HR 7685 RFS
terials, or a combination thereof, used to replace or 
supplement any portion of fuels used in combustion 
or pyrolysis for low-emissions cement, concrete, or 
asphalt. 
‘‘(3) COMMERCIALLY
AVAILABLE.—The term 
‘commercially available’, with respect to cement, con-
crete, and asphalt, means that the cement, concrete, 
or asphalt is— 
‘‘(A) readily and widely available for pur-
chase in the United States; and 
‘‘(B) produced using a production method 
of cement, concrete, or asphalt products, as ap-
plicable, that is widely in use. 
‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means any of the following: 
‘‘(A) An institution of higher education. 
‘‘(B) An appropriate State or Federal enti-
ty, including a federally funded research and 
development center of the Department. 
‘‘(C) A nonprofit research institution. 
‘‘(D) A private entity. 
‘‘(E) Any other relevant entity the Sec-
retary determines appropriate. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:18 Sep 25, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7685.RFS
H7685
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
HR 7685 RFS
‘‘(F) A partnership or consortium of two 
or more entities described in subparagraphs (A) 
through (E). 
‘‘(5) 
ENGINEERING
PERFORMANCE-BASED 
STANDARD.—The term ‘engineering performance- 
based standard’ means an existing engineering 
standard with respect to which the requirements ap-
plicable to such standard are stated in terms of re-
quired results, with criteria for verifying compliance 
rather than specific composition, design, or proce-
dure. 
‘‘(6) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 
The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
‘‘(7) LOW-EMISSIONS CEMENT, CONCRETE, AND 
ASPHALT.—The term ‘low-emissions cement, con-
crete, and asphalt’ means cement, concrete, asphalt 
binder, or asphalt mixture that reduces, to the max-
imum extent practicable, greenhouse gas or directly- 
related copollutant emissions to levels below commer-
cially available cement, concrete, or asphalt. 
‘‘(8) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘rural area’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 343(a) of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:18 Sep 25, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7685.RFS
H7685
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
HR 7685 RFS
the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 
(7 U.S.C. 1991(a)). 
‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the Sec-
retary shall establish a program of research, development, 
demonstration, and commercial application of advanced 
tools, technologies, and methods for advanced production 
and use of low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt in 
order to— 
‘‘(1) increase the technological and economic 
competitiveness of industry and production in the 
United States; 
‘‘(2) expand and increase the stability of supply 
chains through enhanced domestic production, 
nearshoring, and cooperation with allies; 
‘‘(3) achieve measurable greenhouse gas or di-
rectly related copollutant emissions reductions in the 
production processes for cement, concrete, and as-
phalt products; and 
‘‘(4) create quality domestic jobs. 
‘‘(c) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the program 
under subsection (b), the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) coordinate with the programs and activi-
ties authorized under title VI of division Z of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (relating to 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:18 Sep 25, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7685.RFS
H7685
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
HR 7685 RFS
industrial and manufacturing technologies) and the 
amendments made by such title; 
‘‘(2) coordinate across all relevant program of-
fices of the Department, including the Office of 
Science, the Advanced Research Projects Agency- 
Energy, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, 
the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable En-
ergy, the Office of Fossil Energy, the Office of In-
dustrial Efficiency and Decarbonization, the Office 
of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, and 
the Office of Nuclear Energy; 
‘‘(3) leverage, to the extent practicable, the re-
search infrastructure of the Department, including 
scientific computing user facilities, x-ray light 
sources, neutron scattering facilities, and nanoscale 
science research centers; and 
‘‘(4) conduct research, development, demonstra-
tion, and commercial application of the advanced 
production of low-emissions cement, concrete, and 
asphalt that have the potential to increase domestic 
production and employment in both advanced and 
commercially available processes. 
‘‘(d) STRATEGIC PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the establishment of the program under sub-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:18 Sep 25, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7685.RFS
H7685
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
HR 7685 RFS
section (b), the Secretary shall develop a 5-year stra-
tegic plan identifying research, development, dem-
onstration, and commercial application goals for 
such program. The Secretary shall submit such plan 
to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The strategic plan under 
paragraph (1) shall— 
‘‘(A) identify programs at the Department 
related to the advanced production of low-emis-
sions cement, concrete, and asphalt that sup-
port the research, development, demonstration, 
and commercial application activities described 
in this section, and the demonstration projects 
under subsection (f); 
‘‘(B) establish technological and pro-
grammatic goals to achieve the requirements 
specified in subsection (c); and 
‘‘(C) include timelines for the accomplish-
ment of such goals developed under the plan. 
‘‘(3) UPDATES TO PLAN.—Not less than once 
every two years, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on En-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:18 Sep 25, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7685.RFS
H7685
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
HR 7685 RFS
ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate an up-
dated version of the strategic plan under paragraph 
(1). 
‘‘(e) FOCUS AREAS.—In carrying out the program es-
tablished in subsection (c), the Secretary shall focus on 
the following: 
‘‘(1) Carbon capture technologies for low-emis-
sions cement, concrete, and asphalt production proc-
esses, which may include the following: 
‘‘(A) Oxycombustion and chemical looping 
technologies. 
‘‘(B) Precombustion technologies. 
‘‘(C) Post combustion technologies. 
‘‘(D) Direct carbon dioxide separation 
technologies. 
