[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1685 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1685
To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a program for the
research, development, and demonstration of commercially viable
technologies for the capture of carbon dioxide produced during the
generation of natural gas-generated power.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 23 (legislative day, May 22), 2019
Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Coons, and Ms. Sinema)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a program for the
research, development, and demonstration of commercially viable
technologies for the capture of carbon dioxide produced during the
generation of natural gas-generated power.
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 ``Launching Energy Advancement and
Development through Innovations for Natural Gas Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. NATURAL GAS CARBON CAPTURE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Subtitle F of title IX of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16291 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``SEC. 969. NATURAL GAS CARBON CAPTURE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means an
entity that documents to the satisfaction of the Secretary
that--
``(A) the entity is financially responsible; and
``(B) the entity will provide sufficient
information to the Secretary to enable the Secretary to
ensure that any funds awarded to the entity are spent
efficiently and effectively.
``(2) Natural gas.--The term `natural gas' means any fuel
consisting in whole or in part of--
``(A) natural gas;
``(B) liquid petroleum gas;
``(C) synthetic gas derived from petroleum or
natural gas liquids;
``(D) any mixture of natural gas and synthetic gas;
or
``(E) any product derived directly from natural
gas, including hydrogen.
``(3) Natural gas-generated power.--The term `natural gas-
generated power' means electric energy generated through the
use of natural gas.
``(4) Program.--The term `program' means the program
established under subsection (b)(1).
``(5) Qualifying electric generation facility.--
``(A) In general.--The term `qualifying electric
generation facility' means a facility that generates
electric energy using natural gas as the fuel.
``(B) Inclusions.--The term `qualifying electric
generation facility' includes--
``(i) a traditional natural gas plant;
``(ii) a simple cycle plant;
``(iii) a combined cycle plant;
``(iv) a combined heat and power plant; or
``(v) any other facility that uses natural
gas as the fuel for generating electric energy.
``(6) Qualifying technology.--The term `qualifying
technology' means any commercially viable technology, as
determined by the Secretary, for the capture of carbon dioxide
produced during the generation of natural gas-generated power.
``(b) Establishment of Research, Development, and Demonstration
Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a program
of research, development, and demonstration of qualifying
technologies for use by qualifying electric generation
facilities.
``(2) Objectives.--The objectives of the program shall be--
``(A) to identify opportunities to accelerate the
development and commercial applications of qualifying
technologies to reduce the quantity of carbon dioxide
emissions released from qualifying electric generation
facilities;
``(B) to enter into cooperative agreements with
eligible entities to expedite and carry out
demonstration projects (including pilot projects) for
qualifying technologies for use by qualifying electric
generation facilities to demonstrate the technical
feasibility and economic potential of those qualifying
technologies for commercial deployment; and
``(C) to identify any barriers to the commercial
deployment of any qualifying technologies under
development.
``(3) Participation of national laboratories, universities,
and research facilities.--The program may include the
participation of--
``(A) National Laboratories;
``(B) institutions of higher education;
``(C) research facilities; or
``(D) other appropriate entities.
``(4) Cooperative agreements.--
``(A) In general.--In carrying out the program, the
Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with
eligible entities to carry out research, development,
and demonstration projects for qualifying technologies.
``(B) Applications; proposals.--An eligible entity
desiring to enter into a cooperative agreement under
this paragraph shall submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may
require.
``(c) Carbon Capture Facilities Demonstration Program.--
``(1) Establishment.--As part of the program, the Secretary
shall establish a demonstration program under which the
Secretary shall enter into cooperative agreements with eligible
entities for demonstration or pilot projects to license,
permit, construct, and operate, by not later than September 30,
2025, three or more facilities to capture carbon dioxide from
qualifying electric generation facilities.
``(2) Goals.--Each demonstration or pilot project under the
demonstration program shall--
``(A) be designed to further the development of
qualifying technologies that may be used by a
qualifying electric generation facility;
``(B) be financed in part by the private sector;
``(C) if necessary, secure agreements for the
offtake of the majority of the carbon dioxide emissions
captured by qualifying technologies during the project;
and
``(D) support energy production in the United
States.
``(3) Request for applications.--Not later than 120 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
solicit applications for cooperative agreements for projects--
``(A) to demonstrate qualifying technologies at
three or more qualifying electric generation
facilities;
``(B) to obtain any license or permit from a State
or Federal agency that is necessary for the
construction of three or more facilities to capture
carbon dioxide from a qualifying electric generation
facility; and
``(C) to construct and operate three or more
facilities to capture carbon dioxide from a qualifying
electric generation facility.
``(4) Review of applications.--In reviewing applications
submitted under paragraph (3), the Secretary, to the maximum
extent practicable, shall--
``(A) ensure a broad geographic distribution of
project sites;
``(B) ensure that a broad selection of qualifying
electric generation facilities are represented;
``(C) ensure that a broad selection of qualifying
technologies are represented;
``(D) require information and knowledge gained by
each participant in the demonstration program to be
transferred and shared among--
``(i) all participants in the demonstration
program; and
``(ii) other interested parties; and
``(E) leverage existing--
``(i) public-private partnerships; and
``(ii) Federal resources.
``(d) Cost Sharing.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary
shall require cost sharing in accordance with section 988.
``(e) Fee Title.--The Secretary may vest fee title or other
property interests acquired under cooperative agreements entered into
under subsection (b)(4) in any entity, including the United States.
``(f) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which the
Secretary solicits applications under subsection (c)(3), and annually
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of
jurisdiction of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report
that--
``(1) with respect to subsections (b) and (c), includes
recommendations for any legislative changes needed to improve
the implementation of those subsections;
``(2) with respect to subsection (b), includes--
``(A) a detailed description of how applications
for cooperative agreements under paragraph (4) of that
subsection will be solicited and evaluated, including--
``(i) a list of any activities carried out
by the Secretary to solicit or evaluate
applications; and
``(ii) a process for ensuring that any
projects carried out under a cooperative
agreement are designed to result in the
development or demonstration of qualifying
technologies;
``(B) a detailed list of technical milestones for
each qualifying technology pursued under that
subsection;
``(C) a detailed description of how each project
carried out pursuant to a cooperative agreement under
paragraph (4) of that subsection will meet the
milestones for carbon capture described in the
September 2017 report of the Office of Fossil Energy
entitled `Accelerating Breakthrough Innovation in
Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage'; and
``(D) an affirmation from the Secretary that all
recipients of funding under that subsection are
eligible entities; and
``(3) with respect to the demonstration program established
under subsection (c), includes--
``(A) an estimate of the cost of licensing,
permitting, constructing, and operating each carbon
capture facility expected to be constructed under that
demonstration program;
``(B) a schedule for--
``(i) obtaining any license or permit
necessary to construct and operate each carbon
capture facility expected to be constructed;
and
``(ii) constructing each facility; and
``(C) an estimate of any financial assistance,
compensation, or incentives proposed to be paid by the
host State, Indian Tribe, or local government with
respect to each facility.
``(g) Funding.--For each of fiscal years 2020 through 2025, out of
any amounts appropriated to the Department to carry out fossil energy
research and development activities and not otherwise obligated, the
Secretary may use to carry out this section not more than
$50,000,000.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58; 119 Stat. 600) is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 968 the following:
``Sec. 969. Natural gas carbon capture research, development, and
demonstration program.''.
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