LOWER Energy Bills Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.9576 | Sponsor: Rep. Castor, Kathy (D-FL)
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Leveraging Our Water and Energy data to Reduce Energy Bills Act of 2022 or the LOWER Energy Bills Act of 2022
This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to develop and implement a benchmarking and transparency initiative for certain types of properties (such as commercial or multifamily properties) to (1) advance the knowledge of owners and occupants regarding building energy and water use and greenhouse gas emissions, and (2) inform efforts to reduce energy and water use and greenhouse gas emissions nationwide.

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
 develop and carry out a benchmarking and transparency initiative for 
   commercial and multifamily properties to advance knowledge about 
 building energy and water use and greenhouse gas emissions and inform 
   efforts to reduce energy and water consumption and greenhouse gas 
             emissions nationwide, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Leveraging Our 
Water and Energy data to Reduce Energy Bills Act of 2022'' or the 
``LOWER Energy Bills Act of 2022''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Covered property benchmarking and transparency initiative.
Sec. 4. National benchmarking requirement.
Sec. 5. Exemptions and extensions.
Sec. 6. Data transparency and sharing.
Sec. 7. Federal assistance.
Sec. 8. Penalties.
Sec. 9. Report.
Sec. 10. Residential benchmarking study.
Sec. 11. Regulations.
Sec. 12. Definitions.
Sec. 13. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The climate crisis is raging and is already imposing 
        significant costs on the economy of the United States.
            (2) The Biden-Harris Administration has committed to 
        reducing harmful climate pollution by 50 to 52 percent below 
        2005 levels economy-wide by 2030.
            (3) Increasing energy efficiency will improve energy 
        security, save money on energy bills, create jobs, and reduce 
        harmful climate pollution.
            (4) Building energy benchmarking and disclosure helps 
        provide transparency in building energy efficiency and has 
        provided substantial benefits at affordable costs to State and 
        local governments who have adopted benchmarking, including 
        reducing energy use and emissions, helping tenants become 
        informed about the utility costs associated with properties, 
        helping tenants experience better health and comfort in 
        properties, helping building owners experience lower vacancy 
        and turnover rates, and allowing policymakers to make more 
        informed decisions about future energy efficiency policies.
            (5) A Federal benchmarking requirement will reduce harmful 
        climate pollution that crosses State boundaries, provide 
        information for people relocating to other States, and 
        harmonize building energy efficiency and disclosure 
        requirements in metropolitan areas that cross State lines.

SEC. 3. COVERED PROPERTY BENCHMARKING AND TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE.

    (a) Purpose.--The Administrator shall develop and carry out a 
benchmarking and transparency initiative for covered properties the 
purpose of which is to--
            (1) advance the knowledge of owners and occupants regarding 
        building energy and water use and greenhouse gas emissions; and
            (2) inform efforts to reduce energy and water use and 
        greenhouse gas emissions nationwide.
    (b) Consultation and Coordination.--In developing the initiative, 
the Administrator shall consult with and coordinate with the Secretary, 
other relevant agencies, and relevant stakeholders, including State and 
local governments with relevant benchmarking programs and experts from 
academia, nonprofits, and industry.
    (c) Existing Programs.--In developing the initiative, the 
Administrator shall make appropriate use of existing Federal programs.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL BENCHMARKING REQUIREMENT.

