To ensure consideration of water intensity in the Department of Energy's energy research, development, and demonstration programs to help guarantee efficient, reliable, and sustainable delivery of energy and clean water resources.

Summary: Energy and Water Research Integration Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to integrate water considerations into energy research, development, and demonstration programs and projects of the Department of Energy (DOE), to: (1) advance energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices that meet the objectives of minimizing freshwater withdrawal and consumption, increasing water use efficiency, and utilizing nontraditional water sources with efforts to improve the quality of water from those sources; (2) consider the effects climate variability and change may have on water supplies and quality for energy generation and fuel production; and (3) improve understanding of the energy required to provide reliable water supplies and the water required to provide reliable energy supplies throughout the United States (energy-water nexus). Requires the Secretary to develop, submit to Congress within nine months, and update every three years a Strategic Plan identifying the research, development, and demonstration needs of such programs and projects.

Requires the Secretary, in developing such Plan, to consider and incorporate relevant information and recommendations, including those of the National Water Availability and Use Assessment Program.

Directs the Secretary, in coordination with other relevant federal agencies, to establish an Energy-Water Architecture Council to promote and enable improved energy and water resource data collection, reporting, and technological innovation. Requires the Council to: (1) make recommendations on the development of data collection and communication standards and protocols to agencies and entities currently engaged in collecting the data for the energy-water nexus, (2) recommend ways to make improvements to federal water use data to increase understanding of trends in energy generation and fuel production, (3) recommend best practices for utilizing information from existing monitoring networks to provide nationally uniform water and energy use and infrastructure data, and (4) conduct annual technical workshops to facilitate information exchange among experts on technologies that encourage the conservation and efficient use of water and energy.

Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to require state, tribal, or local governments to take any action that may result in an increased financial burden by restricting their water use.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Energy and Water Research 
Integration Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. INTEGRATING ENERGY AND WATER RESEARCH.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall integrate water 
considerations into energy research, development, and demonstration 
programs and projects of the Department of Energy by--
            (1) advancing energy and energy efficiency technologies and 
        practices that meet the objectives of--
                    (A) minimizing freshwater withdrawal and 
                consumption;
                    (B) increasing water use efficiency; and
                    (C) utilizing nontraditional water sources with 
                efforts to improve the quality of the water from those 
                sources;
            (2) considering the effects climate variability and change 
        may have on water supplies and quality for energy generation 
        and fuel production; and
            (3) improving understanding of the energy-water nexus.
    (b) Strategic Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a strategic 
        plan identifying the research, development, and demonstration 
        needs for Department programs and projects to carry out 
        subsection (a). The strategic plan shall include technical 
        milestones for achieving and assessing progress toward the 
        objectives of subsection (a)(1).
            (2) Specific considerations.--In developing the strategic 
        plan, the Secretary shall consider--
                    (A) new advanced cooling technologies for energy 
                generation and fuel production technologies;
                    (B) performance improvement of existing cooling 
                technologies and cost reductions associated with using 
                those technologies;
                    (C) innovative water reuse, recovery, and treatment 
                technologies in energy generation and fuel production;
                    (D) technology development for carbon capture and 
                storage systems that utilize efficient water use design 
                strategies;
                    (E) technologies that are life-cycle cost 
                effective;
                    (F) systems analysis and modeling of issues 
                relating to the energy-water nexus;
                    (G) technologies to treat and utilize wastewater 
                and produced waters discharged from oil, natural gas, 
                coalbed methane, and any other substance to be used as 
                an energy source;
                    (H) advanced materials for the use of 
                nontraditional water sources for energy generation and 
                fuel production;
                    (I) biomass production and utilization and the 
                impact on hydrologic systems;
                    (J) technologies that reduce impacts on water from 
                energy resource development;
                    (K) energy efficient technologies for water 
                distribution and collection systems;
                    (L) technologies for energy generation from water 
                distribution and collection systems; and
                    (M) any other area of the energy-water nexus that 
                the Secretary considers appropriate.
            (3) Collaboration and nonduplication.--In developing the 
        strategic plan, the Secretary shall coordinate and avoid 
        duplication--
                    (A) with other Federal agencies operating related 
                programs, if appropriate; and
                    (B) across programs and projects of the Department, 
                including with those of the National Laboratories.
            (4) Relevant information and recommendations.--In 
        developing the strategic plan, the Secretary shall consider and 
        incorporate, as appropriate, relevant information and 
        recommendations, including those of the National Water 
        Availability and Use Assessment Program under section 9508(d) 
        of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C. 
        10368(d)).
            (5) Nongovernmental participation.--In developing the 
        strategic plan, the Secretary shall consult and coordinate with 
        a diverse group of representatives from research and academic 
        institutions and industry who have expertise in technologies 
        and practices relating to the energy-water nexus.
            (6) Submission to congress.--Not later than 9 months after 
        the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
        to Congress the strategic plan.
            (7) Updating the strategic plan.--Not later than 3 years 
        after the date of enactment of this Act, and at least once 
        every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall--
                    (A) utilize relevant information produced by 
                Federal Government agencies, academia, and industry to 
                update the strategic plan;
                    (B) include in the updated strategic plan a 
                description of the changes from the previous strategic 
                plan and the rationale for such changes; and
                    (C) submit the updated strategic plan to Congress.
    (c) Progress Reports.--Not less frequently than once every 2 years, 
the Secretary shall transmit to Congress a report on the progress the 
Department has made toward the milestones outlined in the strategic 
plan.
    (d) Additional Activities.--The Secretary may provide for such 
additional research, development, and demonstration activities as 
appropriate to integrate water considerations into the research, 
development, and demonstration activities of the Department as 
described in subsection (a).
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this section $60,000,000 
for each of the fiscal years 2013 through 2017.

