Solar Fuels Innovation Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Solar Fuels Innovation Act''.

SEC. 2. SOLAR FUELS BASIC RESEARCH INITIATIVE.

    (a) Amendment.--Section 973 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 16313) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 973. SOLAR FUELS BASIC RESEARCH INITIATIVE.

    ``(a) Initiative.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a research 
        initiative, to be known as the Solar Fuels Basic Research 
        Initiative, to expand theoretical and fundamental knowledge of 
        photochemistry, electrochemistry, biochemistry, and materials 
        science useful for the practical development of experimental 
        systems to convert solar energy to chemical energy.
            ``(2) Leveraging.--The Secretary shall leverage expertise 
        and resources from the Basic Energy Sciences Program and 
        Biological and Environmental Research Program within the Office 
        of Science, and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
        Energy, as provided under subsections (b) and (c).
            ``(3) Teams.--The Secretary shall organize activities under 
        the Solar Fuels Basic Research Initiative to include 
        multidisciplinary teams leveraging expertise from the National 
        Laboratories, universities, and the private sector to the 
        extent practicable. These multidisciplinary teams shall pursue 
        aggressive, milestone-driven basic research goals. The 
        Secretary shall provide sufficient resources for those teams to 
        achieve those goals over a period of time to be determined by 
        the Secretary.
            ``(4) Additional activities.--The Secretary is authorized 
        to organize additional activities under this subsection through 
        Energy Frontier Research Centers, Energy Innovation Hubs, or 
        other organizational structures.
    ``(b) Artificial Photosynthesis.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall, as part of the 
        Solar Fuels Basic Research Initiative, carry out a program to 
        support research needed to bridge scientific barriers and 
        discover knowledge relevant to artificial photosynthetic 
        systems. In carrying out activities under this subsection, the 
        Director of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences shall support 
        basic research to pursue distinct lines of scientific inquiry, 
        including photoinduced production of hydrogen and oxygen from 
        water, and the sustainable photoinduced reduction of carbon 
        dioxide to fuel products including hydrocarbons, alcohols, 
        carbon monoxide, and natural gas. The Assistant Secretary for 
        Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy shall support 
        translational research, development, and validation of physical 
        concepts developed under this subsection.
            ``(2) Standard of review.--The Secretary shall review the 
        program activities under this subsection to determine the 
        achievement of technical milestones.
            ``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--
                    ``(A) Authorization.--Subject to subsection (d), 
                there are authorized for carrying out activities under 
                this subsection for each of fiscal years 2017 through 
                2020--
                            ``(i) $50,000,000 from funds within the 
                        Basic Energy Sciences Program account; and
                            ``(ii) $25,000,000 from funds within the 
                        Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account.
                    ``(B) Prohibition.--No funds authorized under this 
                subsection may be obligated or expended for commercial 
                application of energy technology.
    ``(c) Biochemistry, Replication of Natural Photosynthesis, and 
Related Processes.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall, as part of the 
        Solar Fuels Basic Research Initiative, carry out a program to 
        support research needed to replicate natural photosynthetic 
        processes by use of artificial photosynthetic components and 
        materials. In carrying out activities under this subsection, 
        the Director of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences shall 
        support basic research to expand fundamental knowledge to 
        replicate natural synthesis processes, including the 
        photoinduced reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia, absorption of 
        carbon dioxide from ambient air, molecular-based charge 
        separation and storage, photoinitiated electron transfer, and 
        catalysis in biological or biomimetic systems. The Associate 
        Director of Biological and Environmental Research shall support 
        systems biology and genomics approaches to understand genetic 
        and physiological pathways connected to photosynthetic 
        mechanisms. The Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and 
        Renewable Energy shall support translational research, 
        development, and validation of physical concepts developed 
        under this subsection.
            ``(2) Standard of review.--The Secretary shall review the 
        program activities under this subsection to determine the 
        achievement of technical milestones.
            ``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--
                    ``(A) Authorization.--Subject to subsection (d), 
                there are authorized for carrying out activities under 
                this subsection for each of fiscal years 2017 through 
                2020--
                            ``(i) $50,000,000 from funds within the 
                        Basic Energy Sciences Program and Biological 
                        and Environmental Research Program accounts; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) $25,000,000 from funds within the 
                        Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account.
                    ``(B) Prohibition.--No funds authorized under this 
                subsection may be obligated or expended for commercial 
                application of energy technology.
    ``(d) Funding.--No additional funds are authorized to be 
appropriated under this section. This section shall be carried out 
using funds otherwise authorized by law.''.
    (b) Table of Contents Amendment.--The item relating to section 973 
in the table of contents of such Act is amended to read as follows:

``Sec. 973. Solar Fuels Basic Research Initiative.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 11, 2016.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.

Summary: Solar Fuels Innovation Act (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 by requiring the Department of Energy (DOE) to carry out the Solar Fuels Basic Research Initiative to expand scientific knowledge about converting solar energy into chemical energy. Specifically, DOE must support research about: (1) replicating natural photosynthetic processes in artificial photosynthesis processes, and (2) generating a variety of fuels produced from sunlight through artificial photosynthesis. (A photosynthetic process is one used by plants to convert light from the sun into chemical energy. Artificial, human-made photosynthesis mimics the natural process.) Appropriations authorized under the bill may not be obligated or expended for commercial application of energy technology. The bill repeals a requirement for DOE to support a research and development program in catalysis science (the acceleration of a chemical reaction by a catalyst).