Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Act of 2017

Summary: Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Act of 2017 This bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish and carry out a smart energy and water efficiency management pilot program to award grants to utilities, municipalities, water districts, Indian tribes or Alaska Native villages, and other water authorities for demonstrating advanced and innovative technology-based solutions that will:   increase the energy efficiency of water, wastewater, and water reuse systems;  improve those systems to help communities make significant progress in conserving water, saving energy, and reducing costs;  support the implementation of innovative processes and the installation of advanced automated systems that provide real-time data on energy and water; and improve energy and water conservation, water quality, and predictive maintenance of energy and water systems, through the use of Internet-connected technologies.  DOE must annually evaluate each grant project and make best practices identified in the evaluations available to the public.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Smart Energy and Water Efficiency 
Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. SMART ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY MANAGEMENT PILOT PROGRAM.

    Subtitle A of title IX of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
16191 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 918. SMART ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY MANAGEMENT PILOT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) a utility;
                    ``(B) a municipality;
                    ``(C) a water district;
                    ``(D) an Indian tribe or Alaska Native village; and
                    ``(E) any other authority that provides water, 
                wastewater, or water reuse services.
            ``(2) Pilot program.--The term `pilot program' means the 
        pilot program established under subsection (b)(1).
    ``(b) Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Management Pilot Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish and carry 
        out a smart energy and water efficiency management pilot 
        program in accordance with this section.
            ``(2) Purpose.--The purpose of the pilot program is to 
        award grants to eligible entities to demonstrate advanced and 
        innovative technology-based solutions that will--
                    ``(A) increase the energy efficiency of water, 
                wastewater, and water reuse systems;
                    ``(B) improve the energy efficiency of water, 
                wastewater, and water reuse systems to help communities 
                across the United States make significant progress in 
                conserving water, saving energy, and reducing costs;
                    ``(C) support the implementation of innovative 
                processes and the installation of advanced automated 
                systems that provide real-time data on energy and 
                water; and
                    ``(D) improve energy and water conservation, water 
                quality, and predictive maintenance of energy and water 
                systems, through the use of Internet-connected 
                technologies, including sensors, intelligent gateways, 
                and security embedded in hardware.
            ``(3) Project selection.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall make 
                competitive, merit-reviewed grants under the pilot 
                program to not less than 3, but not more than 5, 
                eligible entities.
                    ``(B) Selection criteria.--In selecting an eligible 
                entity to receive a grant under the pilot program, the 
                Secretary shall consider--
                            ``(i) energy and cost savings anticipated 
                        to result from the project;
                            ``(ii) the innovative nature, commercial 
                        viability, and reliability of the technology to 
                        be used;
                            ``(iii) the degree to which the project 
                        integrates next-generation sensors, software, 
                        hardware, analytics, and management tools;
                            ``(iv) the anticipated cost effectiveness 
                        of the project in terms of energy efficiency 
                        savings, water savings or reuse, and 
                        infrastructure costs averted;
                            ``(v) whether the technology can be 
                        deployed in a variety of geographic regions and 
                        the degree to which the technology can be 
                        implemented on a smaller or larger scale, 
                        including whether the technology can be 
                        implemented by each type of eligible entity;
                            ``(vi) whether the technology has been 
                        successfully deployed elsewhere;
                            ``(vii) whether the technology is sourced 
                        from a manufacturer based in the United States; 
                        and
                            ``(viii) whether the project will be 
                        completed in 5 years or less.
                    ``(C) Applications.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), 
                        an eligible entity seeking a grant under the 
                        pilot program shall submit to the Secretary an 
                        application at such time, in such manner, and 
                        containing such information as the Secretary 
                        determines to be necessary.
                            ``(ii) Contents.--An application under 
                        clause (i), at a minimum, shall include--
                                    ``(I) a description of the project;
                                    ``(II) a description of the 
                                technology to be used in the project;
                                    ``(III) the anticipated results, 
                                including energy and water savings, of 
                                the project;
                                    ``(IV) a comprehensive budget for 
                                the project;
                                    ``(V) the names of the project lead 
                                organization and any partners;
                                    ``(VI) the number of users to be 
                                served by the project;
                                    ``(VII) a description of the ways 
                                in which the proposal would meet 
                                performance measures established by the 
                                Secretary; and
                                    ``(VIII) any other information that 
                                the Secretary determines to be 
                                necessary to complete the review and 
                                selection of a grant recipient.
            ``(4) Administration.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 300 days after 
                the date of enactment of the Smart Energy and Water 
                Efficiency Act of 2017, the Secretary shall select 
                grant recipients under this section.
                    ``(B) Evaluations.--
                            ``(i) Annual evaluations.--The Secretary 
                        shall annually carry out an evaluation of each 
                        project for which a grant is provided under 
                        this section that meets performance measures 
                        and benchmarks developed by the Secretary, 
                        consistent with the purposes of this section.
                            ``(ii) Requirements.--Consistent with the 
                        performance measures and benchmarks developed 
                        under clause (i), in carrying out an evaluation 
                        under that clause, the Secretary shall--
                                    ``(I) evaluate the progress and 
                                impact of the project; and
                                    ``(II) assess the degree to which 
                                the project is meeting the goals of the 
                                pilot program.
                    ``(C) Technical and policy assistance.--On request 
                of a grant recipient, the Secretary shall provide 
                technical and policy assistance to the grant recipient 
                to carry out the project.
                    ``(D) Best practices.--The Secretary shall make 
                available to the public--
                            ``(i) a copy of each evaluation carried out 
                        under subparagraph (B); and
                            ``(ii) a description of any best practices 
                        identified by the Secretary as a result of 
                        those evaluations.
                    ``(E) Report to congress.--The Secretary shall 
                submit to Congress a report describing the results of 
                each evaluation carried out under subparagraph (B).
    ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $15,000,000, to remain 
available until expended.''.