I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2665 

To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish a smart energy and water 

efficiency program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 10, 2019 

Mr. MCNERNEY (for himself and Mr. KINZINGER) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and 

in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Transportation 

and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish a smart energy 

and water efficiency program, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Smart Energy and 

5 Water Efficiency Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SMART ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY PRO7 GRAM. 

8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 2665 IH

1 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti2 ty’’ means— 

3 (A) a municipality; 

4 (B) a water district; and 

5 (C) any other entity that provides water, 

6 wastewater, or water reuse services, including a 

7 joint water and power authority. 

8 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

9 the Secretary of Energy. 

10 (3) SMART ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY

11 PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘smart energy and water effi12 ciency program’’ or ‘‘program’’ means the program 

13 established under subsection (b). 

14 (b) SMART ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY PRO15 GRAM.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 

17 and carry out a smart energy and water efficiency 

18 program in accordance with this section. 

19 (2) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—In carrying out the 

20 smart energy and water efficiency program, the Sec21 retary shall award grants to eligible entities to carry 

22 out projects that implement advanced and innovative 

23 technology-based solutions that will improve the en24 ergy or water efficiency of water, wastewater, or 

25 water reuse systems to— 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 2665 IH

1 (A) help eligible entities make significant 

2 progress in conserving water, conserving energy, 

3 or reducing the operating costs of such systems; 

4 (B) support the implementation of innova5 tive processes or the installation of advanced 

6 automated systems that provide real-time data 

7 on energy and water; or 

8 (C) improve predictive maintenance of 

9 water, wastewater, or water reuse systems 

10 through the use of Internet-connected tech11 nologies, such as sensors, intelligent gateways, 

12 or security embedded in hardware. 

13 (3) PROJECT SELECTION.— 

14 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

15 make competitive, merit-reviewed grants under 

16 the program to not fewer than 3, but not more 

17 than 5, eligible entities. 

18 (B) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In selecting an 

19 eligible entity to receive a grant under the pro20 gram, the Secretary shall consider— 

21 (i) energy and cost savings anticipated 

22 to result from the project; 

23 (ii) the innovative nature, commercial 

24 viability, and reliability of the technology 

25 to be used; 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 2665 IH

1 (iii) the degree to which the project 

2 integrates innovative sensors, software, 

3 hardware, analytics, and management 

4 tools; 

5 (iv) the anticipated cost-effectiveness 

6 of the project in terms of energy savings, 

7 water savings or reuse, and infrastructure 

8 costs averted; 

9 (v) whether the technology can be de10 ployed in a variety of geographic regions 

11 and the degree to which the technology can 

12 be implemented on a smaller or larger 

13 scale, including whether the technology can 

14 be implemented by other types of eligible 

15 entities; and 

16 (vi) whether implementation of the 

17 project will be complete within 5 years. 

18 (C) APPLICATIONS.— 

19 (i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause 

20 (ii), an eligible entity seeking a grant 

21 under the program shall submit to the Sec22 retary an application at such time, in such 

23 manner, and containing such information 

24 as the Secretary determines to be nec25 essary. 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 2665 IH

1 (ii) CONTENTS.—An application under 

2 clause (i) shall, at a minimum, include— 

3 (I) a description of the project; 

4 (II) a description of the tech5 nology to be used in the project; 

6 (III) the anticipated results, in7 cluding energy and water savings, of 

8 the project; 

9 (IV) a comprehensive budget for 

10 the project; and 

11 (V) the number of households or 

12 customers that are served by the eligi13 ble entity and will benefit from the 

14 project. 

15 (4) ADMINISTRATION.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 300 

17 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 

18 the Secretary shall select grant recipients under 

19 this section. 

20 (B) EVALUATIONS.—The Secretary shall 

21 annually for 5 years carry out an evaluation of 

22 each project for which a grant is provided 

23 under this section that— 

24 (i) evaluates the progress and effects 

25 of the project; and 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 2665 IH

1 (ii) assesses the degree to which the 

2 project can be replicated in other regions, 

3 systems, and situations. 

4 (C) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—On the re5 quest of a grant recipient, the Secretary shall 

6 provide technical assistance to the grant recipi7 ent to carry out the project. 

8 (D) BEST PRACTICES.—The Secretary 

9 shall make available to the public— 

10 (i) a copy of each evaluation carried 

11 out under subparagraph (B); and 

12 (ii) a description of any best practices 

13 identified by the Secretary as a result of 

14 those evaluations. 

15 (E) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later 

16 than the date on which the Secretary completes 

17 the last evaluation required under subparagraph 

18 (B), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 

19 report containing the results of each evaluation 

20 carried out under such subparagraph. 

21 (c) FUNDING.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall use not 

23 less than $15,000,000 of amounts made available to 

24 the Secretary to carry out this section. 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 2665 IH

1 (2) PRIORITIZATION.—In funding activities 

2 under this section, the Secretary shall prioritize 

3 funding in the following manner: 

4 (A) The Secretary shall first use any unob5 ligated amounts made available to the Secretary 

6 to carry out the activities of the Energy Effi7 ciency and Renewable Energy Office. 

8 (B) After any amounts described in sub9 paragraph (A) have been used, the Secretary 

10 shall then use any unobligated amounts (other 

11 than those described in subparagraph (A)) 

12 made available to the Secretary. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS