Regional Clean Energy Innovation Act
Bill: H.R.6533 | Sponsor: Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne (D-OR)
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Regional Clean Energy Innovation Act
This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish an Office of Advanced Clean Energy Technologies to advance mid-stage and late-stage innovation, development, demonstration, and commercialization of clean energy technologies to further regional net-zero greenhouse gas emissions pathways.

To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish an Office of Advanced 
   Clean Energy Technologies to manage a network of Regional Energy 
     Innovation and Development Institutes to advance clean energy 
                 technologies, 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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Regional Clean Energy Innovation 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Clean energy technology.--The term ``clean energy 
        technology'' means a technology, production process, or 
        methodology that--
                    (A) produces energy from solar, wind, geothermal, 
                biomass, tidal, wave, ocean, or another renewable 
                energy source (as defined in section 609 of the Public 
                Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 
                918c));
                    (B) more efficiently transmits, distributes, or 
                stores energy;
                    (C) enhances energy efficiency for buildings, 
                manufacturing processes, and industry, including 
                combined heat and power;
                    (D) enables the development of a Smart Grid (as 
                described in section 1301 of the Energy Independence 
                and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17381)), including 
                integration of renewable energy sources and distributed 
                generation, demand response, demand side management, 
                and systems analysis;
                    (E) produces an advanced or sustainable material 
                with clean energy or energy efficiency applications; or
                    (F) improves energy efficiency for transportation, 
                including electric vehicles.
            (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Office of Advanced Clean Energy Technologies.
            (3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        State, a unit of local government, a Tribal government, an 
        institution of higher education, a business, a National 
        Laboratory, a labor organization, and any other entity the 
        Secretary determines appropriate.
            (4) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory'' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 2(3) of the Energy 
        Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801(3)).
            (5) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office of 
        Advanced Clean Energy Technologies established under section 
        3(a).
            (6) Regional energy innovation and development institute or 
        reidi.--The term ``Regional Energy Innovation and Development 
        Institute'' or ``REIDI'' means a partnership--
                    (A) of at least 2 eligible entities; and
                    (B) that is designated by the Director under the 
                program established under section 3(e).
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.

SEC. 3. OFFICE OF ADVANCED CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish an Office of 
Advanced Clean Energy Technologies within the Department of Energy.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Office is to advance mid-stage and 
late-stage innovation, development, demonstration, and 
commercialization of clean energy technologies, in accordance with 
regional capabilities and market needs, in order to further regional 
net-zero greenhouse gas emissions pathways.
    (c) Director.--The Office shall be headed by a Director who shall 
be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the 
Senate, and shall report to the Secretary.
    (d) Duties.--The duties of the Director shall include--
            (1) assessing regional capabilities to develop and utilize, 
        and market needs for, clean energy technologies;
            (2) analyzing region-specific pathways to decarbonization 
        and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions to inform the designation 
        of Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes;
            (3) establishing and carrying out the program described in 
        subsection (e);
            (4) establishing and maintaining a staff with sufficient 
        qualifications and expertise to enable the Office to carry out 
        its duties in conjunction with other operations of the 
        Department of Energy; and
            (5) coordinating with National Laboratories and other 
        Federal agencies, offices, and programs, including the Economic 
        Development Administration, to avoid duplication of effort and 
        to work together to address gaps in mid-stage and late-stage 
        innovation, demonstration, deployment, and commercialization of 
        clean energy technologies.
    (e) Program To Designate and Support REIDIs.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall establish and carry out 
        a program to designate, and provide financial assistance and 
        other support to, Regional Energy Innovation and Development 
        Institutes in accordance with this subsection.
            (2) Program contents.--In carrying out the program 
        established under paragraph (1) the Director shall--
                    (A) establish goals for Regional Energy Innovation 
                and Development Institutes and publicize the goals to 
                eligible entities;
                    (B) support the creation and development of 
                Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes 
                by providing incentives to eligible entities to 
                organize as partnerships and address specific targeted 
                clean energy technologies and market intersections;
                    (C) provide assistance to partnerships of eligible 
                entities in applying to be designated as Regional 
                Energy Innovation and Development Institutes;
                    (D) designate partnerships of eligible entities as 
                Regional Energy Innovation and Development Institutes, 
                taking into consideration--
                            (i) an appropriate balance of geographical 
                        interests;
                            (ii) existing clean energy technology 
                        innovation efforts, including innovation 
                        efforts of National Laboratories, and other 
                        resources;
                            (iii) regional variations in energy supply 
                        and demand and in resilience of energy supply 
                        and demand;
                            (iv) the potential for job creation in the 
                        area to be served by the proposed Regional 
                        Energy Innovation and Development Institute 
                        from mid-stage and late-stage innovation, 
                        demonstration, deployment, and 
                        commercialization of clean energy technologies; 
                        and
                            (v) the extent to which the proposed 
                        Regional Energy Innovation and Development 
                        Institute will address environmental justice 
                        and energy issues for rural and low-income 
                        households, communities of color, Tribal 
                        communities, and communities that are 
                        disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of 
                        climate change and greenhouse gas emissions;
                    (E) promote collaboration and resource sharing 
                among Regional Energy Innovation and Development 
                Institutes;
                    (F) in collaboration with National Laboratories, 
                provide technical assistance to Regional Energy 
                Innovation and Development Institutes;
                    (G) provide financial assistance to Regional Energy 
                Innovation and Development Institutes to carry out 
                activities described in paragraph (3);
                    (H) share best practices for establishing and 
                operating Regional Energy Innovation and Development 
                Institutes;
                    (I) support Regional Energy Innovation and 
                Development Institutes in the navigation of regulatory 
                processes; and
                    (J) assess the success of the Regional Energy 
                Innovation and Development Institutes through the 
                establishment of technical milestones, which shall be 
                used to determine whether to terminate the designation 
                of Regional Energy Innovation and Development 
                Institutes that are not achieving such milestones.
            (3) Use of funds.--A Regional Energy Innovation and 
        Development Institute may use financial assistance provided 
        under the program established under paragraph (1) to carry out 
        activities that advance mid-stage and late-stage innovation, 
        development, demonstration, and commercialization of clean 
        energy technologies, in accordance with regional capabilities 
        and market needs, in order to further regional net-zero 
        greenhouse gas emissions pathways, including activities that--
                    (A) facilitate commercialization of clean energy 
                technologies through collaboration with relevant 
                regulatory authorities and identification of regulatory 
                structures that create obstacles to deployment and 
                commercialization of clean energy technologies;
                    (B) connect eligible entities that are partners in 
                the Regional Energy Innovation and Development 
                Institute to technical resources, modeling, and test 
                beds;
                    (C) foster mentorship, business development, 
                education, and research and development investments 
                relating to clean energy technologies; and
                    (D) design and implement initiatives to stimulate 
                market demand for clean energy technologies that will 
                substantially contribute to regional net-zero 
                greenhouse gas emissions pathways.
            (4) Cost share.--The Federal share of the cost of any 
        activity carried out by a Regional Energy Innovation and 
        Development Institute shall be not more than 50 percent.
            (5) Applications.--To apply for designation as a Regional 
        Energy Innovation and Development Institute, and for financial 
        and other assistance, under the program established under 
        paragraph (1), a partnership of eligible entities shall submit 
        an application to the Director that includes--
                    (A) a description of the eligible entities in the 
                partnership;
                    (B) a description of the geographical region that 
                will be represented by the Regional Energy Innovation 
                and Development Institute;
                    (C) a plan for and description of the activities to 
                be carried out by the Regional Energy Innovation and 
                Development Institute with Federal funds, including a 
                description of how such activities will--
                            (i) align with State, local, regional, and 
                        Tribal policies;
                            (ii) contribute to job creation;
                            (iii) contribute to regional net-zero 
                        greenhouse gas emissions pathways and 
                        reductions in greenhouse gas emissions; and
                            (iv) address market need in deployment, and 
                        increase market competitiveness, of clean 
                        energy technologies;
                    (D) a description of the clean energy sectors that 
                will be served by the Regional Energy Innovation and 
                Development Institute, and how such sectors were 
                identified in relation to regional market needs;
                    (E) a description of the non-Federal funding 
                sources to be utilized in carrying out the activities 
                of the Regional Energy Innovation and Development 
                Institute; and
                    (F) such other information as the Director may 
                require.
    (f) Reports and Plan.--
            (1) Annual report.--The Director shall annually submit to 
        Congress, as part of the Department of Energy's annual budget 
        submitted for a fiscal year, a report describing activities 
        conducted by each Regional Energy Innovation and Development 
        Institute during the previous fiscal year.
            (2) Strategic plan.--Not later than one year after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, and at least once every 5 years 
        thereafter, the Director shall submit to Congress a strategic 
        plan for the Office for the following 5 years that includes a 
        plan for how the Office will advance mid-stage and late-stage 
        innovation, development, demonstration, and commercialization 
        of clean energy technologies, in accordance with regional 
        capabilities and market needs, in order to further regional 
        net-zero greenhouse gas emissions pathways.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated, for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027, $150,000,000 
to carry out this section, of which not more than $25,000,000 shall be 
for the administrative expenses of the Office each fiscal year.
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