Sec. 262. Pioneering Energy Research
786 words·~4 min read·
/bill/113/hr/4869/ih/section-262·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary, in conjunction with the program consortium selected under subsection (d), shall establish and carry out a public-private partnership Pioneering Energy Research Program for research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of technologies to maximize domestic energy production, improve environmental stewardship, ensure domestic energy security, and maintain global energy leadership. The program under this section shall include research, development, demonstration, and commercial application on— natural gas and other petroleum resource exploration, production and consumption, including technologies and processes to improve well and pipeline integrity, improve understanding of fluid flow and storage, reduce surface footprints, and improve water management technologies in conventional and unconventional resources; alternative liquid transportation fuel activities, including integration of biomass and natural gas for transportation fuels production, cleaner fuels, renewable liquid fuels other than ethanol, natural gas vehicles, and other innovative fossil-based fuels; energy system risk management, optimization, resiliency, and integration; hydraulic fracturing and shale petroleum, including the establishment and continued operation of one or more Hydraulic Fracturing Test Sites to address efficiency, safety, and environmental sustainability of hydraulic fracturing and shale petroleum technologies; small producer technology challenges, including improving well integrity and efficiency; subsurface energy exploration and production, including geothermal energy; interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline and distribution system integrity management; and other domestic energy challenges as identified by the Secretary or the program consortium and included in the annual plan prepared under subsection (i).
The Secretary shall have ultimate responsibility for, and oversight of, all aspects of the program under this section. The Secretary may not assign any activities to the program consortium except as specifically authorized under this section. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall select the program consortium through an open, competitive process. 501(c)(3) status The Secretary shall not select a program consortium under this section unless such consortium is an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under such section 501(a) of such Code.
Upon approval of the Secretary, the program consortium shall— administer the program, to the extent provided under subsection (c); issue research project solicitations; make project awards to research performers; disburse research funds awarded under this section to research performers in accordance with the annual plan prepared under subsection (i); and carry out other activities assigned to the program consortium or as provided in the annual plan. To compensate the program consortium for carrying out its activities under this section, the Secretary shall provide to the program consortium up to 10 percent of the total appropriation for carrying out this section each fiscal year.
In carrying out this section, the Secretary and the program consortium shall promote coordination and cooperation among program offices at the Department. The Secretary, through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the National Energy Technology Laboratory, shall carry out research and other activities complementary to and supportive of the program authorized under this section. Up to 12.5 percent of appropriated program funds each fiscal year shall be for complementary research conducted by the National Energy Technology Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the program consortium shall develop, and transmit to the Secretary, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, a plan for activities under this section, including the distribution of Program funds, which shall be reviewed and approved within 60 days by the Secretary. The annual plan shall describe the ongoing and prospective activities of the program under this section and shall include a list of any solicitations for awards to carry out research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities, including specifics on the topics for such work, who would be eligible to apply, selection criteria, and the duration of awards.
Upon approval of the Secretary, the program consortium shall make awards to research performers to carry out research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities under this section. The program consortium shall oversee the implementation of awards under this subsection, consistent with the annual plan developed under subsection (i), including disbursing funds and monitoring activities carried out under such awards for compliance with the terms and conditions of the awards.
Nothing in subparagraph
(A)shall limit the authority or responsibility of the Secretary to oversee awards, or limit the authority of the Secretary to review or revoke awards. There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary, to remain available until expended, for carrying out this section— $50,000,000, to be derived from amounts appropriated under section 291(c); and $50,000,000, to be derived from amounts appropriated under section 291(d).