Regional Clean Energy Innovation Act

To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish an Office of Advanced Clean Energy Technologies to manage a network of Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes to advance clean energy technologies, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Regional Clean Energy Innovation Act 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Clean energy technology The term clean energy technology (A) produces energy from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, tidal, wave, ocean, or another renewable energy source (as defined in section 609 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 ( 7 U.S.C. 918c (B) more efficiently transmits, distributes, or stores energy; (C) enhances energy efficiency for buildings, manufacturing processes, and industry, including combined heat and power; (D) enables the development of a Smart Grid (as described in section 1301 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 ( 42 U.S.C. 17381 (E) produces an advanced or sustainable material with clean energy or energy efficiency applications; or (F) improves energy efficiency for transportation, including electric vehicles. (2) Director The term Director (3) Eligible entity The term eligible entity (4) National Laboratory The term National Laboratory 42 U.S.C. 15801(3) (5) Office The term Office (6) Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institute or REIDI The term Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institute REIDI (A) of at least 2 eligible entities; and (B) that is designated by the Director under the program established under section 3(e). (7) Secretary The term Secretary 3. Office of Advanced Clean Energy Technologies (a) Establishment The Secretary shall establish an Office of Advanced Clean Energy Technologies within the Department of Energy. (b) Purpose The purpose of the Office is to advance mid-stage and late-stage innovation, development, demonstration, and commercialization of clean energy technologies, in accordance with regional capabilities and market needs, in order to further regional net-zero greenhouse gas emissions pathways. (c) Director The Office shall be headed by a Director who shall be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall report to the Secretary. (d) Duties The duties of the Director shall include— (1) assessing regional capabilities to develop and utilize, and market needs for, clean energy technologies; (2) analyzing region-specific pathways to decarbonization and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions to inform the designation of Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes; (3) establishing and carrying out the program described in subsection (e); (4) establishing and maintaining a staff with sufficient qualifications and expertise to enable the Office to carry out its duties in conjunction with other operations of the Department of Energy; and (5) coordinating with National Laboratories and other Federal agencies, offices, and programs, including the Economic Development Administration, to avoid duplication of effort and to work together to address gaps in mid-stage and late-stage innovation, demonstration, deployment, and commercialization of clean energy technologies. (e) Program To designate and support REIDIs (1) In general The Director shall establish and carry out a program to designate, and provide financial assistance and other support to, Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes in accordance with this subsection. (2) Program contents In carrying out the program established under paragraph (1) the Director shall— (A) establish goals for Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes and publicize the goals to eligible entities; (B) support the creation and development of Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes by providing incentives to eligible entities to organize as partnerships and address specific targeted clean energy technologies and market intersections; (C) provide assistance to partnerships of eligible entities in applying to be designated as Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes; (D) designate partnerships of eligible entities as Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes, taking into consideration— (i) an appropriate balance of geographical interests; (ii) existing clean energy technology innovation efforts, including innovation efforts of National Laboratories, and other resources; (iii) regional variations in energy supply and demand and in resilience of energy supply and demand; (iv) the potential for job creation in the area to be served by the proposed Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institute from mid-stage and late-stage innovation, demonstration, deployment, and commercialization of clean energy technologies; and (v) the extent to which the proposed Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institute will address environmental justice and energy issues for rural and low-income households, communities of color, Tribal communities, and communities that are disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions; (E) promote collaboration and resource sharing among Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes; (F) in collaboration with National Laboratories, provide technical assistance to Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes; (G) provide financial assistance to Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes to carry out activities described in paragraph (3); (H) share best practices for establishing and operating Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes; (I) support Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes in the navigation of regulatory processes; and (J) assess the success of the Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes through the establishment of technical milestones, which shall be used to determine whether to terminate the designation of Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes that are not achieving such milestones. (3) Use of funds A Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institute may use financial assistance provided under the program established under paragraph (1) to carry out activities that advance mid-stage and late-stage innovation, development, demonstration, and commercialization of clean energy technologies, in accordance with regional capabilities and market needs, in order to further regional net-zero greenhouse gas emissions pathways, including activities that— (A) facilitate commercialization of clean energy technologies through collaboration with relevant regulatory authorities and identification of regulatory structures that create obstacles to deployment and commercialization of clean energy technologies; (B) connect eligible entities that are partners in the Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institute to technical resources, modeling, and test beds; (C) foster mentorship, business development, education, and research and development investments relating to clean energy technologies; and (D) design and implement initiatives to stimulate market demand for clean energy technologies that will substantially contribute to regional net-zero greenhouse gas emissions pathways. (4) Cost share The Federal share of the cost of any activity carried out by a Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institute shall be not more than 50 percent. (5) Applications To apply for designation as a Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institute, and for financial and other assistance, under the program established under paragraph (1), a partnership of eligible entities shall submit an application to the Director that includes— (A) a description of the eligible entities in the partnership; (B) a description of the geographical region that will be represented by the Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institute; (C) a plan for and description of the activities to be carried out by the Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institute with Federal funds, including a description of how such activities will— (i) align with State, local, regional, and Tribal policies; (ii) contribute to job creation; (iii) contribute to regional net-zero greenhouse gas emissions pathways and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions; and (iv) address market need in deployment, and increase market competitiveness, of clean energy technologies; (D) a description of the clean energy sectors that will be served by the Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institute, and how such sectors were identified in relation to regional market needs; (E) a description of the non-Federal funding sources to be utilized in carrying out the activities of the Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institute; and (F) such other information as the Director may require. (f) Reports and plan (1) Annual Report The Director shall annually submit to Congress, as part of the Department of Energy’s annual budget submitted for a fiscal year, a report describing activities conducted by each Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institute during the previous fiscal year. (2) Strategic Plan Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, and at least once every 5 years thereafter, the Director shall submit to Congress a strategic plan for the Office for the following 5 years that includes a plan for how the Office will advance mid-stage and late-stage innovation, development, demonstration, and commercialization of clean energy technologies, in accordance with regional capabilities and market needs, in order to further regional net-zero greenhouse gas emissions pathways. (g) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated, for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027, $150,000,000 to carry out this section, of which not more than $25,000,000 shall be for the administrative expenses of the Office each fiscal year.

Summary: Regional Clean Energy Innovation Act This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish an Office of Advanced Clean Energy Technologies to advance mid-stage and late-stage innovation, development, demonstration, and commercialization of clean energy technologies to further regional net-zero greenhouse gas emissions pathways.