[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1312 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1312

To modernize Federal policies regarding the supply and distribution of 
          energy in the United States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 12, 2015

Ms. Murkowski (for herself, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. 
 McCain, Mr. Corker, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Risch, Mr. Flake, Mrs. Capito, 
Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Rubio, and Mr. Lankford) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To modernize Federal policies regarding the supply and distribution of 
          energy in 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 Supply and Distribution Act 
of 2015''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to adopt certain recommendations of the Quadrennial 
        Energy Review of 2015;
            (2) to enhance the integration of energy markets;
            (3) to improve the collection of energy data and analysis; 
        and
            (4) to promote the production and distribution of energy in 
        the United States.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
     (a) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
Administrator of the Energy Information Administration.
    (b) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
Energy.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO DOMESTIC ENERGY.

    It is the sense of Congress that the production and distribution of 
energy in the United States requires access to infrastructure and 
markets.

SEC. 5. ENERGY SECURITY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary--
            (1) shall collaborate with the heads of other Federal 
        agencies to improve the conceptual development of energy 
        security; and
            (2) may consult with allies and key trading partners of the 
        United States with respect to energy security issues resulting 
        from changes in the energy marketplace.
    (b) Considerations.--At a minimum, the Secretary shall ensure that, 
as part of the collaboration required under subsection (a)(1), the 
following are considered:
            (1) The development of flexible, transparent, and 
        competitive energy markets, including natural gas and oil 
        markets
            (2) The diversification of energy fuels, sources, and 
        routes.
            (3) The encouragement of indigenous sources of energy 
        supply.

SEC. 6. SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE.

    The Secretary shall lead an interagency effort to improve and 
coordinate data collection and analytical and modeling capabilities for 
energy distribution on shared energy infrastructure.

SEC. 7. ENERGY MARKET INTEGRATION.

    The Secretary shall coordinate the training of, and enhanced 
dialogue among, technical staff in applicable Federal agencies that are 
responsible for evaluating and implementing cross-border energy 
projects.

SEC. 8. SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO HYDROCARBON PRODUCTION.

    It is the sense of Congress that, as stated in the Annual Energy 
Outlook of 2015 of the Energy Information Administration, growth in 
crude oil and dry natural gas production varies significantly across 
oil and natural gas supply regions--
            (1) forcing shifts in crude oil and natural gas flows 
        between regions of the United States; and
            (2) requiring investment in or realignment of pipelines and 
        other midstream infrastructure.

SEC. 9. ENERGY DATA COLLABORATION.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator shall collaborate with the 
appropriate officials in Canada and Mexico, as determined by the 
Administrator, to improve--
            (1) the quality and transparency of North American energy 
        data through reconciliation of data on energy trade flows among 
        the United States, Canada, and Mexico;
            (2) the extension of energy mapping capabilities in the 
        United States, Canada, and Mexico; and
            (3) the development of common energy data terminology among 
        the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
    (b) Periodic Updates.--The Administrator shall periodically inform 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives 
regarding--
            (1) the extent to which energy data is being shared under 
        subsection (a); and
            (2) whether forward-looking projections for regional energy 
        flows are improving in accuracy as a result of the energy data 
        sharing under that subsection.

SEC. 10. SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO PROCESSED CONDENSATE.

    It is the sense of Congress that processed condensate is a 
petroleum product.

SEC. 11. DEVELOPMENT OF DEFINITION OF CONDENSATE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) develop a standard definition of the term 
        ``condensate''; and
            (2) advise relevant Federal agencies to adopt that 
        definition for the purpose of clarifying energy policy in the 
        United States.
    (b) Office of Fossil Energy Assessment.--The Assistant Secretary 
for Fossil Energy may assess the suitability of condensate separately 
from crude oil for use in strategic reserves, as determined necessary 
by the Secretary.
    (c) Energy Information Administration Data Collection.--The 
Administrator may collect data regarding condensate and crude oil 
production in the United States.

SEC. 12. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR ASSESSMENTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior shall direct the 
appropriate agencies within the Department of the Interior to assess 
condensate separately from crude oil, in accordance with this section.
    (b) Office of Natural Resources Revenue.--The Director of the 
Office of Natural Resources Revenue may collect data regarding 
condensate separately from crude oil produced in the United States.
    (c) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.--The Director of the Bureau 
of Ocean Energy Management may estimate condensate separately from 
crude oil as part of the resource assessments regarding geological 
formations in the United States.
    (d) United States Geological Survey.--The Director of the United 
States Geological Survey may include estimates of condensate separately 
from crude oil as part of the resource assessments regarding geological 
formations in the United States.

SEC. 13. ACCESS TO MARKETS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, to 
promote the efficient exploration, production, storage, supply, and 
distribution of energy resources, any domestic crude oil or condensate 
(other than crude oil stored in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) may be 
exported without a Federal license to countries not subject to 
sanctions by the United States.
    (b) Savings Clause.--Nothing in this section limits the authority 
of the President under the Constitution, the International Emergency 
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the National Emergencies 
Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), or part B of title II of the Energy 
Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6271 et seq.) to prohibit 
exports.
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