II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1600 

To establish an energy technologies innovation network, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 12, 2007 

Mr. HAGEL introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To establish an energy technologies innovation network, 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. ENERGY-RELATED RESEARCH AND DEVELOP4 MENT. 

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

6 (1) information and opinions provided by indi7 viduals and entities of the academic and industrial 

8 sectors should be an important consideration with 

9 respect to energy-related research and development 

10 activities carried out by the Federal Government; 


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1 (2) in carrying out energy-related research and 

2 development activities, the Federal Government 

3 should regularly seek input from multiple sources, 

4 including the industrial sector, academia, and other 

5 relevant sectors; 

6 (3) research is better focused around well-de7 fined problems that need to be resolved; 

8 (4) a number of potential problems to be re9 solved are likely to require input from a diverse se10 lection of technologies and contributing sectors; 

11 (5) sharing of information relating to energy re12 search and development is important to the develop13 ment and innovation of energy technologies; 

14 (6) necessary intellectual property protection 

15 can lead to delays in sharing valuable information 

16 that could aid in resolving major energy-related 

17 problems; 

18 (7) the Federal Government should facilitate 

19 the sharing of information from a diverse array of 

20 industries by ensuring the protection of intellectual 

21 property while simultaneously creating an environ22 ment of openness and cooperation; and 

23 (8) the Federal Government should revise the 

24 methods of the Federal Government regarding en25 ergy-related research and development to encourage 


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1 faster development and implementation of energy 

2 technologies. 

3 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) NETWORK.—The term ‘‘network’’ means 

5 the Energy Technologies Innovation Network estab6 lished by subsection (d)(1). 

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

8 the Secretary of Energy. 

9 (3) SURVEY.—The term ‘‘survey’’ means a sur10 vey conducted pursuant to subsection (c). 

11 (c) ENERGY-RELATED RESEARCH AND DEVELOP12 MENT PRIORITIES.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than 

14 once every 5 years, the Secretary shall conduct a 

15 survey in accordance with this subsection to deter16 mine the 10 highest-priority energy-related problems 

17 to resolve to ensure the goals of— 

18 (A) maximizing the energy security of the 

19 United States; 

20 (B) maximizing improvements in energy 

21 efficiency within the United States; and 

22 (C) minimizing damage to the economy 

23 and the environment of the United States. 

24 (2) SURVEY.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—Each survey shall con2 tain a request that the respondent shall list, in 

3 descending order of priority, the 10 highest-pri4 ority energy-related problems that, in the opin5 ion of the respondent, require resolution as 

6 quickly as practicable to ensure the goals de7 scribed in paragraph (1). 

8 (B) ANNOUNCEMENT.—The Secretary 

9 shall announce the existence of each survey 

10 by— 

11 (i) publishing an announcement in the 

12 Federal Register; and 

13 (ii) placing an announcement in a 

14 prominent position on the homepage of the 

15 website of the Department of the Energy. 

16 (C) AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary shall 

17 ensure that each survey is made available— 

18 (i) in an electronic format only 

19 through a link on the Department of En20 ergy website; 

21 (ii) for a period of not less than 21 

22 days and not more than 30 days; and 

23 (iii) to any individual or entity that 

24 elects to participate. 


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1 (D) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION GATH2 ERING.—Each survey— 

3 (i) shall require each respondent to 

4 provide information regarding— 

5 (I) the age of the respondent; 

6 (II) the occupational category of 

7 the respondent; 

8 (III) the period of time during 

9 which the respondent has held the 

10 current occupation of the respondent; 

11 and 

12 (IV) the State and country in 

13 which the respondent resides; and 

14 (ii) may request, but shall not re15 quire— 

16 (I) the name of the respondent; 

17 (II) an identification of the em18 ployer of the respondent; 

19 (III) the electronic mail address 

20 of the respondent; and 

21 (IV) such other information as 

22 the Secretary determines to be appro23 priate. 


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1 (E) RESPONDENTS.—The Secretary shall 

2 seek responses to a survey from appropriate 

3 representatives of— 

4 (i) the energy, transportation, manu5 facturing, construction, mining, and elec6 tronic industries; 

7 (ii) academia; 

8 (iii) research facilities; 

9 (iv) nongovernmental organizations; 

10 (v) the Federal Government; and 

11 (vi) units of State and local govern12 ment. 

13 (F) NONPOLITICAL REQUIREMENT.—The 

14 Secretary shall ensure that each survey is con15 ducted, to the maximum extent practicable— 

16 (i) in a transparent, nonpolitical, and 

17 scientific manner; and 

18 (ii) without any political bias. 