    (a) In General.--In carrying out the initiative, the Administrator 
shall require each owner of a covered property to, as applicable, 
submit data annually to the Administrator (in this Act referred to as a 
``benchmarking submission'') in accordance with this section.
    (b) Benchmarking Schedule.--
            (1) In general.--The owner of a covered property shall, as 
        applicable, make a benchmarking submission for the covered 
        property with respect to the previous calendar year not later 
        than--
                    (A) for a covered property that is greater than 
                200,000 square feet in gross floor area--
                            (i) May 1, 2025; and
                            (ii) May 1 of each calendar year 
                        thereafter;
                    (B) for a covered property that is greater than 
                100,000 square feet in gross floor area, but equal to 
                or less than 200,000 square feet in gross floor area--
                            (i) May 1, 2026; and
                            (ii) May 1 of each calendar year 
                        thereafter; and
                    (C) for a covered property that is greater than 
                50,000 square feet in gross floor area, but equal to or 
                less than 100,000 square feet in gross floor area--
                            (i) May 1, 2027; and
                            (ii) May 1 of each calendar year 
                        thereafter.
            (2) Smaller covered properties.--The Administrator may, as 
        the Administrator determines appropriate, require an owner of a 
        covered property that is equal to or less than 50,000 square 
        feet in gross floor area to make a benchmarking submission for 
        the covered property with respect to the previous calendar 
        year.
    (c) Notification.--
            (1) First submissions.--Between January 1 and March 1 of 
        each year, for at least the first 3 years during which an owner 
        of a covered property is required to make a benchmarking 
        submission, the Administrator shall attempt to notify such 
        owner of such requirement via direct mail, electronically via 
        email, or through a public posting on a website.
            (2) Failure to notify.--Failure of the Administrator to 
        notify an owner of a covered property under this subsection 
        shall not affect the obligation of such owner to make a 
        benchmarking submission.
    (d) Benchmarking Data Collection and Reporting.--
            (1) Requirements.--
                    (A) In general.--The Administrator shall develop 
                requirements for benchmarking submissions.
                    (B) Failure to develop requirements.--If the 
                Administrator fails to develop requirements pursuant to 
                subparagraph (A), the owner of a covered property shall 
                make a benchmarking submission in accordance with 
                paragraphs (2) and (3).
                    (C) Updating requirements.--The Administrator may 
                periodically update the requirements developed under 
                this paragraph to increase data transparency for the 
                purposes of reducing energy and water use and 
                greenhouse gas emissions of covered properties.
            (2) Data requirements.--The requirements developed under 
        paragraph (1) shall include a requirement that each 
        benchmarking submission for a covered property include--
                    (A) descriptive information about the covered 
                property; and
                    (B) information about the operational 
                characteristics of the covered property, including--
                            (i) aggregated whole-building data 
                        regarding energy and water use for the covered 
                        property compiled or submitted in accordance 
                        with subsection (e); and
                            (ii) any other information that is required 
                        by the Administrator for purposes of the Energy 
                        Star Portfolio Manager.
            (3) Verification requirement.--
                    (A) In general.--The requirements developed under 
                paragraph (1) shall include a requirement that each 
                owner of a covered property verify, not less than once 
                every 3 years, as applicable, that data submitted in 
                each benchmarking submission for the covered property, 
                including data regarding energy and water use for the 
                covered property, is accurate.
                    (B) Requirements.--The Administrator shall develop 
                requirements for verification of data required under 
                subparagraph (A), including requirements related to 
                third-party data verification, the use of licensed 
                professionals for such verification, and any 
                appropriate waivers for such verification.
    (e) Aggregated Whole-Building Data.--
            (1) Compilation of data.--For purposes of meeting the 
        requirements of the initiative, an owner of a covered property 
        may obtain aggregated whole-building data on the energy and 
        water use of the covered property--
                    (A) by obtaining such data from an electric 
                utility, gas utility, or public water system pursuant 
                to paragraph (2);
                    (B) by collecting such data from all tenants 
                pursuant to paragraph (3); or
                    (C) by reading a master meter or reading all meters 
                serving the covered property.
            (2) Energy and water data.--
                    (A) Request.--An owner of a covered property may 
                request, for purposes of meeting the requirements of 
                the initiative, that an electric utility, gas utility, 
                or public water system--
                            (i) provide the owner aggregated whole-
                        building data on the energy or water use of the 
                        covered property; and
                            (ii) directly submit to the Administrator 
                        aggregated whole-building data on the energy or 
                        water use of the covered property.
                    (B) Fulfillment of request.--
                            (i) In general.--An electric utility, gas 
                        utility, or public water system shall, not 
                        later than 10 days after receiving a request 
                        from an owner of a covered property under 
                        subparagraph (A), provide the owner aggregated 
                        whole-building data on the energy or water use 
                        of the covered property and submit to the 
                        Administrator aggregated whole-building data on 
                        the energy or water use of the covered 
                        property, provided that--
                                    (I) the number of individually 
                                metered accounts associated with the 
                                covered property is at least 4; or
                                    (II) the electric utility, gas 
                                utility, or public water system 
                                receives consent from tenants, or in 
                                the case of a condominium, receives 
                                consent from an individual unit owner, 
                                for the electric utility, gas utility, 
                                or public water system to provide and 
                                submit the data.
                            (ii) Exception.--Clause (i) shall not apply 
                        to a public water system, with respect to a 
                        covered property, if such public water system 
                        does not measure and record water usage of such 
                        covered property.
                    (C) Specifications.--Data provided or submitted 
                under subparagraph (B) shall--
                            (i) be provided in an electronic, 
                        automated, machine readable form, without 
                        additional charge;
                            (ii) include information on at least 24 
                        months of energy or water use; and
                            (iii) be provided in a manner that provides 
                        adequate protections for the security of the 
                        information and consumer privacy.
            (3) Tenant data.--If an electric utility, gas utility, or 
        public water system does not provide aggregated whole-building 
        data pursuant to this subsection, the owner of a covered 
        property shall request any information that cannot otherwise be 
        acquired by the owner and that is needed by the owner to comply 
        with the requirements of this section from each tenant or, in 
        the case of a condominium, an individual unit owner, located on 
        the covered property.
            (4) Use of data.--Nothing in this section shall be 
        construed to relieve covered property owners from compliance 
        with State or local laws governing direct access to utility 
        data by a tenant or, in the case of a condominium, an 
        individual unit owner, from the responsible electric utility, 
        gas utility, or public water system.
            (5) Unmetered water use.--In making a benchmarking 
        submission, the owner of a covered property shall not be 
        required to include aggregated whole-building data regarding 
        water use if the covered property does not have a meter that 
        measures and records water usage data.

SEC. 5. EXEMPTIONS AND EXTENSIONS.

    (a) State or Local Benchmarking.--
            (1) Exemption.--The owner of a covered property shall not 
        be required to make a benchmarking submission to comply with 
        the initiative with respect to the covered property for a 
        calendar year if the owner is required for such calendar year 
        to comply with a benchmarking requirement of a State or local 
        government that the Administrator has determined meets or 
        exceeds the benchmarking submission requirements under section 
        4.
            (2) Listing.--
                    (A) In general.--For purposes of this section, the 
                Administrator shall list, and update the list 
                periodically, the States and local governments that 
                have benchmarking requirements that meet or exceed the 
                benchmarking submission requirements under section 4.
                    (B) Removal.--The Administrator may remove a State 
                or local government from the list under subparagraph 
                (A) if the Administrator determines that the 
                benchmarking requirements of such State or local 
                government no longer meet or exceed the benchmarking 
                submission requirements under section 4, including due 
                to low compliance with the benchmarking requirements of 
                such State or local government.
    (b) Exemptions for Certain Conditions.--
            (1) Conditions.--The Administrator may grant an exemption 
        from making a benchmarking submission or a time extension for 
        making a benchmarking submission if the request for such 
        exemption or a time extension establishes that due to special 
        circumstances not based on a condition caused by actions of the 
        applicant, compliance with requirements of the initiative would 
        cause undue hardship or would not be in the public interest.
            (2) Determination.--The Administrator shall determine and 
        describe the circumstances in which the owner of a covered 
        property may be exempt from making a benchmarking submission or 
        may be granted a time extension for making a benchmarking 
        submission in accordance with this subsection.

SEC. 6. DATA TRANSPARENCY AND SHARING.

