Title: Water-Energy Technology Demonstration and Deployment Act
Policy area: Water Resources Development

Summary:
Water-Energy Technology Demonstration and Deployment Act
This bill directs the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy (DOE) to partner with at least one institution of higher education to form the Western Water Resilience Center to research the development, commercialization, and deployment of water and energy technologies. Interior shall also establish a pilot program within the Bureau of Reclamation to allow DOE participation in certain projects.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4228 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4228

    To provide for the demonstration and deployment of water-energy 
                 technologies, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 20, 2020

  Ms. McSally introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide for the demonstration and deployment of water-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 ``Water-Energy Technology 
Demonstration and Deployment Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the Western Water 
        Resilience Center established under section 4(a).
            (2) Eligible desalination project.--The term ``eligible 
        desalination project'' means a desalination or salinity 
        reduction facility or project--
                    (A) to which the Bureau of Reclamation holds title;
                    (B) that is operated by the Bureau of Reclamation; 
                or
                    (C) with respect to which the Bureau of Reclamation 
                is providing financial assistance.
            (3) Eligible energy efficiency project.--The term 
        ``eligible energy efficiency project'' means the design, study, 
        construction, expansion, upgrade, or capital repair of a water 
        delivery system to reduce energy consumption associated with 
        water delivery.
            (4) Eligible reuse project.--The term ``eligible reuse 
        project'' means a non-Federal water reuse and recycling 
        facility or project that contributes water to a region served 
        by 1 or more projects of the Bureau of Reclamation.
            (5) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy 
        Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
            (6) Program.--The term ``program'' means the pilot program 
        established under section 3(a)(1).
            (7) Reclamation state.--The term ``Reclamation State'' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 4014 of the Water 
        Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (43 U.S.C. 390b 
        note; Public Law 114-322).
            (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (9) Selected project.--The term ``selected project'' means 
        an eligible desalination project, eligible reuse project, or 
        eligible energy efficiency project selected for the program 
        under section 3(b).

