[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 3, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1336-S1337]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 1390. Mrs. SHAHEEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by her to the bill S. 2657, to support innovation in advanced
geothermal research and development, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle H of title I, insert the following:
SEC. 18__. RESEARCH AND DEPLOYMENT PLAN FOR ENHANCED
INTEGRATION OF CLEAN DISTRIBUTED ENERGY WITH
THE GRID.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) research by the Secretary and the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency has found that clean
distributed energy technologies can create important values
for both the host facility and the electric grid operator;
(2) the values described in paragraph (1) can include, for
the host facility--
(A) energy bill savings;
(B) additional revenue from offering ancillary services to
the electric grid operator;
(C) increased electric reliability in the event of grid
outages; and
(D) improved electric power quality;
(3) the values described in paragraph (1) can include, for
the electric grid operator--
(A) avoiding the need for transmission and distribution
upgrade investments;
(B) enhanced grid stability by providing reactive power;
(C) voltage and frequency stabilization; and
(D) more reliable and stable operation of the grid by
providing dispatchable energy to the grid during periods of
insufficient capacity or supply; and
(4) new advances in intelligent sensing and simulation and
control technologies offer the potential to enhance the
benefits of clean distributed generation to both the host
facility and the electric grid operator from dynamic,
adaptive, and anticipatory response to changing grid
conditions.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Ancillary service.--The term ``ancillary service''
means those services necessary to support the transmission of
electric power from seller to purchaser given the obligations
of control areas and transmitting utilities within those
control areas to maintain reliable operations of the
interconnected transmission system.
(2) Clean distributed energy.--The term ``clean distributed
energy'' means energy technologies that are located on or
near the customer site operating on the customer side of the
electric meter and are interconnected with the electric grid,
including--
(A) clean electric generation;
(B) customer electric efficiency measures;
(C) electric demand flexibility; and
(D) energy storage.
(3) Grid.--The term ``grid'' means the electric grid that
is composed of both distribution and transmission lines, and
associated facilities, including substations, sensors, and
operational controls.
(4) Intelligence.--The term ``intelligence'' means any
devices or technologies that manifest adaptive, anticipatory,
and dynamic optimization behavior.
(c) Research and Deployment Plan for Enhanced Integration
of Clean Distributed Energy With the Grid.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out efforts for
advancing the integration of clean distributed energy into
electric grids.
(2) Study and report on the status of grid integration.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, after consultation with
State public utility commissions, State energy offices,
regional transmission organizations, electric and natural gas
utilities, independent power producers, clean distributed
energy providers, public interest organizations, and other
appropriate stakeholders, shall conduct a study on the status
of integration of clean distributed energy into the grid,
identifying any issues that require additional research or
regulatory development.
(B) Inclusions.--In conducting the study under subparagraph
(A), the Secretary shall--
(i) identify and quantify the benefits to all stakeholders
of expanded integration of clean distributed energy resources
into the grid;
(ii) identify any technical issues (including cybersecurity
concerns) that require research to identify solutions; and
(iii) identify any regulatory barriers that inhibit the
expanded integration of clean distributed energy resources
into the grid.
(C) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress
a report describing the results of the study conducted under
subparagraph (A).
(D) Best practices.--Based on the findings of the report
described in subparagraph (C), the Secretary shall establish
and distribute to States best practices to encourage the
integration of clean distributed energy into the grid.
(E) Funding.--The Secretary shall use unobligated funds of
the Department to carry out this paragraph.
(3) Research into the technical barriers to the integration
of clean distributed energy with the grid.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall--
(i) issue a solicitation for research proposals to address
the technical barriers identified in the report submitted
under paragraph (2)(C); and
(ii) make grants to those applicants with research
proposals selected by the Secretary in accordance with
subparagraph (B).
(B) Criteria.--The Secretary shall select research
proposals to receive a grant under this paragraph on the
basis of merit, using criteria identified by the Secretary,
including the likelihood that the research results will
address critical barriers identified by the Secretary.
(C) Funding.--Beginning in the first full fiscal year
following the date of enactment of this Act, and annually
thereafter for 2 years, the Secretary may request funding as
necessary to carry out this paragraph, but in no case shall
funding exceed $5,000,000 in any 1 fiscal year.
(4) Creation of a stakeholder working group.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall convene a working
group (referred to in this paragraph as the ``Group'') to
address regulatory barriers to deployment of intelligent grid
integration of clean distributed energy technologies.
(B) Purpose.--The purpose of the Group is to provide
guidance on how to address the regulatory and economic
factors that limit widespread integration of grid-level clean
distributed energy use in order to advance the integration of
clean distributed energy into electric grids.
(C) Membership.--The Group shall be composed of--
(i) representatives from--
(I) State public utility commissions;
(II) State energy offices;
(III) regional transmission organizations;
(IV) electric and natural gas utilities;
(V) independent power producers;
(VI) clean distributed energy providers; and
(VII) public interest organizations; and
(ii) any other appropriate stakeholders determined by the
Secretary to have a material interest in the development,
implementation, siting, and integration of clean distributed
energy technology or systems into the electric grid.
(D) Duties.--The duties of the Group shall be--
(i) to review the regulatory barriers identified in the
report prepared by the Secretary under paragraph (2)(C);
(ii) to identify any additional regulatory barriers that
inhibit the installation of distributed energy; and
(iii) to recommend to the Secretary actions that should be
considered to remove the barriers identified under clauses
(i) and (ii).
(E) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare and submit
to Congress a report based on the recommendations of the
Group under subparagraph (D)(iii), to be made publicly
available.
(F) Funding.--The Secretary may request funding as
necessary to carry out this paragraph, but in no case shall
funding exceed $2,000,000 in any 1 fiscal year.
(5) Demonstrations of intelligent grid integration of clean
distributed energy systems.--
(A) In general.--Based on the findings in the reports
conducted under this subsection and not later than 3 years
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
issue a solicitation for demonstration of integration of
distributed energy resources into the grid.
(B) Eligible entities.--Any individual entity or group of
entities may submit to the Secretary proposals for
demonstration projects based on the solicitation described in
subparagraph (A), including--
(i) State and local agencies;
(ii) public institutions;
(iii) private companies;
(iv) electric and natural gas utilities; and
(v) equipment manufacturers.
(C) Grants authorized.--The Secretary may make grants, in
amounts not to exceed a total of $5,000,000, to eligible
entities to carry out demonstration projects, to be selected
based on--
(i) the technical merits of the demonstration project;
(ii) the likelihood that the demonstration project will
address critical barriers identified by the Secretary under
this subsection; and
(iii) the share of non-Federal funds for the demonstration
project.
(D) Funding.--Beginning in the third full fiscal year
following the date of enactment of this Act, and annually
thereafter for 3 years, the Secretary may request funding as
[[Page S1337]]
necessary to carry out this paragraph, but in no case shall
funding exceed $15,000,000 in any 1 fiscal year.
(6) Report.--The Secretary annually shall submit to
Congress a report that--
(A) describes the progress made in carrying out this
subsection; and
(B) identifies any technical or regulatory issues that
require legislative action.
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