    (a) Data Transparency.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the initiative, the 
        Administrator shall, to help inform owners, managers, tenants, 
        and the market at large about a covered property's energy and 
        water use, annually make available, on a publicly accessible 
        website, the subset of data, determined in accordance with 
        paragraph (3), that is submitted to the Administrator as part 
        of a benchmarking submission for the previous calendar year for 
        such covered property.
            (2) Mapping and automated data access.--The Administrator 
        shall seek to make data made available under this subsection 
        easily accessible and interpretable, including--
                    (A) through interactive web-based maps, including 
                by city or region;
                    (B) by making the data available for download in 1 
                or more forms to enable analysis and use of the data;
                    (C) by encouraging real estate listing services to 
                include the data for all listed properties; and
                    (D) if the Administrator determines appropriate, by 
                assigning covered properties letter grades or other 
                categorical ratings based on such data to improve 
                understanding of the data.
            (3) Shared benchmarking information.--The Administrator 
        shall determine the subset of data submitted to the 
        Administrator as part of a benchmarking submission to be made 
        publicly available under paragraph (1), which shall include 
        gross floor area and the information described in section 
        4(d)(2)(B), as the Administrator determines appropriate.
            (4) Exclusions.--The Administrator may determine that data 
        be excluded from publication under this subsection because 
        publication of such data is not in the public interest.
    (b) Sharing of Data.--
            (1) Sharing of nonanonymized data.--The Administrator may 
        provide data regarding a covered property that is not 
        anonymized data from benchmarking submissions to any electric 
        utility, gas utility, or public water system serving the 
        covered property or to any Federal, State, county or city-
        managed energy efficiency or management program, provided that 
        the data will be used only for purposes of offering government 
        regulated programs, services, and incentives related to energy 
        and water efficiency and management.
            (2) Disclosure of anonymized data.--The Administrator may 
        disclose any data from benchmarking submissions to a third 
        party for academic or other non-commercial research purposes 
        provided that such data is anonymized data.

SEC. 7. FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Energy Star Portfolio Manager Support.--In carrying out the 
initiative, the Administrator shall improve the Energy Star Portfolio 
Manager and enhance implementation of the initiative, including by--
            (1) expanding the types of buildings eligible for Energy 
        Star scores;
            (2) considering the most effective use of data gathered 
        from the initiative and the Commercial Buildings Energy 
        Consumption Survey in determining timely and accurate Energy 
        Star scores for covered properties;
            (3) considering greenhouse gas emissions in determining 
        eligibility for Energy Star recognition; and
            (4) making any other improvements the Administrator 
        determines appropriate.
    (b) Technical and Financial Assistance.--
            (1) Technical assistance.--In carrying out the initiative, 
        the Administrator may provide technical assistance to any State 
        or local government that has or intends to establish a building 
        energy and water benchmarking requirement.
            (2) New benchmarking programs.--The Administrator may 
        provide financial assistance to States and local governments to 
        help such State and local governments establish building energy 
        and water benchmarking programs. Not later than 180 days after 
        the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
        develop application materials for State and local governments 
        to apply for such assistance and funding award limits for such 
        assistance.

SEC. 8. PENALTIES.

    (a) Penalties Assessed on Owners of Covered Properties.--
            (1) Written warning.--The Administrator shall issue a 
        written warning to an owner of a covered property if the 
        Administrator determines that the owner of the covered property 
        has--
                    (A) failed to submit a benchmarking submission for 
                the covered property by the applicable deadline under 
                section 4(b);
                    (B) misrepresented any material fact in a 
                benchmarking submission;
                    (C) submitted incomplete or inaccurate information 
                in a benchmarking submission; or
                    (D) failed to verify that data submitted in a 
                benchmarking submission for the covered property is 
                accurate in accordance with section 4(d).
            (2) Notice of violation and initial penalties.--If an owner 
        of a covered property does not make or appropriately update a 
        benchmarking submission, or verify data, as applicable, within 
        30 days of the date on which a written warning is issued to 
        such owner under paragraph (1), the Administrator may issue 
        such owner a notice of violation assessing a penalty of not 
        more than 1 cent per square foot of the applicable covered 
        property per month of noncompliance.
            (3) Subsequent penalties.--If an owner of a covered 
        property does not make or appropriately update a benchmarking 
        submission, or verify data, as applicable, within 90 days of 
        the date on which a notice of violation is issued to such owner 
        under paragraph (2), the Administrator may, at that time, and 
        every three months thereafter, assess an additional penalty 
        against such owner of not more than 2 cents per square foot of 
        the applicable covered property per month of noncompliance.
    (b) Penalties Assessed on Utilities.--
            (1) Written warning.--The Administrator shall issue a 
        written warning to an electric utility, gas utility, or public 
        water system that is, with respect to a covered property, 
        required under section 4(e)(2) to provide the owner of such 
        covered property aggregated whole-building data on the energy 
        or water use of the covered property and to submit to the 
        Administrator such aggregated whole-building data, if the 
        Administrator determines that the electric utility, gas 
        utility, or public water system has failed to provide or submit 
        such aggregated whole-building data in accordance with section 
        4(e)(2).
            (2) Notice of violation and initial penalties.--If an 
        electric utility, gas utility, or public water system that is 
        described in paragraph (1) and issued a written warning under 
        such paragraph does not provide or submit aggregated whole-
        building data to the applicable owner or to the Administrator 
        within 30 days of the date on which such written warning is 
        issued, the Administrator may issue such electric utility, gas 
        utility, or public water system a notice of violation assessing 
        a penalty of not more than $5,000 per violation.
            (3) Subsequent penalties.--If an electric utility, gas 
        utility, or public water system that is described in paragraph 
        (1) and issued a notice of violation under paragraph (2) does 
        not provide or submit aggregated whole-building data to the 
        applicable owner or the Administrator within 90 days of the 
        date on which such notice of violation is issued, the 
        Administrator may, at that time, and every three months 
        thereafter, assess an additional penalty against such electric 
        utility, gas utility, or public water system, of not more than 
        $10,000 per violation.

