Title: Appalachian Regional Energy Hub Initiative Act
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Appalachian Regional Energy Hub Initiative Act
This bill authorizes the Appalachian Regional Commission to provide technical assistance and grants to individuals or entities in the Appalachian region for projects and activities (1) to conduct research and analysis regarding the impact of an ethane storage hub in the region, (2) with the potential to significantly contribute to the economic resilience of the area where the project is located, and (3) that will help establish a regional energy hub in the region for natural gas and natural gas liquids.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2280 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2280

  To amend title 40, United States Code, to establish an Appalachian 
        regional energy hub initiative, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 25, 2019

 Mrs. Capito (for herself and Mr. McConnell) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment 
                            and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 40, United States Code, to establish an Appalachian 
        regional energy hub initiative, 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 ``Appalachian Regional Energy Hub 
Initiative Act''.

SEC. 2. APPALACHIAN REGIONAL ENERGY HUB.

    (a) Appalachian Regional Energy Hub Initiative.--
            (1) In general.--Subchapter I of chapter 145 of subtitle IV 
        of title 40, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
        end the following:
``Sec. 14511. Appalachian regional energy hub initiative
    ``(a) In General.--The Appalachian Regional Commission may provide 
technical assistance to, make grants to, enter into contracts with, or 
otherwise provide amounts to individuals or entities in the Appalachian 
region for projects and activities--
            ``(1) to conduct research and analysis regarding the 
        economic impact of an ethane storage hub in the Appalachian 
        region that supports a more-effective energy market performance 
        due to the scale of the project, such as a project with the 
        capacity to store and distribute more than 100,000 barrels per 
        day of hydrocarbon feedstock with a minimum gross heating value 
        of 1,700 Btu per standard cubic foot;
            ``(2) with the potential to significantly contribute to the 
        economic resilience of the area in which the project is 
        located; and
            ``(3) that will help establish a regional energy hub in the 
        Appalachian region for natural gas and natural gas liquids, 
        including storage and associated pipelines.
    ``(b) Limitation on Available Amounts.--Of the cost of any activity 
eligible for a grant under this section--
            ``(1) not more than 50 percent may be provided from amounts 
        made available to carry out this section;
            ``(2) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
        county for which a distressed county designation is in effect 
        under section 14526, not more than 80 percent may be provided 
        from amounts made available to carry out this section; and
            ``(3) in the case of a project to be carried out in a 
        county for which an at-risk county designation is in effect 
        under section 14526, not more than 70 percent may be provided 
        from amounts made available to carry out this section.
    ``(c) Sources of Assistance.--Subject to subsection (b), a grant 
provided under this section may be provided from amounts made available 
to carry out this section, in combination with amounts made available--
            ``(1) under any other Federal program; or
            ``(2) from any other source.
    ``(d) Federal Share.--Notwithstanding any provision of law limiting 
the Federal share under any other Federal program, amounts made 
available to carry out this section may be used to increase that 
Federal share, as the Appalachian Regional Commission determines to be 
appropriate.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The analysis for subchapter I of 
        chapter 145 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by 
        inserting after the item relating to section 14510 the 
        following:

``14511. Appalachian regional energy hub initiative.''.
    (b) Authorizations.--Section 14703 of title 40, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as subsections 
        (e) and (f), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
    ``(d) Appalachian Regional Energy Hub Initiative.--Of the amounts 
made available under subsection (a), $5,000,000 shall be used to carry 
out section 14511 for each fiscal year.''.
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