Title: SEA FUEL Act of 2019
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Securing Energy for our Armed Forces Using Engineering Leadership Act of 2019 or the SEA FUEL Act of 2019
This bill directs the Department of Defense to carry out a program of research, development, testing, evaluation, study, and demonstration of technologies related to blue carbon capture and direct air capture, with the goals of developing technologies to turn carbon dioxide into clean fuels, creating products for military uses, and using the technologies at military facilities and in military transportation. The bill defines "blue carbon capture" as the removal of dissolved carbon dioxide from seawater through engineered or inorganic processes and "direct air capture" as the use of equipment to capture carbon dioxide directly from the air.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1679 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1679

To require the Secretary of Defense to carry out the Direct Air Capture 
  and Blue Carbon Removal Technology Program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                 May 23 (legislative day, May 22), 2019

Mr. Whitehouse (for himself, Mr. Reed, and Mr. Sullivan) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                             Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Defense to carry out the Direct Air Capture 
  and Blue Carbon Removal Technology Program, 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 ``Securing Energy for our Armed Forces 
Using Engineering Leadership Act of 2019'' or the ``SEA FUEL Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. DIRECT AIR CAPTURE AND BLUE CARBON REMOVAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.

    (a) Program Required.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, in coordination 
        with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of 
        Energy, and the heads of such other Federal agencies as the 
        Secretary of Defense considers appropriate, shall carry out a 
        program on research, development, testing, evaluation, study, 
        and demonstration of technologies related to blue carbon 
        capture and direct air capture.
            (2) Program goals.--The goals of the program established 
        under paragraph (1) are as follows:
                    (A) To develop technologies that capture carbon 
                dioxide from seawater and the air to turn such carbon 
                dioxide into clean fuels to enhance fuel and energy 
                security.
                    (B) To develop and demonstrate technologies that 
                capture carbon dioxide from seawater and the air to 
                reuse such carbon dioxide to create products for 
                military uses.
                    (C) To develop direct air capture technologies for 
                use--
                            (i) at military installations or facilities 
                        of the Department of Defense; or
                            (ii) in modes of transportation by the Navy 
                        or the Coast Guard.
            (3) Phases.--The program established under paragraph (1) 
        shall be carried out in two phases as follows:
                    (A) The first phase shall consist of research and 
                development and shall be carried out as described in 
                subsection (b).
                    (B) The second phase shall consist of testing and 
                evaluation and shall be carried out as described in 
                subsection (c), if the Secretary determines that the 
                results of the research and development phase justify 
                implementing the testing and evaluation phase.
            (4) Designation.--The program established under paragraph 
        (1) shall be known as the ``Direct Air Capture and Blue Carbon 
        Removal Technology Program'' (in this section referred to as 
        the ``Program'').
    (b) Research and Development Phase.--
            (1) In general.--During the research and development phase 
        of the Program, the Secretary of Defense shall conduct research 
        and development in pursuit of the goals set forth in subsection 
        (a)(2).
            (2) Direct air capture.--The research and development phase 
        of the Program may include, with respect to direct air capture, 
        a front end engineering and design study that includes an 
        evaluation of direct air capture designs to produce fuel for 
        use--
                    (A) at military installations or facilities of the 
                Department of Defense; or
                    (B) in modes of transportation by the Navy or the 
                Coast Guard.
            (3) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the research 
        and development phase of the Program during a four-year period 
        commencing not later than 90 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
            (4) Grants authorized.--The Secretary may carry out the 
        research and development phase of the Program through the award 
        of grants to private persons and eligible laboratories.
            (5) Report required.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date of the completion of the research and development phase of 
        the Program, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on 
        the research and development carried out under the Program.
            (6) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out the research and development 
        phase of the Program--
                    (A) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2020; and
                    (B) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 
                through 2023.
    (c) Testing and Evaluation Phase.--
            (1) In general.--During the testing and evaluation phase of 
        the Program, the Secretary shall, in pursuit of the goals set 
        forth in subsection (a)(2), conduct tests and evaluations of 
        the technologies researched and developed during the research 
        and development phase of the Program.
            (2) Direct air capture.--The testing and evaluation phase 
        of the Program may include demonstration projects for direct 
        air capture to produce fuel for use--
                    (A) at military installations or facilities of the 
                Department of Defense; or
                    (B) in modes of transportation by the Navy or the 
                Coast Guard.
            (3) Duration.--Subject to subsection (a)(3)(B), the 
        Secretary shall carry out the testing and evaluation phase of 
        the Program during the three-year period commencing on the date 
        of the completion of the research and development phase 
        described in subsection (b), except that the testing and 
        evaluation phase of the Program with respect to direct air 
        capture may commence at such time after a front end engineering 
        and design study demonstrates to the Secretary that 
        commencement of such phase is appropriate.
            (4) Grants authorized.--The Secretary may carry out the 
        testing and evaluation phase of the Program through the award 
        of grants to private persons and eligible laboratories.
            (5) Locations.--The Secretary shall carry out the testing 
        and evaluation phase of the Program at military installations 
        or facilities of the Department of Defense.
            (6) Report required.--Not later than September 30, 2026, 
        the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the findings 
        of the Secretary with respect to the effectiveness of the 
        technologies tested and evaluated under the Program.
            (7) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out the testing and evaluation 
        phase of the Program $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 
        through 2026.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Blue carbon capture.--The term ``blue carbon capture'' 
        means the removal of dissolved carbon dioxide from seawater 
        through engineered or inorganic processes, including filters, 
        membranes, or phase change systems.
            (2) Direct air capture.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``direct air capture'', 
                with respect to a facility, technology, or system, 
                means that the facility, technology, or system uses 
                carbon capture equipment to capture carbon dioxide 
                directly from the air.
                    (B) Exclusion.--The term ``direct air capture'' 
                does not include any facility, technology, or system 
                that captures carbon dioxide--
                            (i) that is deliberately released from a 
                        naturally occurring subsurface spring; or
                            (ii) using natural photosynthesis.
            (3) Eligible laboratory.--The term ``eligible laboratory'' 
        means--
                    (A) a National Laboratory (as defined in section 2 
                of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801)); or
                    (B) a laboratory of the Department of Defense.
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