SEC. 3. WATER-ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--To advance Federal energy-water nexus 
        research, technology development, policy, and other goals by 
        combining the resources of the Department of the Interior and 
        Department of Energy, the Secretary, in consultation with the 
        Secretary of Energy, shall establish within the Bureau of 
        Reclamation a pilot program that provides for the participation 
        of the Secretary of Energy in selected projects, in accordance 
        with paragraph (2).
            (2) Participation of secretary of energy in selected 
        projects.--The Secretary of Energy shall participate in a 
        selected project by--
                    (A) identifying research and programs at the 
                Department of Energy (including the National 
                Laboratories) applicable to the selected project;
                    (B) contributing funds to carry out the selected 
                project; or
                    (C) carrying out modeling, planning, designing, or 
                construction activities with respect to the selected 
                project.
            (3) Agreement.--The Secretary and the Secretary of Energy 
        shall enter into an agreement describing the responsibilities 
        of the Secretary and the Secretary of Energy, respectively, 
        with respect to, and the sources of funding for, each selected 
        project.
            (4) Required consultation.--The Secretary shall consult 
        with the Secretary of Energy with respect to any activities 
        carried out by the Secretary of Energy under the program.
    (b) Selection of Projects for Program.--
            (1) Eligible desalination projects.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary shall select not 
                fewer than 2, but not more than 5, eligible 
                desalination projects for the program that the 
                Secretary determines would--
                            (i) benefit from the participation of the 
                        Secretary of Energy; and
                            (ii) advance the objectives of existing 
                        research and development, technology 
                        commercialization, or grant programs being 
                        carried out by the Secretary of Energy 
                        (including at the National Laboratories) by--
                                    (I) lowering energy costs;
                                    (II) increasing the amount or 
                                efficiency of salt removal;
                                    (III) reducing salt discharge into 
                                waterways;
                                    (IV) improving water supply 
                                reliability; or
                                    (V) demonstrating a new technology 
                                or process.
                    (B) Inclusions.--Of the eligible desalination 
                projects selected under subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) not less than 1 shall be an eligible 
                        desalination project conducted in the upper 
                        Colorado River Basin that--
                                    (I) is authorized under the 
                                Colorado River Basin Salinity Control 
                                Act (43 U.S.C. 1571 et seq.); and
                                    (II) uses zero liquid discharge 
                                technology to remove naturally 
                                occurring salinity from entering a 
                                Colorado River Tributary; and
                            (ii) not less than 1 shall be an eligible 
                        desalination project conducted in the lower 
                        Colorado River Basin that--
                                    (I)(aa) is authorized under the 
                                Colorado River Basin Salinity Control 
                                Act (43 U.S.C. 1571 et seq.); and
                                    (bb) processes water to remove salt 
                                and returns the water to the main-stem 
                                of the Colorado River; or
                                    (II) would provide similar amounts 
                                of water to support Colorado River 
                                drought contingency operations, 
                                consistent with the Colorado River 
                                Drought Contingency Plan Authorization 
                                Act (Public Law 116-14; 133 Stat. 850), 
                                by improving efficiency in deliveries 
                                of Colorado River water, consistent 
                                with the treaty obligation of the 
                                United States to Mexico under the 
                                Agreement approving Minute 242 of the 
                                International Boundary and Water 
                                Commission setting forth a permanent 
                                and definitive solution to the 
                                international problem of the salinity 
                                of the Colorado River, entered into 
                                force August 30, 1973 (24 UST 1968; 
                                TIAS 7708).
            (2) Eligible energy efficiency projects.--The Secretary 
        shall select not more than 5 eligible energy efficiency 
        projects for the program that the Secretary determines would--
                    (A) benefit from the participation of the Secretary 
                of Energy; and
                    (B) advance the objectives of existing research and 
                development, technology commercialization, or grant 
                programs being carried out by the Secretary of Energy 
                (including at the National Laboratories) by--
                            (i) improving the efficiency of existing 
                        surface or groundwater pumps;
                            (ii) developing or improving a surface 
                        water conveyance that reduces surface or 
                        groundwater pumping;
                            (iii) reducing energy use needed for water 
                        treatment;
                            (iv) demonstrating a new technology or 
                        process; or
                            (v) incorporating energy generation into 
                        water conveyance systems.
            (3) Eligible reuse projects.--The Secretary shall select 
        not more than 5 eligible reuse projects for the program that 
        the Secretary determines would--
                    (A) benefit from the participation of the Secretary 
                of Energy; and
                    (B) advance the objectives of existing research and 
                development, technology commercialization, or grant 
                programs being carried out by the Secretary of Energy 
                (including at the National Laboratories) by--
                            (i) lowering energy costs;
                            (ii) improving water supply reliability; or
                            (iii) demonstrating--
                                    (I) a new technology or process; or
                                    (II) a combination of new and 
                                existing technologies or processes.
            (4) Submission of list of selected projects.--As soon as 
        practicable after the date of completion of the selection 
        process under paragraphs (1) through (3), the Secretary shall 
        submit a list of the selected projects to--
                    (A) the Secretary of Energy;
                    (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
                of Representatives;
                    (C) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives; and
                    (D) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
                of the Senate.
    (c) Funding.--
            (1) Use of existing funds.--Out of any amounts made 
        available to the Secretary and the Secretary of Energy that are 
        not otherwise obligated, the Secretary and the Secretary of 
        Energy, respectively, shall use such sums as are necessary to 
        carry out this section.
            (2) Treatment of funds contributed by the secretary of 
        energy.--Amounts contributed by the Secretary of Energy to a 
        selected project under paragraph (1) shall be nonreimbursable.
            (3) Treatment of funds contributed by secretary.--Amounts 
        contributed by the Secretary to a selected project under 
        paragraph (1) shall be reimbursed in accordance with any 
        applicable contract or agreement.
    (d) Effect.--Nothing in this section--
            (1) creates, impairs, alters, or supersedes a Federal or 
        State water right or interstate compact; or
            (2) affects or modifies any authorized purpose of a 
        selected project.

SEC. 4. WESTERN WATER RESILIENCE CENTER.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Secretary of Energy shall 
enter into a partnership with 1 or more institutions of higher 
education to establish a center to conduct research on the development, 
commercialization, and deployment of innovations in water and energy 
technologies, to be known as the ``Western Water Resilience Center''.
    (b) Authorized Activities.--The Center shall conduct research on--
            (1) data collection, modeling, and advanced data analytics 
        of precipitation, runoff, and water resources at the regional 
        level;
            (2) the development of technology and systems that improve 
        management and assist in the development of water 
        infrastructure;
            (3) addressing--
                    (A) Tribal water supply and quality; and
                    (B) any other factors that affect the reliable 
                access of Indian Tribes to water resources; and
            (4) the establishment of a, or a partnership with an 
        existing, water technology accelerator that--
                    (A) would bring water innovations to market by 
                addressing multiple phases of technology development, 
                including validation, development, startup, and 
                scaling; and
                    (B) has an emphasis on binational collaboration 
                between the United States and Middle Eastern countries, 
                such as Israel.
    (c) Priority.--In entering into a partnership under subsection (a), 
the Secretary and the Secretary of Energy shall give priority to a 
partnership with an institution of higher education that--
            (1) has experience conducting research on water scarcity 
        issues;
            (2) is located in a Reclamation State;
            (3) has an established background of coordinating with 
        Indian Tribes on water issues; and
            (4) is located in a State that has an established presence 
        in Israel for the promotion of trade.
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