[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 17 (Thursday, January 28, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S355]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3044. Mr. MANCHIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
to amendment SA 2953 proposed by Ms. Murkowski to the bill S. 2012, to
provide for the modernization of the energy policy of the United
States, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table;
as follows:
Beginning on page 304, strike line 11 and all that follows
through page 311, line 7, and insert the following:
(b) Establishment of Coal Technology Program.--The Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (as amended by subsection (a)) is amended
by inserting after section 961 (42 U.S.C. 16291) the
following:
``SEC. 962. COAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Large-scale pilot project.--The term `large-scale
pilot project' means a pilot project that--
``(A) represents the scale of technology development beyond
laboratory development and bench scale testing, but not yet
advanced to the point of being tested under real operational
conditions at commercial scale;
``(B) represents the scale of technology necessary to gain
the operational data needed to understand the technical and
performance risks of the technology before the application of
that technology at commercial scale or in commercial-scale
demonstration; and
``(C) is large enough--
``(i) to validate scaling factors; and
``(ii) to demonstrate the interaction between major
components so that control philosophies for a new process can
be developed and enable the technology to advance from large-
scale pilot plant application to commercial-scale
demonstration or application.
``(2) Net-negative carbon dioxide emissions project.--The
term `net-negative carbon dioxide emissions project' means a
project--
``(A) that employs a technology for thermochemical
coconversion of coal and biomass fuels that--
``(i) uses a carbon capture system; and
``(ii) with carbon dioxide removal, can provide
electricity, fuels, or chemicals with net-negative carbon
dioxide emissions from production and consumption of the end
products, while removing atmospheric carbon dioxide;
``(B) that will proceed initially through a large-scale
pilot project for which front-end engineering will be
performed for bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite coals;
and
``(C) through which each use of coal will be combined with
the use of a regionally indigenous form of biomass energy,
provided on a renewable basis, that is sufficient in quantity
to allow for net-negative emissions of carbon dioxide (in
combination with a carbon capture system), while avoiding
impacts on food production activities.
``(3) Program.--The term `program' means the program
established under subsection (b)(1).
``(4) Transformational technology.--
``(A) In general.--The term `transformational technology'
means a power generation technology that represents an
entirely new way to convert energy that will enable a step
change in performance, efficiency, and cost of electricity as
compared to the technology in existence on the date of
enactment of this section.
``(B) Inclusions.--The term `transformational technology'
includes a broad range of technology improvements,
including--
``(i) thermodynamic improvements in energy conversion and
heat transfer, including--
``(I) oxygen combustion;
``(II) chemical looping; and
``(III) the replacement of steam cycles with supercritical
carbon dioxide cycles;
``(ii) improvements in turbine technology;
``(iii) improvements in carbon capture systems technology;
and
``(iv) any other technology the Secretary recognizes as
transformational technology.
``(b) Coal Technology Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a coal
technology program to ensure the continued use of the
abundant, domestic coal resources of the United States
through the development of technologies that will
significantly improve the efficiency, effectiveness, costs,
and environmental performance of coal use.
``(2) Requirements.--The program shall include--
``(A) a research and development program;
``(B) large-scale pilot projects;
``(C) demonstration projects; and
``(D) net-negative carbon dioxide emissions projects.
``(3) Program goals and objectives.--In consultation with
the interested entities described in paragraph (4)(C), the
Secretary shall develop goals and objectives for the program
to be applied to the technologies developed within the
program, taking into consideration the following objectives:
``(A) Ensure reliable, low-cost power from new and existing
coal plants.
``(B) Achieve high conversion efficiencies.
``(C) Address emissions of carbon dioxide through high-
efficiency platforms and carbon capture from new and existing
coal plants.
``(D) Support small-scale and modular technologies to
enable incremental capacity additions and load growth and
large-scale generation technologies.
``(E) Support flexible baseload operations for new and
existing applications of coal generation.
``(F) Further reduce emissions of criteria pollutants and
reduce the use and manage the discharge of water in power
plant operations.
``(G) Accelerate the development of technologies that have
transformational energy conversion characteristics.
``(H) Validate geological storage of large volumes of
anthropogenic sources of carbon dioxide and support the
development of the infrastructure needed to support a carbon
dioxide use and storage industry.
``(I) Examine methods of converting coal to other valuable
products and commodities in addition to electricity.
``(4) Consultations required.--In carrying out the program,
the Secretary shall--
``(A) undertake international collaborations, as
recommended by the National Coal Council;
``(B) use existing authorities to encourage international
cooperation; and
``(C) consult with interested entities, including--
``(i) coal producers;
``(ii) industries that use coal;
``(iii) organizations that promote coal and advanced coal
technologies;
``(iv) environmental organizations;
``(v) organizations representing workers; and
``(vi) organizations representing consumers.
``(c) Report.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date
of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report describing the performance standards
adopted under subsection (b)(3).
``(2) Update.--Not less frequently than once every 2 years
after the initial report is submitted under paragraph (1),
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing
the progress made towards achieving the objectives and
performance standards adopted under subsection (b)(3).
``(d) Funding.--
``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out
this section, to remain available until expended--
``(A) $632,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through
2020; and
``(B) $582,000,000 for fiscal year 2021.
``(2) Allocations.--The amounts made available under
paragraph (1) shall be allocated as follows:
``(A) For activities under the research and development
program component described in subsection (b)(2)(A)--
``(i) $275,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through
2020; and
``(ii) $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2021.
``(B) For activities under the demonstration projects
program component described in subsection (b)(2)(C)--
``(i) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through
2020; and
``(ii) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2021.
``(C) Subject to paragraph (3), for activities under the
large-scale pilot projects program component described in
subsection (b)(2)(B), $285,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2017 through 2021.
``(D) For activities under the net-negative carbon dioxide
emissions projects program component described in subsection
(b)(2)(D), $22,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through
2021.
``(3) Cost sharing for large-scale pilot projects.--
Activities under subsection (b)(2)(B) shall be subject to the
cost-sharing requirements of section 988(b).''.
______