 689

  To promote the oil independence of the United States, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 30, 2011

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To promote the oil independence of the United States, 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 ``Energy Security Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the National 
        Energy Security Council established by section 4.
            (3) National energy security program.--The term ``national 
        energy security program'' means the national energy security 
        program established by section 3.
            (4) National oil independence goal.--The term ``national 
        oil independence goal'' means the national oil independence 
        goal established under section 3(c).
            (5) National oil independence plan.--The term ``national 
        oil independence plan'' means the national oil independence 
        plan established under section 3(d).

SEC. 3. NATIONAL ENERGY SECURITY PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Executive Office of 
the President the national energy security program.
    (b) Mission.--The mission of the national energy security program 
shall be to coordinate the activities and policies of the Federal 
Government to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that the 
United States meets--
            (1) goals for reducing oil dependence, oil imports, and oil 
        consumption; and
            (2) other energy policy goals, including goals for--
                    (A) enhancing the competitiveness of the United 
                States in clean energy technology;
                    (B) strengthening clean energy technology 
                manufacturing in the United States;
                    (C) reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and
                    (D) reducing hazardous pollutants.
    (c) National Oil Independence Goal.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), it is the goal 
        of the United States to reduce oil consumption by the quantity 
        that is equal to or greater than the quantity of oil imported 
        by the United States from outside of North America by calendar 
        year 2030 (as compared to the rate of oil consumption projected 
        for calendar year 2030 as of the date of enactment of this 
        Act).
            (2) Adjustments.--The President, in consultation with the 
        Council--
                    (A) may adjust the numeric goal for calendar year 
                2030 established under paragraph (1);
                    (B) shall ensure that any new goal established 
                under subparagraph (A) represents the maximum 
                practicable oil savings achievable, taking into account 
                other benefits of reducing oil consumption (including 
                economic, security, and environmental benefits) and 
                costs or other economic effects; and
                    (C) if any new goal established under subparagraph 
                (A) is lower than the goal established under paragraph 
                (1), shall establish an additional goal for reducing 
                oil consumption in the United Sates by a quantity that 
                is equal to or greater than the quantity of oil 
                imported by the United States from outside of North 
                America on the fastest timeline practicable, taking 
                into account other benefits of reducing oil consumption 
                (including economic, security, and environmental 
                benefits) and costs or other economic effects.
    (d) National Oil Independence Plan.--
            (1) In general.--The President, in coordination with the 
        Council and the Director of the Office of Management and 
        Budget, shall--
                    (A) develop a national oil independence plan that 
                describes programs and activities that will be 
                implemented to meet or exceed the national oil 
                independence goal and other goals established pursuant 
                to subsection (c);
                    (B) submit the national oil independence plan to 
                Congress not later than 180 days after the date of 
                enactment of this Act; and
                    (C) submit an updated national oil independence 
                plan to Congress every 2 years thereafter.
            (2) Review of federal policies, programs, and 
        authorities.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the President, in coordination with the 
        Council and the Director of the Office of Management and 
        Budget, shall review existing programs and authorities of the 
        Federal Government and other applicable policies (including tax 
        policies) to determine--
                    (A)(i) which programs, authorities, or policies 
                could be used to accelerate reductions in oil 
                dependence; and
                    (ii) any means by which the programs, authorities, 
                or policies--
                            (I) could be used to maximize reductions in 
                        oil dependence; or
                            (II) would require modification in order to 
                        be used to maximize reductions in oil 
                        dependence; and
                    (B)(i) which programs, authorities, or policies 
                have the effect of increasing oil consumption and oil 
                dependence or otherwise create barriers to reducing oil 
                consumption and oil dependence; and
                    (ii) the manner by which the programs, authorities, 
                or policies--
                            (I) have the effect of encouraging oil 
                        consumption or oil dependence or otherwise 
                        create barriers to reducing oil consumption and 
                        oil dependence; and
                            (II) could be modified or eliminated to 
                        help meet the goal of reducing oil consumption 
                        and oil dependence.
            (3) Contents.--At a minimum, the national oil independence 
        plan shall--
                    (A) describe the results and conclusions of the 
                review conducted under paragraph (2);
                    (B) as appropriate, include--
                            (i) the use of programs, authorities, or 
                        policies described in paragraph (2)(A); and
                            (ii) if existing authority allows, 
                        proposals to modify or eliminate programs, 
                        authorities, or policies described in paragraph 
                        (2)(B);
                    (C) include recommendations to Congress for 
                legislation that would further--
                            (i) promote reductions in oil consumption 
                        and oil dependence;
                            (ii) reduce barriers to reducing oil 
                        consumption and oil dependence; and
                            (iii) help meet the energy policy goals of 
                        the United States;
                    (D) include a timetable for achieving the national 
                oil independence goal, including interim targets on not 
                less than a biennial basis;
                    (E) a plan for coordinating actions across the 
                Federal Government to ensure, to the maximum extent 
                practicable, that the national oil independence goal is 
                met; and
                    (F) a timeline for issuing rules, Executive orders, 
                or other policy instruments that will implement the 
                recommendations contained the national oil independence 
                plan.
    (e) Annual Requests to Congress.--When submitting annual budget 
requests to Congress, the President shall include--
            (1)(A) requests for sufficient funding for such programs 
        the President considers appropriate to implement the national 
        oil independence plan; and
            (B) if the amount of funding is not sufficient to meet the 
        national oil independence goal, a description of the amount of 
        funding that would be necessary to meet the goal;
            (2)(A) requests for such additional authorities or changes 
        to existing laws or authorities as the President considers 
        appropriate in order to implement the national oil independence 
        plan; and
            (B) if the amount of funding is not sufficient to meet the 
        national oil independence goal, a description of such 
        additional authority or changes to existing laws or authorities 
        as would be necessary to meet the goal; and
            (3) a report on the oil consumption and imports of the 
        United States relative to the national oil independence goal 
        and the interim targets and timelines established in the 
        national oil independence plan.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL ENERGY SECURITY COUNCIL.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Executive Office of 
the President a National Energy Security Council.
    (b) Mission.--The mission of the Council shall be to assist and 
advise the President in--
            (1) establishing the national oil independence goal in 
        numeric terms of barrels per day of oil consumption, based on 
        the most recent consumption estimates by the Energy Information 
        Administration;
            (2) meeting the national oil independence goal;
            (3) developing the national oil independence plan and the 
        requests described in section 3(e);
            (4) coordinating the policies, programs, and activities of 
        the national energy security program in order to implement the 
        national oil independence plan and meet the national oil 
        independence goal; and
            (5) ensuring that policy decisions and programs are 
        consistent with the energy policy goals of the United States.
    (c) Membership.--The membership of the Council shall consist of--
            (1) the Secretary of Energy;
            (2) the Assistant to the President for National Security 
        Affairs;
            (3) the Secretary of Transportation;
            (4) the Administrator;
            (5) the Secretary of the Treasury;
            (6) the Director of the National Economic Council;
            (7) the Secretary of Agriculture;
            (8) the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality;
            (9) the Secretary of State; and
            (10) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
        Policy.
    (d) Chair.--The President shall act as Chair of the Council.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are necessary.
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