19 (G) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 

20 after the date on which a survey under this 

21 subsection is no longer available under subpara22 graph (C)(ii), the Secretary shall submit to 

23 Congress and make available to the public (in24 cluding through publication in the Federal RegVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:21 Jun 14, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1600.IS S1600

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1 ister and on the website of the Department of 

2 Energy) a report that— 

3 (i) describes the results of the survey; 

4 and 

5 (ii) includes a list of the 10 highest6 priority energy-related problems based on 

7 all responses to the survey. 

8 (3) EFFECT OF RESULTS ON ENERGY-RELATED

9 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.— 

10 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara11 graph (B), on receipt of a report under para12 graph (2)(G), the Secretary shall ensure that, 

13 during the 5-year period beginning on the date 

14 of receipt of the report, all energy-related re15 search and development activities of the De16 partment of Energy are carried out for the pur17 pose of resolving, to the maximum extent prac18 ticable, the 10 problems included on the list of 

19 the report under paragraph (2)(G)(ii). 

20 (B) ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS.—In addition 

21 to the activities described in subparagraph (A), 

22 during the 5-year period beginning on the date 

23 of receipt of a report under paragraph (2)(G), 

24 the Secretary may carry out, using the same 

25 quantity of resources as are allocated to any 1 


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1 energy-related problem included on the list of 

2 the report under paragraph (2)(G)(ii), energy3 related research and development activities for 

4 the purpose of resolving, to the maximum ex5 tent practicable, 2 additional energy-related 

6 problems that— 

7 (i) are not included on the list; and 

8 (ii) are high-priority energy-related 

9 problems, as determined by the Secretary. 

10 (d) ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES INNOVATION NET11 WORK.— 

12 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established an 

13 information and collaboration network, to be known 

14 as the ‘‘Energy Technologies Innovation Network’’. 

15 (2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the network 

16 shall be to provide a forum through which interested 

17 parties (including scientists and entrepreneurs) can 

18 present, discuss, and collaborate with respect to in19 formation and ideas relating to energy technologies. 

20 (3) OPERATION OF NETWORK.— 

21 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

22 offer to enter into a contract, after an open bid23 ding process, with a third party to operate the 

24 network. 


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1 (B) REQUIREMENTS.—The third party se2 lected under subparagraph (A) shall— 

3 (i) have experience with respect to the 

4 establishment and maintenance of a com5 prehensive database of Federal research 

6 and development projects that is— 

7 (I) easily searchable; 

8 (II) open to the public; and 

9 (III) capable of expansion; 

10 (ii) provide a secure electronic forum 

11 to enable collaboration among users of the 

12 network; and 

13 (iii) collaborate with the Secretary to 

14 protect the intellectual property rights of 

15 individual users and governmental agencies 

16 participating in the network in accordance 

17 with paragraph (6). 

18 (4) REQUIRED CONTRIBUTORS.—Each research 

19 laboratory or other facility that receives Federal 

20 funding shall provide to the network the results of 

21 the research conducted using that funding, regard22 less of whether the research relates to energy, sub23 ject to the condition that revelation of the research 

24 will not adversely effect national security. 


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1 (5) OTHER CONTRIBUTORS.—Other entities, in2 cluding entities in the academic and industrial sec3 tors and individuals, may participate in the network 

4 to actively contribute to resolving— 

5 (A) the energy-related problems included 

6 on the list of the report under subsection 

7 (c)(2)(G)(ii); or 

8 (B) any other energy-related problem that 

9 the contributor determines would advance the 

10 goals described in subsection (c)(1). 

11 (6) PROTECTION OF INFORMATION AND

12 IDEAS.—In collaborating with a third party in oper13 ating the network under paragraph (3), the Sec14 retary shall employ such individuals and entities 

15 with experience relating to— 

16 (A) intellectual property as the Secretary 

17 determines to be necessary to ensure that— 

18 (i) information and ideas presented, 

19 and discussed in the network are— 

20 (I) monitored with respect to the 

21 intellectual property owners and com22 ponents of the information or ideas; 

23 and 


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1 (II) protected in accordance with 

2 applicable Federal intellectual prop3 erty law (including regulations); 

4 (ii) information and ideas developed 

5 within the network are— 

6 (I) monitored with respect to the 

7 intellectual property components of 

8 the developers of the information or 

9 ideas; and 

10 (II) protected in accordance with 

11 applicable Federal intellectual prop12 erty law (including regulations); and 

13 (iii) contributors to the network are 

14 provided adequate assurances that intellec15 tual property rights of the contributors will 

16 be protected with respect to participation 

17 in the network; 

18 (B) setting up, maintaining, and operating 

19 a network that ensures security and reliability. 

20 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

21 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are nec22 essary to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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