[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 160 (Monday, October 22, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H11814-H11816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           ENERGY STORAGE TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT ACT OF 2007

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 3776) to provide for a research, development, 
and demonstration program by the Secretary of Energy to support the 
ability of the United States to remain globally competitive in energy 
storage systems for vehicles, stationary applications, and electricity 
transmission and distribution, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3776

       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 Storage Technology 
     Advancement Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       For purposes of this Act--
       (1) the term ``Department'' means the Department of Energy;
       (2) the term ``electric drive vehicle'' means--
       (A) a vehicle that uses an electric motor for all or part 
     of its motive power, including battery electric, hybrid 
     electric, plug-in hybrid electric, fuel cell, and plug-in 
     fuel cell vehicles, and rail transportation vehicles; or
       (B) mobile equipment that uses an electric motor to replace 
     an internal combustion engine for all or part of the work of 
     the equipment;
       (3) the term ``islanding'' means a distributed generator or 
     energy storage device continuing to power a location in the 
     absence of electric power from the primary source;
       (4) the term ``microgrid'' means an integrated energy 
     system consisting of interconnected loads and distributed 
     energy resources, including generators and energy storage 
     devices, which as an integrated system can operate in 
     parallel with the utility grid or in an intentional islanding 
     mode;
       (5) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Energy;
       (6) the term ``self-healing grid'' means a grid that is 
     capable of automatically anticipating and responding to power 
     system disturbances, including the isolation of failed 
     sections and components, while optimizing its own performance 
     and service to customers; and
       (7) the term ``spinning reserve services'' means an amount 
     of electric generating capacity in excess of the amount 
     needed to meet peak electric demand.

     SEC. 3. BASIC RESEARCH PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct a basic 
     research program to support the development of energy storage 
     systems for electric drive vehicles, stationary applications, 
     and electricity transmission and distribution, including 
     research on--
       (1) materials design;
       (2) materials synthesis and characterization;
       (3) electrolytes;
       (4) surface and interface dynamics;
       (5) modeling and simulation; and
       (6) thermal behavior and life degradation mechanisms.
       (b) Funding.--For activities carried out under this 
     section, in addition to funding activities at National 
     Laboratories, the Secretary shall award funds to, and 
     coordinate activities with, a range of stakeholders including 
     the public, private, and academic sectors.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this 
     section $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 
     2014.

     SEC. 4. APPLIED RESEARCH PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct an applied 
     research program on energy storage systems to support 
     electric drive vehicle, stationary application, and 
     electricity transmission and distribution technologies, 
     including research on--
       (1) ultracapacitors;
       (2) flywheels;
       (3) batteries and battery systems (including flow 
     batteries);
       (4) compressed air energy systems;
       (5) power conditioning electronics;
       (6) manufacturing technologies for energy storage systems;
       (7) thermal management systems; and
       (8) hydrogen as an energy storage medium.
       (b) Funding.--For activities carried out under this 
     section, in addition to funding activities at National 
     Laboratories, the Secretary shall award funds to, and 
     coordinate activities with, a range of stakeholders including 
     the public, private, and academic sectors.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this 
     section $80,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 
     2014.

     SEC. 5. ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS DEMONSTRATIONS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a program of 
     new demonstrations of advanced energy storage systems. These 
     demonstrations shall be regionally diversified and shall 
     expand on the Department's existing technology demonstration 
     program. These demonstrations should include the 
     participation of a range of stakeholders, such as rural 
     electric cooperatives, investor owned utilities, municipally 
     owned electric utilities, energy storage systems 
     manufacturers, electric drive vehicle manufacturers, the 
     renewable energy production industry, State or local energy 
     offices, the fuel cell industry, and universities. Each of 
     the demonstrations shall include one or more of the following 
     objectives:
       (1) Energy storage to improve the feasibility of ``micro-
     grids'' or ``islanding'', or the transmission and 
     distribution capability to improve reliability in rural 
     areas.
       (2) Integration of an energy storage system with a self-
     healing grid.
       (3) Use of energy storage to improve security to emergency 
     response infrastructure.
       (4) Integration with a renewable energy production source, 
     either at the source or away from the source.
       (5) Use of energy storage to provide ancillary services, 
     such as spinning reserve services, for grid management.
       (6) Advancement of power conversion systems to make them 
     smarter, more efficient, able to communicate with other 
     inverters, and able to control voltage.
       (7) Use of energy storage to optimize transmission and 
     distribution operation and power quality, which could address 
     overloaded lines and maintenance of transformers and 
     substations.
       (8) Use of advanced energy storage for peak load management 
     of homes, businesses, and the grid.
       (9) Use of energy storage devices to fill up nonpeak 
     generation periods for electricity demand to make better use 
     of existing grid assets.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this 
     section $30,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 
     2014.

     SEC. 6. VEHICLE ENERGY STORAGE DEMONSTRATION.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a program of 
     electric drive vehicle energy

[[Page H11815]]

     storage technology demonstrations. These technology 
     demonstrations shall be conducted through consortia, which 
     may include energy storage systems manufacturers and their 
     suppliers, electric drive vehicle manufacturers, rural 
     electric cooperatives, investor owned utilities, municipal 
     and rural electric utilities, State and local governments, 
     metropolitan transportation authorities, and universities. 
     The program shall demonstrate one or more of the following:
       (1) Novel, high capacity, high efficiency energy storage, 
     charging, and control systems, along with the collection of 
     data on performance characteristics such as battery life, 
     energy storage capacity, and power delivery capacity.
       (2) Advanced onboard energy management systems, and highly 
     efficient battery cooling systems.
       (3) Integration of such systems on a prototype vehicular 
     platform, including with drivetrain systems for passenger, 
     commercial, and nonroad electric drive vehicles.
       (4) New technologies and processes that reduce 
     manufacturing costs.
       (5) Integration of advanced vehicle technologies with 
     electricity distribution system and smart metering 
     technology.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this 
     section $30,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 
     2014.

