Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Act of 2015

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Smart Energy and Water Efficiency 
Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. SMART ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY PILOT PROGRAM.

    Subtitle A of title IX of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
16191 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 918. SMART ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY PILOT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) a utility;
                    ``(B) a municipality;
                    ``(C) a water district; and
                    ``(D) any other authority that provides water, 
                wastewater, or water reuse services.
            ``(2) Smart energy and water efficiency pilot program.--The 
        term `smart energy and water efficiency pilot program' or 
        `pilot program' means the pilot program established under 
        subsection (b).
    ``(b) Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Pilot Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish and carry 
        out a smart energy and water efficiency pilot program in 
        accordance with this section.
            ``(2) Purpose.--The purpose of the smart energy and water 
        efficiency pilot program is to award grants to eligible 
        entities to demonstrate novel and innovative technology-based 
        solutions that will--
                    ``(A) increase the energy efficiency of water, 
                wastewater, and water reuse systems;
                    ``(B) improve energy efficiency of water, 
                wastewater, and water reuse systems to help communities 
                across the United States make significant progress in 
                conserving water, saving energy, and reducing costs; 
                and
                    ``(C) support the implementation of innovative 
                processes and the installation of advanced automated 
                systems that provide real-time data on energy and 
                water.
            ``(3) Project selection.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall make 
                competitive, merit-reviewed grants under the pilot 
                program to not less than 3, but not more than 5, 
                eligible entities.
                    ``(B) Selection criteria.--In selecting an eligible 
                entity to receive a grant under the pilot program, the 
                Secretary shall consider--
                            ``(i) energy and cost savings;
                            ``(ii) the novelty of the technology to be 
                        used;
                            ``(iii) the degree to which the project 
                        integrates next-generation sensors, software, 
                        analytics, and management tools;
                            ``(iv) the anticipated cost-effectiveness 
                        of the pilot project in terms of energy 
                        efficiency savings, water savings or reuse, and 
                        infrastructure costs averted;
                            ``(v) whether the technology can be 
                        deployed in a variety of geographic regions and 
                        the degree to which the technology can be 
                        implemented on a smaller or larger scale; and
                            ``(vi) whether the project will be 
                        completed in 5 years or less.
                    ``(C) Applications.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), 
                        an eligible entity seeking a grant under the 
                        pilot program shall submit to the Secretary an 
                        application at such time, in such manner, and 
                        containing such information as the Secretary 
                        determines to be necessary.
                            ``(ii) Contents.--An application under 
                        clause (i) shall, at a minimum, include--
                                    ``(I) a description of the project;
                                    ``(II) a description of the 
                                technology to be used in the project;
                                    ``(III) the anticipated results, 
                                including energy and water savings, of 
                                the project;
                                    ``(IV) a comprehensive budget for 
                                the project;
                                    ``(V) the names of the project lead 
                                organization and any partners;
                                    ``(VI) the number of users to be 
                                served by the project; and
                                    ``(VII) any other information that 
                                the Secretary determines to be 
                                necessary to complete the review and 
                                selection of a grant recipient.
            ``(4) Administration.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 300 days after 
                the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary 
                shall select grant recipients under this section.
                    ``(B) Evaluations.--The Secretary shall annually 
                carry out an evaluation of each project for which a 
                grant is provided under this section that--
                            ``(i) evaluates the progress and impact of 
                        the project; and
                            ``(ii) assesses the degree to which the 
                        project is meeting the goals of the pilot 
                        program.
                    ``(C) Technical and policy assistance.--On the 
                request of a grant recipient, the Secretary shall 
                provide technical and policy assistance.
                    ``(D) Best practices.--The Secretary shall make 
                available to the public--
                            ``(i) a copy of each evaluation carried out 
                        under subparagraph (B); and
                            ``(ii) a description of any best practices 
                        identified by the Secretary as a result of 
                        those evaluations.
                    ``(E) Report to congress.--The Secretary shall 
                submit to Congress a report containing the results of 
                each evaluation carried out under subparagraph (B).
    ``(c) Funding.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall use not less than 
        $7,500,000 of amounts made available to the Secretary to carry 
        out this section.
            ``(2) Prioritization.--In funding activities under this 
        section, the Secretary shall prioritize funding in the 
        following manner:
                    ``(A) Any unobligated amounts made available to the 
                Secretary to carry out the activities of the Energy 
                Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office.
                    ``(B) Any unobligated amounts (other than those 
                described in subparagraph (A)) made available to the 
                Secretary.''.

Summary: Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Act of 2015 This bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish and carry out a smart energy and water efficiency pilot program to award grants to utilities, municipalities, water districts, and other water authorities for demonstrating novel and innovative technology-based solutions that will:   increase the energy efficiency of water, wastewater, and water reuse systems;  improve those systems to help communities make significant progress in conserving water, saving energy, and reducing costs; and  support the implementation of innovative processes and the installation of advanced automated systems that provide real-time data on energy and water.  DOE must annually evaluate each grant project and make best practices identified in the evaluations available to the public.