SEC. 9. REPORT.

    Not later than December 1, 2027, the Administrator shall conduct an 
assessment of the initiative, including an assessment of compliance 
rates for the initiative, and submit to Congress a report--
            (1) on the findings of the assessment, including--
                    (A) a summary of energy and water use data 
                submitted under the initiative;
                    (B) an evaluation of the accuracy, and issues 
                affecting the accuracy, of such data; and
                    (C) changes in the energy and water use and 
                greenhouse gas emissions of covered properties over 
                time; and
            (2) that includes any recommendations for modifications to 
        improve the impact of the assistance provided under section 
        7(b) to help achieve the purpose of the initiative.

SEC. 10. RESIDENTIAL BENCHMARKING STUDY.

    (a) In General.--In carrying out the initiative, the Administrator, 
in consultation and coordination with the Secretary, shall--
            (1) conduct a study on energy rating and assessment 
        programs for residential buildings, including--
                    (A) an evaluation of the impacts of State and local 
                energy benchmarking, energy audit, home energy rating, 
                and other related energy benchmarking and transparency 
                policies for residential buildings, including 
                multifamily units and single-family homes, on energy 
                use and emissions of greenhouse gases and other air 
                pollutants;
                    (B) identification of best practice policy 
                approaches studied under subparagraph (A), including 
                approaches for rating systems, that have resulted in 
                the greatest reductions in residential building energy 
                use and emissions of greenhouse gases and other air 
                pollutants; and
                    (C) consideration of the impacts of a Federal 
                residential benchmarking and transparency requirement 
                modeled after best practice policy approaches 
                identified under subparagraph (B), including on--
                            (i) the benefits and costs to homeowners, 
                        tenants, landlords, enforcement agencies, and 
                        other parties;
                            (ii) residential energy use;
                            (iii) residential emissions of greenhouse 
                        gases and other air pollutants;
                            (iv) distributional effects, especially for 
                        low-income communities and communities of 
                        color;
                            (v) housing affordability; and
                            (vi) energy insecurity; and
            (2) based on the study conducted under paragraph (1), 
        develop recommendations on changes to existing Federal programs 
        or new Federal policies, programs, or incentives to better 
        provide information on home energy use and emissions of 
        greenhouse gases and other air pollutants to homeowners and 
        tenants for the purposes of reducing residential energy use and 
        emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants and 
        alleviating household energy burdens.
    (b) Submission to Congress.--Not later than 12 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and 
Committees on Environment and Public Works and Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate a report on the results of the study conducted, 
and the recommendations developed under subsection (a).

