KEEPS Act
Bill: H.R.9367 | Sponsor: Rep. Gohmert, Louie (R-TX)
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Keep Earth's Energy Prepared and Stored Act or the KEEPS Act
This bill requires the U.S. National Science Foundation to carry out a competition to award a cash prize to the first participant to develop the ability to store multi-megawatt electricity for 30 consecutive days with less than a 10% decrease in the electricity stored.

To authorize the National Science Foundation to award a monetary prize 
                for achievement in electricity storage.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Keep Earth's Energy Prepared and 
Stored Act'' or the ``KEEPS Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Dramatic advances have been made in the manner and 
        means of acquiring oil, natural gas, coal, and other forms of 
        carbon-based energy fuel.
            (2) Dramatic advances have been made in the manner and 
        means of producing new sources of energy.
            (3) Dramatic advances have been made in the manner and 
        means of producing electricity from various forms of fuel.
            (4) No dramatic advances have been made in the manner and 
        means of storing electricity, so electricity, when produced, 
        must flow and be used promptly or lost.
            (5) If the technology and the ability to store electricity 
        for even weeks or months were developed, the energy needs of 
        our Nation could be met through completely clean and 
        environmentally friendly means.
            (6) The value to the United States of being able to 
        efficiently store electricity for 30 days or more is 
        incalculable and would free the Nation from reliance on any 
        foreign energy or environmentally destructive sources.
            (7) Though $500,000,000 is a sizable cash prize, if such a 
        prize produced the technology and the ability to store 
        electricity, it would save every American incalculable amounts 
        of money.

SEC. 3. PRIZE AUTHORITY.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the National Science Foundation 
(in this Act referred to as the ``Director'') shall carry out a 
competition to award a cash prize to the first participant to develop 
the ability to store multi-megawatt electricity for 30 consecutive days 
with less than a 10 percent decrease in the electricity stored.
    (b) Administering the Competition.--The Director shall--
            (1) widely advertise the prize competition; and
            (2) develop any additional criteria and definitions 
        necessary to award the prize authorized under this Act, with 
        the intention of this Act to be able to immediately, after the 
        award of the prize, be capable of building facilities that will 
        store electricity for wide scale grid usage.

SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY.

    To be eligible to win the prize under this Act, an individual or 
entity--
            (1) in the case of a private entity, shall be incorporated 
        in and maintain a primary place of business in the United 
        States, and in the case of an individual, whether participating 
        singly or in a group, shall be a citizen of, or an alien 
        lawfully admitted for permanent residence in, the United 
        States; and
            (2) shall not be a Federal entity, a Federal employee 
        acting within the scope of his employment, or an employee of a 
        national laboratory acting within the scope of his employment.

SEC. 5. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

    The Federal Government shall not, by virtue of offering or awarding 
the prize under this Act, be entitled to any intellectual property 
rights derived as a consequence of the participation by a participant 
in the prize competition authorized by this Act. This section shall not 
be construed to prevent the Federal Government from negotiating a 
license for the use of intellectual property developed for the prize 
competition under this Act.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $500,000,000 to carry out this Act.
    (b) Carryover of Funds.--Funds appropriated to carry out this Act 
shall remain available until expended.

SEC. 7. NONSUBSTITUTION.

    The prize competition authorized under this Act shall not be 
considered a substitute for Federal research and development programs.
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