Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Act of 2015

Summary: Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Act of 2015 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 pilot program to award grants to utilities, municipalities, water districts, and other water authorities for demonstrating novel 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; and  support the implementation of innovative processes and the installation of advanced automated systems that provide real-time data on energy and water.  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 2015''.

SEC. 2. SMART ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY 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 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; and
                    ``(D) any other authority that provides water, 
                wastewater, or water reuse services.
            ``(2) Smart energy and water efficiency pilot program.--The 
        term `smart energy and water efficiency pilot program' or 
        `pilot program' means the pilot program established under 
        subsection (b).
    ``(b) Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Pilot Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish and carry 
        out a smart energy and water efficiency pilot program in 
        accordance with this section.
            ``(2) Purpose.--The purpose of the smart energy and water 
        efficiency pilot program is to award grants to eligible 
        entities to demonstrate novel and innovative technology-based 
        solutions that will--
                    ``(A) increase the energy efficiency of water, 
                wastewater, and water reuse systems;
                    ``(B) improve 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; 
                and
                    ``(C) support the implementation of innovative 
                processes and the installation of advanced automated 
                systems that provide real-time data on energy and 
                water.
            ``(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;
                            ``(ii) the novelty of the technology to be 
                        used;
                            ``(iii) the degree to which the project 
                        integrates next-generation sensors, software, 
                        analytics, and management tools;
                            ``(iv) the anticipated cost-effectiveness 
                        of the pilot 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; and
                            ``(vi) 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) shall, at a minimum, 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; and
                                    ``(VII) 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 this section, the Secretary 
                shall select grant recipients under this section.
                    ``(B) Evaluations.--The Secretary shall annually 
                carry out an evaluation of each project for which a 
                grant is provided under this section that--
                            ``(i) evaluates the progress and impact of 
                        the project; and
                            ``(ii) assesses the degree to which the 
                        project is meeting the goals of the pilot 
                        program.
                    ``(C) Technical and policy assistance.--On the 
                request of a grant recipient, the Secretary shall 
                provide technical and policy assistance.
                    ``(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 containing the results of 
                each evaluation carried out under subparagraph (B).
    ``(c) Funding.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall use not less than 
        $7,500,000 of amounts made available to the Secretary to carry 
        out this section.
            ``(2) Prioritization.--In funding activities under this 
        section, the Secretary shall prioritize funding in the 
        following manner:
                    ``(A) Any unobligated amounts made available to the 
                Secretary to carry out the activities of the Energy 
                Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office.
                    ``(B) Any unobligated amounts (other than those 
                described in subparagraph (A)) made available to the 
                Secretary.''.