SEC. 11. REGULATIONS.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator shall promulgate and revise such 
regulations as are necessary to carry out the initiative.
    (b) Initial Regulations.--The Administrator shall promulgate 
initial regulations under this section not later than 12 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 12. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Anonymized data.--The term ``anonymized data'' means 
        data that does not reveal names, addresses, or any other 
        information that would identify an individual or business.
            (3) Condominium.--The term ``condominium'' means a property 
        that combines separate ownership of individual units with 
        common ownership of other elements, such as common areas.
            (4) Covered property.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``covered property'' 
                means any of the following properties:
                            (i) A single building.
                            (ii) One or more buildings held in the 
                        condominium form of ownership.
                            (iii) A campus of two or more buildings 
                        which are owned and operated by the same party 
                        and are--
                                    (I) behind a common utility meter, 
                                or served by a common mechanical or 
                                electrical system (such as a chilled 
                                water loop), which would prevent the 
                                owner from being able to easily 
                                determine the energy use attributable 
                                to each of the individual buildings; or
                                    (II) used primarily as--
                                            (aa) an elementary or 
                                        secondary school;
                                            (bb) a hospital;
                                            (cc) a hotel;
                                            (dd) multifamily housing; 
                                        or
                                            (ee) a senior care 
                                        community.
                    (B) Exclusions.--The term ``covered property'' does 
                not include any of the following:
                            (i) Single family, duplex, triplex, and 
                        fourplex residential homes and related 
                        accessory structures, or any other residential 
                        building with less than 5 units.
                            (ii) Properties classified as manufacturing 
                        per designated Standard Industrial 
                        Classification (SIC) codes 20 through 39.
                            (iii) Other building types not meeting the 
                        purpose of the initiative, as determined by the 
                        Administrator.
            (5) Electric utility.--The term ``electric utility'' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Public Utility 
        Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2602).
            (6) Energy star portfolio manager.--The term ``Energy Star 
        Portfolio Manager'' means the tool developed and maintained by 
        the Administrator to track and assess the relative energy 
        performance of buildings.
            (7) Energy star score.--The term ``Energy Star score'' 
        means the 1-100 numeric rating generated by the Energy Star 
        Portfolio Manager as a measurement of a building's energy 
        efficiency.
            (8) Gas utility.--The term ``gas utility'' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 302 of the Public Utility Regulatory 
        Policies Act of 1978 (15 U.S.C. 3202).
            (9) Greenhouse gas.--The term ``greenhouse gas'' means the 
        air pollutants carbon dioxide, hydrofluorocarbons, methane, 
        nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.
            (10) Gross floor area.--The term ``gross floor area'' has 
        the meaning given such term in the glossary for the Energy Star 
        Portfolio Manager.
            (11) Initiative.--The term ``initiative'' means the 
        benchmarking and transparency initiative for commercial and 
        multifamily properties developed and carried out pursuant to 
        section 3.
            (12) Owner.--The term ``owner'' means any of the following:
                    (A) An individual or entity possessing title to a 
                property.
                    (B) In the case of a condominium, the board of the 
                owners' association or the master association, as 
                applicable.
                    (C) The board of directors, in the case of a 
                cooperative apartment corporation.
                    (D) An agent authorized to act on behalf of any 
                individual or entity described in subparagraph (A), 
                (B), or (C).
            (13) Public water system.--The term ``public water system'' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 1401(4) of the Safe 
        Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f(4)).
            (14) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, each territory or possession 
        of the United States, and the governing body of each federally 
        recognized Indian Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, or other 
        organized group or community which is recognized as eligible 
        for the special programs and services provided by the United 
        States to Indians because of their status as Indians.
            (15) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.

SEC. 13. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Initial Development and Regulations.--For each of fiscal years 
2023 through 2027, there is authorized to be appropriated to develop 
and carry out the initiative, including to promulgate initial 
regulations under section 11, $10,000,000, to remain available until 
expended.
    (b) Implementation of Initiative.--In addition to amounts 
authorized to be appropriated under subsection (a), for each of fiscal 
years 2023 through 2032, there is authorized to be appropriated--
            (1) $5,000,000 to carry out section 7(a), to remain 
        available until expended;
            (2) $50,000,000 to provide technical and financial 
        assistance under section 7(b), to remain available until 
        expended; and
            (3) $5,000,000 to carry out section 8, to remain available 
        until expended.
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