‘‘(2) Materials, technologies, inputs, and proc-
esses that— 
‘‘(A) produce fewer greenhouse gas or di-
rectly related copollutant emissions during pro-
duction, use, and end use of cement, concrete, 
and asphalt; or 
‘‘(B) provide quality, durability, resilience, 
engineering, or other performance metrics equal 
to or greater than commercially available prod-
ucts. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:18 Sep 25, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7685.RFS
H7685
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
HR 7685 RFS
asphalt production processes, including through 
life cycle assessments. 
‘‘(5) Technologies and approaches to reduce 
greenhouse gas or directly related copollutant emis-
sions from the advanced production of cement, con-
crete, and asphalt. 
‘‘(6) High-performance computing to develop 
advanced materials and production processes that 
may contribute to the focus areas described in para-
graphs (1) through (5), including the following: 
‘‘(A) Modeling, simulation, and optimiza-
tion of the design of cost-effective and energy- 
efficient products and processes. 
‘‘(B) The use of digital prototyping and 
additive production to enhance product design. 
‘‘(7) Advanced sensor technologies and methods 
to monitor and quantify the performance of low- 
emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt materials at 
scale and under a variety of conditions. 
‘‘(8) Technologies that can be retrofitted at ce-
ment, concrete, and asphalt plants that represent 
the most common facility types in the United States 
and in other countries, with consideration for field 
validation of such retrofits. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:18 Sep 25, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7685.RFS
H7685
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
HR 7685 RFS
‘‘(9) Best practices for data standardization 
and data sharing tools and technologies, in coordina-
tion with relevant Federal agencies. 
‘‘(10) Fundamental research in chemistry and 
materials science to identify the following: 
‘‘(A) Novel materials and alternative do-
mestic feedstocks and processing operations for 
the advanced production of low-emissions ce-
ment, concrete, and asphalt. 
‘‘(B) Improved understanding by eligible 
entities of the mechanisms that determine the 
performance and durability of low-emissions ce-
ment, concrete, and asphalt over time. 
‘‘(f) DEMONSTRATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this section, 
the Secretary, in carrying out the program estab-
lished in subsection (b), and in collaboration with 
the Secretary of Transportation, the Administrator 
of General Services, industry partners, institutions 
of higher education, and National Laboratories, shall 
support demonstrations of advanced production of 
low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt that 
uses either— 
‘‘(A) a single technology or practice; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:18 Sep 25, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7685.RFS
H7685
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
HR 7685 RFS
‘‘(B) a combination of multiple tech-
nologies or practices. 
‘‘(2) SELECTION REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying 
out the demonstrations under paragraph (1), the 
Secretary shall select eligible entities to carry out 
demonstration projects and to the maximum extent 
practicable— 
‘‘(A) encourage regional diversity among 
eligible entities, including participation by enti-
ties located in rural areas; 
‘‘(B) 
encourage 
technological 
diversity 
among eligible entities; and 
‘‘(C) ensure that specific projects se-
lected— 
‘‘(i) expand on the existing technology 
demonstration programs of the Depart-
ment; 
‘‘(ii) are based on the extent of green-
house gas emissions reductions achieved; 
and 
‘‘(iii) prioritize leveraging matching 
funds from non-Federal sources. 
‘‘(3) REPORTS.—The Secretary shall submit to 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:18 Sep 25, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7685.RFS
H7685
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
HR 7685 RFS
the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate— 
‘‘(A) not less frequently than once every 
two years for the duration of the demonstra-
tions under paragraph (1), a report describing 
the performance of such demonstration; and 
‘‘(B) if any such demonstration is termi-
nated, an assessment of the success of, and 
education provided by, the measures carried out 
by such demonstration. 
‘‘(4) TERMINATION.—The Secretary may termi-
nate the demonstratives under paragraph (1) if the 
Secretary determines that sufficient low-emissions 
cement, concrete, and asphalt produced through ad-
vanced production are commercially available domes-
tically at a price comparable to the price of cement, 
concrete, and asphalt produced through traditional 
methods of production. 
‘‘(g) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the Secretary of Transportation, the Sec-
retary of Commerce (acting through the Director of 
the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology), the Administrator of General Services, the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:18 Sep 25, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7685.RFS
H7685
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
HR 7685 RFS
Agency, and appropriate representatives of relevant 
standards development organizations, shall provide 
technical assistance to eligible entities to carry out 
an activity described in paragraph (2) to promote 
the commercial application of technologies for the 
production and use of low-emissions cement, con-
crete, and asphalt. 
‘‘(2) ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED.—An activity re-
ferred to in paragraph (1) is any of the following: 
‘‘(A) Efforts related to collecting data that 
could be used in the updating of local codes, 
specifications, and standards to engineering 
performance-based standards. 
‘‘(B) A lifecycle assessment of the final 
product. 
‘‘(C) An environmental impact comparison 
between different cements, concretes, and as-
phalts. 
‘‘(D) A techno-economic assessment. 
‘‘(E) An environmental permitting or other 
regulatory process. 
‘‘(F) An evaluation or testing activity. 
‘‘(G) Any other activity that promotes the 
commercial application of technologies devel-
oped through the program under subsection (b). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:18 Sep 25, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7685.RFS
H7685
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS