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Union Calendar No. 404 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4447 

[Report No. 116–504, Part I] 

To establish an energy storage and microgrid grant and technical assistance 

program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 

Mr. O’HALLERAN (for himself, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. LAMB, and Mr. NORMAN) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, 

and Technology, 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 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 

Additional sponsors: Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana, Mr. WELCH, 

Mr. COLE, Ms. SPANBERGER, and Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 

Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 


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SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 

Committee on Science, Space, and Technology discharged; committed to the 

Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered 

to be printed 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on September 20, 2019] 

A BILL 

To establish an energy storage and microgrid grant and 

technical assistance program. 


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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 ‘‘Expanding Access to 

5 Sustainable Energy Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

8 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti9 ty’’ means— 

10 (A) a rural electric cooperative; or 

11 (B) a nonprofit organization working with 

12 at least 6 rural electric cooperatives. 

13 (2) ENERGY STORAGE.—The term ‘‘energy stor14 age’’ means the use of equipment or facilities relating 

15 to the electric grid that are capable of absorbing and 

16 converting energy, as applicable, storing the energy 

17 for a period of time, and dispatching the energy, 

18 that— 

19 (A) use mechanical, electrochemical, bio20 chemical, or thermal processes, to convert and 

21 store energy that was generated at an earlier 

22 time for use at a later time; 

23 (B) use mechanical, electrochemical, bio24 chemical, or thermal processes to convert and 

25 store energy generated from mechanical processes 


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1 that would otherwise be wasted for delivery at a 

2 later time; or 

3 (C) convert and store energy in an electric, 

4 thermal, or gaseous state for direct use for heat5 ing or cooling at a later time in a manner that 

6 avoids the need to use electricity or other fuel 

7 sources at that later time, as is offered by grid8 enabled water heaters. 

9 (3) ISLAND.—The term ‘‘island mode’’ means a 

10 mode in which a distributed generator or energy stor11 age device continues to power a location in the ab12 sence of electric power from the primary source. 

13 (4) MICROGRID.—The term ‘‘microgrid’’ means 

14 an interconnected system of loads and distributed en15 ergy resources, including generators and energy stor16 age devices, within clearly defined electrical bound17 aries that— 

18 (A) acts as a single controllable entity with 

19 respect to the electric grid; and 

20 (B) can connect to, and disconnect from, the 

21 electric grid to operate in both grid-connected 

22 mode and island mode. 

23 (5) RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE.—The term 

24 ‘‘renewable energy source’’ has the meaning given the 


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1 term in section 609(a) of the Public Utility Regu2 latory Policies Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 918c(a)). 

3 (6) RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE.—The term 

4 ‘‘rural electric cooperative’’ means an electric coopera5 tive (as defined in section 3 of the Federal Power Act 

6 (16 U.S.C. 796)) that sells electric energy to persons 

7 in rural areas. 

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

9 the Secretary of Energy. 

10 SEC. 3. ENERGY STORAGE AND MICROGRID ASSISTANCE 

11 PROGRAM. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

13 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish 

14 a program under which the Secretary shall— 

15 (1) provide grants to eligible entities under sub16 section (c); 

17 (2) provide technical assistance to eligible enti18 ties under subsection (d); and 

19 (3) disseminate information to eligible entities 

20 on— 

21 (A) the activities described in subsections 

22 (c)(1) and (d); and 

23 (B) potential and existing energy storage 

24 and microgrid projects. 


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1 (b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.—The Secretary may 

2 enter into a cooperative agreement with an eligible entity 

3 to carry out subsection (a). 

4 (c) GRANTS.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 

6 grants to eligible entities for identifying, evaluating, 

7 designing, and demonstrating energy storage and 

8 microgrid projects that utilize energy from renewable 

9 energy sources. 

10 (2) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a 

11 grant under paragraph (1), an eligible entity shall 

12 submit to the Secretary an application at such time, 

13 in such manner, and containing such information as 

14 the Secretary may require. 

15 (3) USE OF GRANT.—An eligible entity that re16 ceives a grant under paragraph (1)— 

17 (A) shall use the grant— 

18 (i) to conduct feasibility studies to as19 sess the potential for implementation or im20 provement of energy storage or microgrid 

21 projects; 

22 (ii) to analyze and implement strate23 gies to overcome barriers to energy storage 

24 or microgrid project implementation, inVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Sep 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H4447.RH H4447

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1 cluding financial, contracting, siting, and 

2 permitting barriers; 

3 (iii) to conduct detailed engineering of 

4 energy storage or microgrid projects; 

5 (iv) to perform a cost-benefit analysis 

6 with respect to an energy storage or 

7 microgrid project; 

8 (v) to plan for both the short- and 

9 long-term inclusion of energy storage or 

10 microgrid projects into the future develop11 ment plans of the eligible entity; or 

12 (vi) to purchase and install necessary 

13 equipment, materials, and supplies for dem14 onstration of emerging technologies; and 

15 (B) may use the grant to obtain technical 

16 assistance from experts in carrying out the ac17 tivities described in subparagraph (A). 

18 (4) CONDITION.—As a condition of receiving a 

19 grant under paragraph (1), an eligible entity shall— 

20 (A) implement a public awareness cam21 paign, in coordination with the Secretary, about 

22 the project implemented under the grant in the 

23 community in which the eligible entity is lo24 cated; 


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1 (B) submit to the Secretary, and make 

2 available to the public, a report that describes— 

3 (i) any energy cost savings and envi4 ronmental benefits achieved under the 

5 project; and 

6 (ii) the results of the project, including 

7 quantitative assessments to the extent prac8 ticable, associated with each activity de9 scribed in paragraph (3)(A); and 

10 (C) create and disseminate tools and re11 sources that will benefit other rural electric co12 operatives, which may include cost calculators, 

13 guidebooks, handbooks, templates, and training 

14 courses. 

15 (5) COST-SHARE.—Activities under this sub16 section shall be subject to the cost-sharing require17 ments of section 988 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 

18 (42 U.S.C. 16352). 

19 (d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the program 

21 established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 

22 provide eligible entities with technical assistance re23 lating to— 

24 (A) identifying opportunities for energy 

25 storage and microgrid projects; 


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1 (B) understanding the technical and eco2 nomic characteristics of energy storage or 

3 microgrid projects; 

4 (C) understanding financing alternatives; 

5 (D) permitting and siting issues; 

6 (E) obtaining case studies of similar and 

7 successful energy storage or microgrid projects; 

8 (F) reviewing and obtaining computer soft9 ware for assessment, design, and operation and 

10 maintenance of energy storage or microgrid sys11 tems; and 

12 (G) understanding and utilizing the reli13 ability and resiliency benefits of energy storage 

14 and microgrid projects. 

15 (2) EXTERNAL CONTRACTS.—In carrying out 

16 paragraph (1), the Secretary may enter into contracts 

17 with third-party experts, including engineering, fi18 nance, and insurance experts, to provide technical as19 sistance to eligible entities relating to the activities 

20 described in such paragraph, or other relevant activi21 ties, as determined by the Secretary. 

22 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro24 priated to carry out this Act $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 

25 years 2021 through 2025. 


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1 (b) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Not more than 5 per2 cent of the amount appropriated under subsection (a) for 

3 each fiscal year shall be used for administrative expenses. 


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kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 404 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4447 

[Report No. 116–504, Part I] 

A BILL 

To establish an energy storage and microgrid grant 

and technical assistance program. 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 

Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

with an amendment 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 

Committee on Science, Space, and Technology disprinted House on the State of the Union and ordered to be charged; committed to the Committee of the Whole 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS