116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 34 
AN ACT 
To ensure consideration of water intensity in the Department 
of Energy’s energy research, development, and dem-
onstration programs to help guarantee efficient, reliable, 
and sustainable delivery of energy and clean water re-
sources. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Energy and Water Re-
search Integration Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. INTEGRATING ENERGY AND WATER RESEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Energy shall in-
tegrate water considerations into energy research, develop-
ment, and demonstration programs and projects of the 
Department of Energy by— 
(1) advancing energy and energy efficiency 
technologies and practices that meet the objectives 
of— 
(A) minimizing freshwater withdrawal and 
consumption; 
(B) increasing water use efficiency; 
(C) utilizing nontraditional water sources 
with efforts to improve the quality of the water 
from those sources; 
(D) minimizing deleterious impacts on 
water bodies, groundwater, and waterways; and 
(E) minimizing seismic impacts; 
(2) considering the effects climate variability 
may have on water supplies and quality for energy 
generation and fuel production; and 
(3) improving understanding of the energy- 
water nexus. 
(b) STRATEGIC PLAN.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall develop a strategic plan identifying the 
research, development, and demonstration needs for 
Department programs and projects to carry out sub-
section (a). The strategic plan shall include technical 
milestones for achieving and assessing progress to-
ward the objectives of subsection (a)(1). 
(2) SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing 
the strategic plan, the Secretary shall consider— 
(A) new advanced cooling technologies for 
energy generation and fuel production tech-
nologies; 
(B) performance improvement of existing 
cooling technologies and cost reductions associ-
ated with using those technologies; 
(C) innovative water reuse, recovery, and 
treatment technologies in energy generation and 
fuel production, including renewable energy; 
(D) technology development for carbon 
capture and storage systems that utilize effi-
cient water use design strategies; 
(E) technologies that are life-cycle cost ef-
fective;
(O) recovering energy in the form of 
biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower from munic-
ipal and industrial wastewaters, and similar or-
ganic streams; and 
(P) any other area of the energy-water 
nexus that the Secretary considers appropriate. 
(3) COLLABORATION AND NONDUPLICATION.— 
In developing the strategic plan, the Secretary shall 
coordinate and avoid duplication— 
(A) with other Federal agencies operating 
related programs, if appropriate; and 
(B) across programs and projects of the 
Department, including with those of the Na-
tional Laboratories. 
(4) 
RELEVANT
INFORMATION
AND
REC-
OMMENDATIONS.—In developing the strategic plan, 
the Secretary shall consider and incorporate, as ap-
propriate, relevant information and recommenda-
tions, including those of the National Water Avail-
ability and Use Assessment Program under section 
9508(d) of the Omnibus Public Land Management 
Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C. 10368(d)). 
(5) ADDITIONAL
PARTICIPATION.—In devel-
oping the strategic plan, the Secretary shall consult 
and coordinate with a diverse group of representa-
tives from research and academic institutions, indus-
try, public utility commissions, and State and local 
governments who have expertise in technologies and 
practices relating to the energy-water nexus. 
(6) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 
12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources of the Senate the strategic plan. 
(7) UPDATING
THE
STRATEGIC
PLAN.—Not 
later than 3 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and at least once every 5 years thereafter, 
the Secretary shall— 
(A) utilize relevant information produced 
by Federal Government agencies, academia, 
State, local, and tribal governments and indus-
try to update the strategic plan; 
(B) include in the updated strategic plan a 
description of the changes from the previous 
strategic plan and the rationale for such 
changes; 
(C) include a review of progress made to-
wards the milestones outlined in the previous 
strategic plan; and
(D) submit the updated strategic plan to 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate. 
(c) ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary may 
provide for such additional research, development, and 
demonstration activities as appropriate to integrate water 
considerations into the research, development, and dem-
onstration activities of the Department as described in 
subsection (a). 
SEC. 3. ENERGY-WATER OVERSIGHT AND COORDINATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the research, de-
velopment, and demonstration activities outlined in section 
2, the Secretary, in coordination with other relevant Fed-
eral agencies, shall establish an Energy-Water Committee 
to promote and enable improved energy and water re-
source data collection, reporting, and technological innova-
tion. The Committee shall consist of— 
(1) representation from each program within 
the Department and each Federal agency that con-
ducts research related to the energy-water nexus; 
and 
(2) non-Federal members, including representa-
tives of research and academic institutions, State,
local, and tribal governments, public utility commis-
sions, and industry, who have expertise in tech-
nologies, technological innovations, or practices re-
lating to the energy-water nexus. 
(b) FUNCTIONS.—The Committee shall, in carrying 
out section 2— 
(1) make recommendations on the development 
and integration of data collection and data commu-
nication standards and protocols, including models 
and modeling results, to agencies and entities cur-
rently engaged in collecting the data for the energy- 
water nexus; 
(2) recommend ways to make improvements to 
Federal water use data to increase understanding of 
trends in energy generation and fuel production, in-
cluding non-cooling water uses; 
(3) recommend best practices for utilizing infor-
mation from existing monitoring networks to provide 
nationally uniform water and energy use and infra-
structure data; and 
(4) conduct annual technical workshops, includ-
ing at least one regional workshop annually, to fa-
cilitate information exchange among Federal, re-
gional, State, local, and tribal governments and pri-
vate sector experts on technologies that encourage
the conservation and efficient use of water and en-
ergy. 
(c) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, and at least once every 2 years 
thereafter, the Committee, through the Secretary, shall 
transmit to Congress a report on its findings and activities 
under this section. 
(d) APPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE ACT.—Except as otherwise provided in this sec-
tion, the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) 
shall apply to the Committee. 
SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, nothing 
in this Act shall be construed to require State, tribal, or 
local governments to provide additional data for Federal 
purposes, or to take any action that may result in an in-
creased financial burden to such governments by restrict-
ing the use of water by such governments. 
SEC. 5. COORDINATION AND NONDUPLICATION. 
To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary 
shall coordinate activities under this Act with other pro-
grams of the Department and other Federal research pro-
grams. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act:
(1) 
COMMITTEE.—The 
term 
‘‘Committee’’ 
means the Energy-Water Committee established 
under section 3(a). 
(2) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 
means the Department of Energy. 
(3) ENERGY-WATER
NEXUS.—The term ‘‘en-
ergy-water nexus’’ means the energy required to pro-
vide reliable water supplies and the water required 
to provide reliable energy supplies throughout the 
United States. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Energy. 
SEC. 7. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 
shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 
titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this 
Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 
by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, pro-
vided that such statement has been submitted prior to the 
vote on passage. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 23, 2019. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 34 
AN ACT 
To ensure consideration of water intensity in the 
Department of Energy’s energy research, devel-
opment, and demonstration programs to help 
guarantee efficient, reliable, and sustainable de-
livery of energy and clean water resources.