POWER Cuba Act

Summary: Promote Opportunities With Energy Resources for Cuba Act or the POWER Cuba Act This bill declares that oil and gas export restrictions under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act and the Natural Gas Act shall not apply to Cuba. The President may permit any person subject to U.S. jurisdiction to: (1) export energy resources, energy technologies, and related services to Cuba; (2) establish energy resource- and technology-related facilities there; (3) conduct related transactions; and (4) enter into and make and receive payments under a contract with any individual or entity in Cuba regarding the provision of energy resources and energy technologies.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Promote Opportunities With Energy 
Resources for Cuba Act'' or ``POWER Cuba Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Cuba produced an estimated 49,000 barrels per day of 
        petroleum and other liquid fuels for production of energy in 
        2014 and consumed 171,000 barrels per day of petroleum and 
        other liquids.
            (2) Cuba imports most of its oil supply from Venezuela, 
        which provides crude oil at a heavily subsidized rate under a 
        2000 energy agreement.
            (3) As of January 2015, Cuba had 124,000,000 barrels of 
        proven crude oil reserves, according to Oil and Gas Journal 
        (OGJ). The prospects of finding oil in the deep waters off the 
        northern coast of Cuba attracted many oil and gas companies 
        from around the world. However, due to geological and 
        technological challenges, offshore deep water exploration 
        activity has so far yielded no results. Exploration in Cuba has 
        now shifted onshore, to areas along Cuba's northern coast.
            (4) Cuba has four refineries, all of which are owned by 
        Cuba Petroleos, the state-owned oil and natural gas company. 
        Total crude oil refining capacity was 301,400 barrels per day 
        in January 2015, according to Oil and Gas Journal.
            (5) In an effort to diversify its energy portfolio, Cuba 
        has set a goal of producing 24 percent of its electricity from 
        renewable sources by 2030. Cuba's current renewable energy 
        output accounts for only 4.3 percent of its total electricity 
        production. To meet this goal, Union Electrica, the state-owned 
        power company, is planning 13 wind projects with a total 
        capacity of 633 megawatts. In addition, Cuba plans to add 755 
        megawatts of biomass-fired capacity, 700 megawatts of solar 
        capacity, and 56 megawatts of hydroelectric power.
            (6) The end of trade restrictions could generate a new 
        market for many types of supplies and services from the United 
        States energy industry.

SEC. 3. OIL AND GAS EXPORTS.

    (a) Energy Policy and Conservation Act.--Section 103 of the Energy 
Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6212) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:
    ``(g) This section shall not apply to the export of oil to Cuba.''.
    (b) Natural Gas Act.--Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 
717b) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(g) This section shall not apply to the export of LNG to Cuba.''.

SEC. 4. EXPORT OF ENERGY RESOURCES, ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, AND RELATED 
              SERVICES TO CUBA.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
President is authorized to permit any person subject to the 
jurisdiction of the United States--
            (1) to export energy resources and energy technologies to 
        Cuba;
            (2) to export services related to energy resources and 
        energy technologies described in paragraph (1);
            (3) to establish facilities related to energy resources and 
        energy technologies described in paragraph (1) and services 
        described in paragraph (2);
            (4) to conduct any transaction incident to carrying out an 
        activity described in any of paragraphs (1) through (3); and
            (5) to enter into, perform, and make and receive payments 
        under a contract with any individual or entity in Cuba with 
        respect to the provision of energy resources and energy 
        technologies described in paragraph (1) and services described 
        in paragraph (2).
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than annually thereafter 
for 4 years, the President shall submit to the relevant committees of 
Congress a report on the implementation of this section.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Energy resources.--The term ``energy resources'' means 
        conventional sources of energy, including oil, gas, coal, 
        petrochemicals, and nuclear energy.
            (2) Energy technologies.--The term ``energy technologies'' 
        means equipment and expertise to enable the production of 
        energy, including renewable sources of energy such as wind, 
        solar, hydro-power, geothermal, and bio-fuels.
            (3) Person subject to the jurisdiction of the united 
        states.--The term ``person subject to the jurisdiction of the 
        United States'' means--
                    (A) any individual, wherever located, who is a 
                citizen or resident of the United States;
                    (B) any person located in the United States;
                    (C) any corporation, partnership, association, or 
                other organization organized under the laws of the 
                United States or of any State, territory, possession, 
                or district of the United States; and
                    (D) any corporation, partnership, association, or 
                other organization, wherever organized or doing 
                business, that is owned or controlled by a person or 
                organization described in subparagraph (A), (B), or 
                (C).
            (4) Relevant committees of congress.--The term ``relevant 
        committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
                on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on 
                Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
                Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.