     SEC. 7. SECONDARY APPLICATIONS AND DISPOSAL OF ELECTRIC DRIVE 
                   VEHICLE BATTERIES.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a program of 
     research, development, and demonstration of secondary 
     applications of energy storage devices following service in 
     electric drive vehicles, and of technologies and processes 
     for final recycling and disposal of these devices.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this 
     section $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 
     2014.

     SEC. 8. COORDINATION AND NONDUPLICATION.

        To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall 
     coordinate activities under this Act with other programs and 
     laboratories of the Department and other Federal research 
     programs.

     SEC. 9. COST SHARING.

       The Secretary shall carry out the programs under sections 6 
     and 7 in compliance with section 988 (a) through (d) and 
     section 989 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
     16352(a) through (d) and 16353).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California). Pursuant 
to the rule, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.

                              {time}  1645


                             General Leave

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3776, the bill now 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I am pleased that the House will consider today H.R. 
3776, the Energy Storage Technology Advancement Act. I would like to 
thank my colleagues on the Science and Technology Committee for their 
unanimous support in making this a good, bipartisan piece of 
legislation.
  In particular, I would like to thank my good friend and ranking 
member, Mr. Hall, for his interest in this field of research. In 
crafting H.R. 3776, I adopted several provisions from a bill Mr. Hall 
introduced earlier this year, and he and his staff have worked hard to 
make this a good bill.
  H.R. 3776 authorizes research, development and demonstration 
activities for energy storage technologies that offer a wide range of 
economic, environmental and security benefits.
  Stationary energy storage systems will bring efficiencies to the 
electric delivery system, will improve grid reliability and security, 
and can even help to postpone the need for additional, costly electric 
generation facilities.
  Energy storage technologies can also help to integrate renewable 
energy sources into the grid by making electricity from these 
intermittent resources more stable and reliable.
  Furthermore, advanced battery systems can revolutionize our 
transportation sector by allowing for more electric-drive vehicles, 
thus reducing our reliance on conventional transportation fuels.
  But unfortunately, we may be fast losing our ability to develop and 
manufacture these technologies at home. Through the collaborative 
public-private research, development and demonstration programs 
authorized in H.R. 3776, we can ensure that the United States 
establishes a robust domestic manufacturing base for these 
technologies.
  To truly transform the way we manage our energy use, we must do more 
than make incremental improvements to current technologies. Our 
economic and environmental security lies in our ability to deploy the 
next generation energy technologies. Advances in energy storage are 
vital to diversifying our energy supplies and transforming our 
transportation sector.
  Once again, I thank my colleagues on the Science and Technology 
Committee for working with me on this legislation, and I urge all 
Members to support the bill.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3776, the 
Energy Storage Technology Advancement Act, and I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Electricity is the lifeblood of our country. Without reliable 
electricity, our country would not be the world leader that it is 
today. Therefore, anything that can be done to improve and secure the 
reliability of the electric grid should be supported and encouraged. 
H.R. 3776 aims to do just that by focusing research and development on 
ways to store energy which would not only assist in reliability, but 
also efficiency of fuel use and security of not only our grid but also, 
in a broader sense, of our country.
  Energy storage would allow for the enhanced use of renewable energy 
such as wind and solar.
  Currently, the ability of wind energy and solar energy to contribute 
electricity to the electric grid is tied to when the wind is blowing or 
when the sun is shining, therefore, making these sources not as 
reliable as conventional sources of energy such as coal, natural gas 
and nuclear. With energy storage, excess generation that is unable to 
be used at the time of generation can be stored for use at a later 
time. This allows for wind and solar energy to be potential sources of 
base load generation.
  In addition to energy storage for stationary sources, there is also a 
promising field of energy storage for vehicles, the most recognizable 
example being batteries that would be used in plug-in hybrids. Plug-in 
hybrids would allow for a further decrease in transportation fuel 
consumption from conventional hybrids, thereby increasing our national 
security by decreasing our reliance on foreign sources of oil.
  H.R. 3776 addresses the battery obstacle by including a research and 
development program into batteries and battery systems and a 
demonstration program to prove the viability of the R&D.
  Madam Speaker, I'd like to thank the chairman of the Science and 
Technology Committee and sponsor of this bill for recognizing the 
importance of energy storage to our country's energy future and also 
for including portions of Ranking Member Hall's energy storage language 
that was included in H.R. 2483 and cosponsored by several members of 
the Science and Technology Committee.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, let me say there's no 
question that Mr. Hall played a major role in this, and I'm glad that 
we could have this type of, again, bipartisan unanimous bill.
  If my friend from Washington State has no other speakers, I have 
none.
  Mr. REICHERT. I have no further speakers, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3776, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to provide for 
research, development, and demonstration programs

[[Page H11816]]

in advanced energy storage systems for electric drive vehicles, 
stationary applications, and electricity transmission and distribution 
applications, to support the ability of the United States to remain 
globally competitive in this field, and to promote the efficient 
delivery and use of energy.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________