[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 24, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1006-S1007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3320. Mr. WYDEN 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:
Strike section 3009 and insert the following:
SEC. 3009. LARGE-SCALE GEOTHERMAL ENERGY.
Section 803 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of
2007 (42 U.S.C. 17282) is amended--
[[Page S1007]]
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``this section'' and
inserting ``paragraph (5)'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``this section'' and
inserting ``this subsection''; and
(C) in paragraph (3)--
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting
``or to receive a grant under subsection (c)'' after
``paragraph (1)''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``a grant under this
section'' and inserting ``a grant under this subsection or
subsection (c)'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (c) as paragraph (5), and
indenting appropriately;
(3) in paragraph (5) (as so redesignated), by striking
``this section'' and inserting ``this subsection''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Large-Scale Geothermal Energy.--
``(1) Purposes.--The purposes of this subsection are--
``(A) to improve the components, processes, and systems
used for geothermal heat pumps and the direct use of
geothermal energy; and
``(B) to increase the energy efficiency, lower the cost,
increase the use, and improve and demonstrate the
applicability of geothermal heat pumps to, and the direct use
of geothermal energy in, large buildings, commercial
districts, residential communities, and large municipal,
agricultural, or industrial projects.
``(2) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Direct use of geothermal energy.--The term `direct
use of geothermal energy' means systems that use water that
is at a temperature between approximately 38 degrees Celsius
and 149 degrees Celsius directly or through a heat exchanger
to provide--
``(i) heating to buildings; or
``(ii) heat required for industrial processes, agriculture,
aquaculture, and other facilities.
``(B) Geothermal heat pump.--The term `geothermal heat
pump' means a system that provides heating and cooling by
exchanging heat from shallow ground or surface water using--
``(i) a closed loop system, which transfers heat by way of
buried or immersed pipes that contain a mix of water and
working fluid; or
``(ii) an open loop system, which circulates ground or
surface water directly into the building and returns the
water to the same aquifer or surface water source.
``(C) Large-scale application.--The term `large-scale
application' means an application for space or process
heating or cooling for large entities with a name-plate
capacity, expected resource, or rating of 10 or more
megawatts, such as a large building, commercial district,
residential community, or a large municipal, agricultural, or
industrial project.
``(3) Program.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a program
of research, development, and demonstration for geothermal
heat pumps and the direct use of geothermal energy.
``(B) Areas.--The program may include research,
development, demonstration, and commercial application of--
``(i) geothermal ground loop efficiency improvements
through more efficient heat transfer fluids;
``(ii) geothermal ground loop efficiency improvements
through more efficient thermal grouts for wells and trenches;
``(iii) geothermal ground loop installation cost reduction
through--
``(I) improved drilling methods;
``(II) improvements in drilling equipment;
``(III) improvements in design methodology and energy
analysis procedures; and
``(IV) improved methods for determination of ground thermal
properties and ground temperatures;
``(iv) installing geothermal ground loops near the
foundation walls of new construction to take advantage of
existing structures;
``(v) using gray or black wastewater as a method of heat
exchange;
``(vi) improving geothermal heat pump system economics
through integration of geothermal systems with other building
systems, including providing hot and cold water and rejecting
or circulating industrial process heat through refrigeration
heat rejection and waste heat recovery;
``(vii) advanced geothermal systems using variable pumping
rates to increase efficiency;
``(viii) geothermal heat pump efficiency improvements;
``(ix) use of hot water found in mines and mine shafts and
other surface waters as the heat exchange medium;
``(x) heating of districts, neighborhoods, communities,
large commercial or public buildings (including office,
retail, educational, government, and institutional buildings
and multifamily residential buildings and campuses), and
industrial and manufacturing facilities;
``(xi) geothermal system integration with solar thermal
water heating or cool roofs and solar-regenerated desiccants
to balance loads and use building hot water to store
geothermal energy;
``(xii) use of hot water coproduced from oil and gas
recovery;
``(xiii) use of water sources at a temperature of less than
150 degrees Celsius for direct use;
``(xiv) system integration of direct use with geothermal
electricity production; and
``(xv) coproduction of heat and power, including on-site
use.
``(C) Environmental impacts.--In carrying out the program,
the Secretary shall identify and mitigate potential
environmental impacts in accordance with section 614(c).
``(4) Grants.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall make grants
available to State and local governments, institutions of
higher education, nonprofit entities, utilities, and for-
profit companies (including manufacturers of heat-pump and
direct-use components and systems) to promote the development
of geothermal heat pumps and the direct use of geothermal
energy.
``(B) Priority.--In making grants under this paragraph, the
Secretary shall give priority to proposals that apply to
large buildings (including office, retail, educational,
government, institutional, and multifamily residential
buildings and campuses and industrial and manufacturing
facilities), commercial districts, and residential
communities.
``(C) National solicitation.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall
conduct a national solicitation for applications for grants
under this paragraph.
``(5) Reports.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this subsection and annually thereafter, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology of the House of Representatives a report on
progress made and results obtained under this subsection to
develop geothermal heat pumps and direct use of geothermal
energy.
``(B) Areas.--Each of the reports required under this
paragraph shall include--
``(i) an analysis of progress made in each of the areas
described in paragraph (3)(B); and
``(ii)(I) a description of any relevant recommendations
made during a review of the program; and
``(II) any plans to address the recommendations under
subclause (I).''.
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