SEC. 3. ENERGY-WATER ARCHITECTURE COUNCIL.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in coordination with other relevant 
Federal agencies, shall establish an Energy-Water Architecture Council 
to promote and enable improved energy and water resource data 
collection, reporting, and technological innovation. The Council shall 
consist of--
            (1) representation from each Federal agency that conducts 
        research related to the energy-water nexus; and
            (2) non-Federal members, including representatives of 
        research and academic institutions and industry, who have 
        expertise in technologies and practices relating to the energy-
        water nexus.
    (b) Functions.--The Council shall--
            (1) make recommendations on the development of data 
        collection and data communication standards and protocols to 
        agencies and entities currently engaged in collecting the data 
        for the energy-water nexus;
            (2) recommend ways to make improvements to Federal water 
        use data to increase understanding of trends in energy 
        generation and fuel production;
            (3) recommend best practices for utilizing information from 
        existing monitoring networks to provide nationally uniform 
        water and energy use and infrastructure data; and
            (4) conduct annual technical workshops, including at least 
        1 regional workshop annually, to facilitate information 
        exchange among Federal, regional, State, local, and tribal 
        governments and private sector experts on technologies that 
        encourage the conservation and efficient use of water and 
        energy.
    (c) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and at least once every 2 years thereafter, the Council, 
through the Secretary, shall transmit to Congress a report on its 
findings and activities under this section.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this section $2,000,000 
for each of the fiscal years 2013 through 2017.

SEC. 4. MANDATES.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require State, tribal, or 
local governments to take any action that may result in an increased 
financial burden to such governments by restricting the use of water by 
such governments.

SEC. 5. COORDINATION AND NONDUPLICATION.

    To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall coordinate 
activities under this Act with other programs of the Department and 
other Federal research programs.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the Energy-Water 
        Architecture Council established by section 3(a).
            (2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of Energy.
            (3) Energy-water nexus.--The term ``energy-water nexus'' 
        means the energy required to provide reliable water supplies 
        and the water required to provide reliable energy supplies 
        throughout the United States.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.