physical or chemical means and reuse of those 
separated critical minerals in other technologies. 
‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of the BEST Act, the Sec-
retary shall establish a research, development, and 
demonstration program of recycling of energy storage 
systems containing critical minerals. 
‘‘(3) RESEARCH, 
DEVELOPMENT, 
AND
DEM-
ONSTRATION.—In carrying out the program, the Sec-
retary may focus research, development, and dem-
onstration activities on— 
‘‘(A) technologies, process improvements, 
and design optimizations that facilitate and pro-
mote recycling, including— 
‘‘(i) improvement of efficiency and 
rates of collection of products and scrap 
containing critical minerals from consumer, 
industrial, and other waste streams; 
‘‘(ii) separation and sorting of compo-
nent materials in energy storage systems 
containing critical minerals, including im-
proving the recyclability of such energy 
storage systems; 
‘‘(iii) safe storage of energy storage 
systems, including reducing fire risk; 
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‘‘(iv) safe transportation of energy 
storage systems and components; and 
‘‘(v) development of technologies to ad-
vance energy storage recycling facility in-
frastructure, including integrated recycling 
facilities that can process multiple mate-
rials; 
‘‘(B) research and development of tech-
nologies that mitigate emissions and environ-
mental impacts that arise from recycling, includ-
ing disposal of toxic reagents and byproducts re-
lated to recycling processes; 
‘‘(C) research and development of tech-
nologies to enable recycling of critical materials 
from batteries in electric vehicles; 
‘‘(D) research on and analysis of non-tech-
nical barriers to improving the transportation of 
energy storage systems containing critical min-
erals; and 
‘‘(E) research on technologies and methods 
to enable the safe disposal of energy storage sys-
tems containing critical minerals, including 
waste materials and components recovered dur-
ing the recycling process. 
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‘‘(4) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 2 
years after the date of enactment of the BEST Act, 
and every 3 years thereafter, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Sen-
ate a report summarizing the activities, findings, and 
progress of the program. 
‘‘(o) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of subsections (l), 
(m), and (n), the following definitions apply: 
‘‘(1) ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM.—The term ‘en-
ergy storage system’ means a system, equipment, fa-
cility, or technology relating to the electric grid 
that— 
‘‘(A) is capable of absorbing energy, storing 
such energy for a period of time, and dis-
patching such energy after storage; and 
‘‘(B) uses a mechanical, electrical, chemical, 
electrochemical, or thermal process to store such 
energy, or any other process that the Secretary 
determines relevant. 
‘‘(2) ISLAND.—The term ‘island’ means one or 
more distributed generators or energy storage systems 
that continues to power a location in the absence of 
electricity from the electric grid. 
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‘‘(3) MICROGRID.—The term ‘microgrid’ means 
an integrated energy system consisting of inter-con-
nected loads and distributed energy resources, includ-
ing generators and energy storage systems, within 
clearly defined electrical boundaries that— 
‘‘(A) acts as a single controllable entity 
with respect to the grid; 
‘‘(B) can connect and disconnect from the 
grid to operate in either grid-connected mode or 
island-mode; or 
‘‘(C) can operate in the absence of the grid. 
‘‘(4) NATIONAL
LABORATORY.—The term ‘na-
tional laboratory’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
15801).’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 379 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2986 
[Report No. 116–472] 
A BILL 
To amend the United States Energy Storage Com-
petitiveness Act of 2007 to establish a research, 
development, and demonstration program for 
grid-scale energy storage systems, and for other 
purposes. 
AUGUST 7, 2020 
Reported with an amendment; committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 
and ordered to be printed 
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