[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 5, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7075-S7076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BINGAMAN:
  S. 1543. A bill to establish a national geothermal initiative to 
encourage increased production of energy from geothermal resources, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to be able to introduce the 
National Geothermal Initiative Act of 2007, along with my cosponsors, 
Senators Reid, Murkowski, Stevens, Salazar, Tester, and Snowe. This 
bipartisan bill establishes a national goal where at least 20 percent 
of the total electrical energy production in the United States should 
be from geothermal resources by 2030. Under the National Geothermal 
Initiative, the national goal will be accomplished by establishing and 
carrying out new programs for geothermal research, development, 
demonstration, and commercial application. This act also extends an 
ongoing study being conducted by the United States Geological Survey to 
characterize the complete geothermal resource base for use in future 
geothermal energy development. Finally, the act will provide 
international market support for geothermal energy development. It is 
critical with ever increasing energy demands that new energy solutions 
are continually developed and explored. With continued research, 
development, demonstration, and deployment of new technologies, 
geothermal energy holds great promise as a growing renewable energy 
source.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection the text was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1543

       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 ``National Geothermal 
     Initiative Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) domestic geothermal resources have the potential to 
     provide vast amounts of clean, renewable, and reliable energy 
     to the United States;
       (2) Federal policies and programs are critical to achieving 
     the potential of those resources;
       (3) Federal tax policies should be modified to 
     appropriately support the longer lead-times of geothermal 
     facilities and address the high risks of geothermal 
     exploration and development;
       (4) sustained and expanded research programs are needed--
       (A) to support the goal of increased energy production from 
     geothermal resources; and
       (B) to develop the technologies that will enable commercial 
     production of energy from more geothermal resources;
       (5) a comprehensive national resource assessment is needed 
     to support policymakers and industry needs;
       (6) a national exploration and development technology and 
     information center should be established to support the 
     achievement of increased geothermal energy production; and
       (7) implementation and completion of geothermal and other 
     renewable initiatives on public land in the United States is 
     critical, consistent with the principles and requirements of 
     the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
     1701 et seq.) and other applicable law.

     SEC. 3. NATIONAL GOAL.

       Congress declares that it shall be a national goal to 
     achieve 20 percent of total electrical energy production in 
     the United States from geothermal resources by not later than 
     2030.

     SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Initiative.--The term ``Initiative'' means the national 
     geothermal initiative established by section 5(a).
       (2) National goal.--The term ``national goal'' means the 
     national goal of increased energy production from geothermal 
     resources described in section 3.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Energy.

     SEC. 5. NATIONAL GEOTHERMAL INITIATIVE.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established a national 
     geothermal initiative under which the Federal Government 
     shall seek to achieve the national goal.
       (b) Federal Support and Coordination.--In carrying out the 
     Initiative, each Federal agency shall give priority to 
     programs and efforts necessary to support achievement of the 
     national goal to the extent consistent with applicable law.
       (c) Energy and Interior Goals.--
       (1) In general.--In carrying out the Initiative, the 
     Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior shall establish 
     and carry out policies and programs--
       (A) to characterize the complete geothermal resource base 
     (including engineered geothermal systems) of the United 
     States by not later than 2010;
       (B) to sustain an annual growth rate in the use of 
     geothermal power, heat, and heat pump applications of at 
     least 10 percent;
       (C) to demonstrate state-of-the-art energy production from 
     the full range of geothermal resources in the United States;
       (D) to achieve new power or commercial heat production from 
     geothermal resources in at least 25 States; and
       (E) to develop the tools and techniques to construct an 
     engineered geothermal system power plant.
       (2) Report to congress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, and every 3 years thereafter, 
     the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior shall jointly 
     submit to the appropriate Committees of Congress a report 
     that describes--
       (A) the proposed plan to achieve the goals described in 
     paragraph (1); and
       (B) a description of the progress during the period covered 
     by the report toward achieving those goals.
       (d) Geothermal Research, Development, Demonstration, and 
     Commercial Application.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a program of 
     geothermal research, development, demonstration, outreach and 
     education, and commercial application to support the 
     achievement of the national goal.
       (2) Requirements of program.--In carrying out the 
     geothermal research program

[[Page S7076]]

     described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--
       (A) prioritize funding for the discovery and 
     characterization of geothermal resources;
       (B) expand funding for cost-shared drilling;
       (C)(i) establish, at a national laboratory or university 
     research center selected by the Secretary, a national 
     geothermal exploration research and information center;
       (ii) support development and application of new exploration 
     and development technologies through the center; and
       (iii) in cooperation with the Secretary of the Interior, 
     disseminate geological and geophysical data to support 
     geothermal exploration activities through the center.
       (D) support cooperative programs with and among States, 
     including with the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy, 
     the Intermountain West Geothermal Consortium, and other 
     similar State and regional initiatives, to expand knowledge 
     of the geothermal resource base of the United States and 
     potential applications of that resource base;
       (E) improve and advance high-temperature and high-pressure 
     drilling, completion, and instrumentation technologies 
     benefiting geothermal well construction;
       (F) demonstrate geothermal applications in settings that, 
     as of the date of enactment of this Act, are noncommercial;
       (G) research, develop, and demonstrate engineered 
     geothermal systems techniques for commercial application of 
     the technologies, including advances in--
       (i) reservoir stimulation;
       (ii) reservoir characterization, monitoring, and modeling;
       (iii) stress mapping;
       (iv) tracer development;
       (v) 3-dimensional tomography; and
       (vi) understanding seismic effects of deep drilling and 
     reservoir engineering; and
       (H) support the development and application of the full 
     range of geothermal technologies and applications.
       (3) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this 
     subsection--
       (A) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
       (B) $110,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 
     2012; and
       (C) for fiscal year 2013 and each fiscal year thereafter 
     through fiscal year 2030, such sums as are necessary.
       (e) Geothermal Assessment, Exploration Information, and 
     Priority Activities.--
       (1) Interior.--In carrying out the Initiative, the 
     Secretary of the Interior--
       (A) acting through the Director of the United States 
     Geological Survey, shall, not later than 2010--
       (i) conduct and complete a comprehensive nationwide 
     geothermal resource assessment that examines the full range 
     of geothermal resources in the United States; and
       (ii) submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a 
     report describing the results of the assessment; and
       (B) in planning and leasing, shall consider the national 
     goal established under this Act.
       (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry 
     out this subsection--
       (A) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
       (B) $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 to 2012; and
       (C) for fiscal year 2013 and each fiscal year thereafter 
     through fiscal year 2030, such sums as are necessary.

     SEC. 6. INTERMOUNTAIN WEST GEOTHERMAL CONSORTIUM.

       Section 237 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
     15874) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section--
       ``(1) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 
     2013; and
       ``(2) such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 
     2014 through 2020.''.

     SEC. 7. INTERNATIONAL MARKET SUPPORT FOR GEOTHERMAL ENERGY 
                   DEVELOPMENT.

       (a) United States Agency for International Development.--
     The United States Agency for International Development, in 
     coordination with other appropriate Federal and multilateral 
     agencies, shall support international and regional 
     development to promote the use of geothermal resources, 
     including (as appropriate) the African Rift Geothermal 
     Development Facility.
       (b) United States Trade and Development Agency.--The United 
     States Trade and Development Agency shall support the 
     Initiative by--
       (1) encouraging participation by United States firms in 
     actions taken to carry out subsection (a); and
       (2) providing grants and other financial support for 
     feasibility and resource assessment studies.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out 
     this section.
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