Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving 
the Environment Act'' or the ``SENSE Act''.

SEC. 2. STANDARDS FOR COAL REFUSE POWER PLANTS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Boiler operating day.--The term ``boiler operating 
        day'' has the meaning given such term in section 63.10042 of 
        title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 
        regulation.
            (3) Coal refuse.--The term ``coal refuse'' means any 
        byproduct of coal mining, physical coal cleaning, or coal 
        preparation operation that contains coal, matrix material, 
        clay, and other organic and inorganic material.
            (4) Coal refuse electric utility steam generating unit.--
        The term ``coal refuse electric utility steam generating unit'' 
        means an electric utility steam generating unit that--
                    (A) is in operation as of the date of enactment of 
                this Act;
                    (B) uses fluidized bed combustion technology to 
                convert coal refuse into energy; and
                    (C) uses coal refuse as at least 75 percent of the 
                annual fuel consumed, by heat input, of the unit.
            (5) Coal refuse-fired facility.--The term ``coal refuse-
        fired facility'' means all coal refuse electric utility steam 
        generating units that are--
                    (A) located on one or more contiguous or adjacent 
                properties;
                    (B) specified within the same Major Group (2-digit 
                code), as described in the Standard Industrial 
                Classification Manual (1987); and
                    (C) under common control of the same person (or 
                persons under common control).
            (6) Electric utility steam generating unit.--The term 
        ``electric utility steam generating unit'' means an electric 
        utility steam generating unit, as such term is defined in 
        section 63.10042 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, or 
        any successor regulation.
    (b) Emission Limitations To Address Hydrogen Chloride and Sulfur 
Dioxide as Hazardous Air Pollutants.--
            (1) Applicability.--For purposes of regulating emissions of 
        hydrogen chloride or sulfur dioxide from a coal refuse electric 
        utility steam generating unit under section 112 of the Clean 
        Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7412), the Administrator--
                    (A) shall authorize the operator of such unit to 
                elect that such unit comply with either--
                            (i) an emissions standard for emissions of 
                        hydrogen chloride that meets the requirements 
                        of paragraph (2); or
                            (ii) an emission standard for emissions of 
                        sulfur dioxide that meets the requirements of 
                        paragraph (2); and
                    (B) may not require that such unit comply with both 
                an emission standard for emissions of hydrogen chloride 
                and an emission standard for emissions of sulfur 
                dioxide.
            (2) Rules for emission limitations.--
                    (A) In general.--The Administrator shall require an 
                operator of a coal refuse electric utility steam 
                generating unit to comply, at the election of the 
                operator, with no more than one of the following 
                emission standards:
                            (i) An emission standard for emissions of 
                        hydrogen chloride from such unit that is no 
                        more stringent than an emission rate of 0.002 
                        pounds per million British thermal units of 
                        heat input.
                            (ii) An emission standard for emissions of 
                        hydrogen chloride from such unit that is no 
                        more stringent than an emission rate of 0.02 
                        pounds per megawatt-hour.
                            (iii) An emission standard for emissions of 
                        sulfur dioxide from such unit that is no more 
                        stringent than an emission rate of 0.20 pounds 
                        per million British thermal units of heat 
                        input.
                            (iv) An emission standard for emissions of 
                        sulfur dioxide from such unit that is no more 
                        stringent than an emission rate of 1.5 pounds 
                        per megawatt-hour.
                            (v) An emission standard for emissions of 
                        sulfur dioxide from such unit that is no more 
                        stringent than capture and control of 93 
                        percent of sulfur dioxide across the generating 
                        unit or group of generating units, as 
                        determined by comparing--
                                    (I) the expected sulfur dioxide 
                                generated from combustion of fuels 
                                emissions calculated based upon as-
                                fired fuel samples, to
                                    (II) the actual sulfur dioxide 
                                emissions as measured by a sulfur 
                                dioxide continuous emission monitoring 
                                system.
                    (B) Measurement.--An emission standard described in 
                subparagraph (A) shall be measured as a 30 boiler 
                operating day rolling average per coal refuse electric 
                utility steam generating unit or group of coal refuse 
                electric utility steam generating units located at a 
                single coal refuse-fired facility.

            Passed the House of Representatives March 8, 2018.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.

Summary: (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on January 12, 2018.  Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment Act or the SENSE Act (Sec. 2) This bill eases emission limits for hazardous air pollutants from electric utility steam generating units (electric power plants) that convert coal refuse into energy. The Environmental Protection Agency must allow utilities to select a standard for either hydrogen chloride or sulfur dioxide with which to comply from a list of specified standards.