[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 119 (Monday, June 29, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3712-S3713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2264. Mr. CASSIDY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill S. 4049, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:
SEC. 10__. NATURAL GAS CARBON CAPTURE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT,
AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Subtitle F of title IX of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16291 et seq.) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 969. NATURAL GAS CARBON CAPTURE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT,
AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Commercially viable technology.--The term
`commercially viable technology' means technology that has
the potential to be successfully deployed and compete
effectively in the marketplace at an appropriate size or
scale.
``(2) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means an
entity that documents to the satisfaction of the Secretary
that--
``(A) the entity is financially responsible; and
``(B) the entity will provide sufficient information to the
Secretary to enable the Secretary to ensure that any funds
awarded to the entity are spent efficiently and effectively.
``(3) Natural gas.--The term `natural gas' means any fuel
consisting in whole or in part of--
``(A) natural gas;
``(B) liquid petroleum gas;
``(C) synthetic gas derived from petroleum or natural gas
liquids;
``(D) any mixture of natural gas and synthetic gas; or
``(E) biomethane.
``(4) Natural gas-generated power.--The term `natural gas-
generated power' means--
``(A) electric energy generated through the use of natural
gas; and
``(B) the generation of hydrogen from natural gas.
``(5) Program.--The term `program' means the program
established under subsection (b)(1).
``(6) Qualifying electric generation facility.--
``(A) In general.--The term `qualifying electric generation
facility' means a facility that generates electric energy
using natural gas as the fuel.
``(B) Inclusions.--The term `qualifying electric generation
facility' includes a new or existing--
``(i) simple cycle plant;
``(ii) combined cycle plant;
``(iii) combined heat and power plant;
``(iv) steam methane reformer that produces hydrogen from
natural gas for use in the production of electric energy; or
``(v) facility that uses natural gas as the fuel for
generating electric energy.
``(7) Qualifying technology.--The term `qualifying
technology' means any commercially viable technology, as
determined by the Secretary, for the capture of carbon
dioxide produced during the generation of natural gas-
generated power.
``(b) Establishment of Research, Development, and
Demonstration Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a program
of research, development, and demonstration of qualifying
technologies for use by qualifying electric generation
facilities.
``(2) Objectives.--The objectives of the program shall be--
``(A) to identify opportunities to accelerate the
development and commercial applications of qualifying
technologies to reduce the quantity of carbon dioxide
emissions released from qualifying electric generation
facilities;
``(B) to enter into cooperative agreements with eligible
entities to expedite and carry out demonstration projects
(including pilot projects) for qualifying technologies for
use by qualifying electric generation facilities to
demonstrate the technical and commercial viability of those
qualifying technologies for commercial deployment; and
``(C) to identify any barriers to the commercial deployment
of any qualifying technologies under development.
``(3) Participation of national laboratories, universities,
and research facilities.--The program may include the
participation of--
``(A) National Laboratories;
``(B) institutions of higher education;
``(C) research facilities; or
``(D) other appropriate entities.
``(4) Cooperative agreements.--
``(A) In general.--In carrying out the program, the
Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with eligible
entities to carry out research, development, and
demonstration projects for qualifying technologies.
``(B) Applications; proposals.--An eligible entity desiring
to enter into a cooperative agreement under this paragraph
shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary
may require.
``(c) Carbon Capture Facilities Demonstration Program.--
``(1) Establishment.--As part of the program, the Secretary
shall establish a demonstration program under which the
Secretary shall enter into cooperative agreements with
eligible entities for demonstration or pilot projects to
license, permit, construct, and operate, by not later than
September 30, 2025, 3 or more facilities to capture carbon
dioxide from qualifying electric generation facilities.
``(2) Goals.--Each demonstration or pilot project under the
demonstration program shall--
``(A) be designed to further the development of qualifying
technologies that may be used by a qualifying electric
generation facility;
``(B) be financed in part by the private sector;
``(C) if necessary, secure agreements for the offtake of
the majority of the carbon dioxide emissions captured by
qualifying technologies during the project; and
``(D) support energy production in the United States.
``(3) Request for applications.--Not later than 120 days
after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary
shall solicit applications for cooperative agreements for
projects--
``(A) to demonstrate qualifying technologies at 3 or more
qualifying electric generation facilities;
``(B) to obtain any license or permit from a State or
Federal agency that is necessary for the construction of 3 or
more facilities to capture carbon dioxide from a qualifying
electric generation facility; and
``(C) to construct and operate 3 or more facilities to
capture carbon dioxide from a qualifying electric generation
facility.
``(4) Review of applications.--In reviewing applications
submitted under paragraph (3), the Secretary, to the maximum
extent practicable, shall--
``(A) ensure a broad geographic distribution of project
sites;
``(B) ensure that a broad selection of qualifying electric
generation facilities are represented;
``(C) ensure that a broad selection of qualifying
technologies are represented; and
``(D) leverage existing--
``(i) public-private partnerships; and
``(ii) Federal resources.
``(d) Cost Sharing.--In carrying out this section, the
Secretary shall require cost sharing in accordance with
section 988.
``(e) Fee Title.--The Secretary may vest fee title or other
property interests acquired under cooperative agreements
entered into under subsection (b)(4) in any entity, including
the United States.
[[Page S3713]]
``(f) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on
which the Secretary solicits applications under subsection
(c)(3), and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit
to the appropriate committees of jurisdiction of the Senate
and the House of Representatives a report that--
``(1) with respect to subsections (b) and (c), includes
recommendations for any legislative changes needed to improve
the implementation of those subsections;
``(2) with respect to subsection (b), includes--
``(A) a detailed description of how applications for
cooperative agreements under paragraph (4) of that subsection
will be solicited and evaluated, including--
``(i) a list of any activities carried out by the Secretary
to solicit or evaluate applications; and
``(ii) a process for ensuring that any projects carried out
under a cooperative agreement are designed to result in the
development or demonstration of qualifying technologies;
``(B) a detailed list of technical milestones for each
qualifying technology pursued under that subsection;
``(C) a detailed description of how each project carried
out pursuant to a cooperative agreement under paragraph (4)
of that subsection will meet the milestones for carbon
capture described in the September 2017 report of the Office
of Fossil Energy entitled `Accelerating Breakthrough
Innovation in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage'; and
``(D) an affirmation from the Secretary that all recipients
of funding under that subsection are eligible entities; and
``(3) with respect to the demonstration program established
under subsection (c), includes--
``(A) an estimate of the cost of licensing, permitting,
constructing, and operating each carbon capture facility
expected to be constructed under that demonstration program;
``(B) a schedule for--
``(i) obtaining any license or permit necessary to
construct and operate each carbon capture facility expected
to be constructed; and
``(ii) constructing each facility; and
``(C) an estimate of any financial assistance,
compensation, or incentives proposed to be paid by the host
State, Indian Tribe, or local government with respect to each
facility.
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section
$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2025.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58; 119 Stat. 600)
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
968 the following:
``Sec. 969. Natural gas carbon capture research, development, and
demonstration program.''.
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