Title: New Energy Frontiers Through Carbon Innovation Act of 2020
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
New Energy Frontiers Through Carbon Innovation Act of 2020
This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish and support the research, development, and demonstration of carbon capture, storage, and utilization technologies and techniques.
Specifically, DOE must

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5864 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5864

 To establish and support the research, development, and demonstration 
    of advanced carbon capture and utilization technologies at the 
             Department of Energy, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 12, 2020

 Mr. Crenshaw introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
              Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish and support the research, development, and demonstration 
    of advanced carbon capture and utilization technologies at the 
             Department of Energy, 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 ``New Energy Frontiers Through Carbon 
Innovation Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. CARBON UTILIZATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AND 
              INFRASTRUCTURE.

    (a) Section 963 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16293) 
is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 963. CARBON UTILIZATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a program to 
conduct basic and fundamental research in materials science, chemistry, 
subsurface instrumentation, and data analysis to inform the research, 
development, and demonstration of carbon capture, storage, and 
utilization technologies and techniques, and to facilitate the 
translation of basic research results to industry.
    ``(b) Coordination.--In carrying out the program under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall leverage expertise and resources and 
facilitate collaboration and coordination between--
            ``(1) the Office of Fossil Energy; and
            ``(2) the Office of Science.
    ``(c) Carbon Utilization Energy Innovation Hub.--In carrying out 
the program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall establish and 
operate a national Carbon Utilization Energy Innovation Hub (referred 
to in this section as the `Hub'), which shall focus on early stage 
research and development activities including--
            ``(1) post-combustion and pre-combustion capture of carbon 
        dioxide;
            ``(2) advanced compression technologies for new and 
        existing fossil fuel-fired power plants;
            ``(3) technologies to convert carbon dioxide to valuable 
        products and commodities; and
            ``(4) advanced carbon dioxide storage technologies that 
        consider a range of storage regimes.
    ``(d) Selection.--The Secretary shall select the Hub under this 
section on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis. The Secretary shall 
consider applications from National Laboratories, institutions of 
higher education, multi-institutional collaborations, and other 
appropriate entities.
    ``(e) Duration.--The Hub established under this section shall 
receive support for a period of not more than 5 years, subject to the 
availability of appropriations.
    ``(f) Renewal.--Upon the expiration of any period of support of the 
Hub, the Secretary may renew support for the Hub, on a merit-reviewed 
basis, for a period of not more than 5 years.
    ``(g) Termination.--Consistent with the existing authorities of the 
Department, the Secretary may terminate the Hub for cause during the 
performance period.
    ``(h) Funding.--For each of fiscal years 2020 through 2025, out of 
any amounts appropriated to the Department to carry out fossil energy 
research and development activities and not otherwise obligated, the 
Secretary may use to carry out the Hubs under this section not more 
than $25,000,000.''.
    (b) Section 1(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801) 
by amending the item relating to section 963 to read as follows:

``Sec. 963. Carbon Utilization Research and Development 
                            Infrastructure.''.

SEC. 3. NATURAL GAS CARBON CAPTURE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND 
              DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle F of title IX of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16291 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 969. NATURAL GAS CARBON CAPTURE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND 
              DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Natural gas.--The term `natural gas' includes any 
        fuel consisting in whole or in part of--
                    ``(A) natural gas;
                    ``(B) liquid petroleum gas;
                    ``(C) synthetic gas derived from petroleum or 
                natural gas liquids;
                    ``(D) any mixture of natural gas and synthetic gas; 
                or
                    ``(E) any product derived directly from natural 
                gas, including hydrogen.
            ``(2) Qualifying electric generation facility.--The term 
        `qualifying electric generation facility' means a facility that 
        generates electric energy through the use of natural gas.
            ``(3) Qualifying technology.--The term `qualifying 
        technology' means any technology to capture carbon dioxide 
        produced during the generation of electricity from natural gas 
        power systems.
    ``(b) Establishment of Research, Development, and Demonstration 
Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a program 
        under which the Secretary shall, through a competitive, merit-
        reviewed process, award grants to eligible entities to conduct 
        research, development, and demonstration of qualifying 
        technologies.
            ``(2) Objectives.--The objectives of the program 
        established under paragraph (1) shall be--
                    ``(A) to conduct research to accelerate the 
                development of qualifying technologies to reduce the 
                quantity of carbon dioxide emissions released from 
                qualifying electric generation facilities, including--
                            ``(i) pre- and post-combustion capture 
                        technologies; and
                            ``(ii) technologies to improve the 
                        thermodynamics, kinetics, scalability, 
                        durability, and flexibility of carbon capture 
                        technologies for use during the generation of 
                        electricity from natural gas power systems;
                    ``(B) to expedite and carry out demonstration 
                projects (including pilot projects) for qualifying 
                technologies in partnership with qualifying electric 
                generation facilities in order to demonstrate the 
                technical feasibility and economic potential for 
                commercial deployment of technologies developed 
                pursuant to subparagraph (A); and
                    ``(C) to identify any barriers to the commercial 
                deployment of any qualifying technologies under 
                development pursuant to research conducted pursuant to 
                subparagraph (A).
            ``(3) Eligible entities.--An entity eligible to receive a 
        grant under this subsection is--
                    ``(A) a National Laboratory;
                    ``(B) an institution of higher education;
                    ``(C) a research facility;
                    ``(D) a multi-institutional collaboration; or
                    ``(E) another appropriate entity or combination of 
                any of the entities specified in subparagraphs (A) 
                through (D).
    ``(c) Carbon Capture Facilities Demonstration Program.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--As part of the program established 
        under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish a 
        demonstration program under which the Secretary shall, through 
        a competitive, merit-reviewed process, enter into cooperative 
        agreements with entities that submit applications pursuant to 
        paragraph (4) for demonstration or pilot projects to construct 
        and operate, by not later than September 30, 2025, up to five 
        facilities to capture carbon dioxide from qualifying electric 
        generation facilities. The Secretary shall, to the maximum 
        extent practicable, provide technical assistance to any entity 
        seeking to enter into such a cooperative agreement in obtaining 
        any necessary permits and licenses to demonstrate qualifying 
        technologies.
            ``(2) Cooperative agreements.--The Secretary may enter into 
        a cooperative agreement under this subsection with industry 
        stakeholders, including any such industry stakeholder operating 
        in partnership with National Laboratories, institutions of 
        higher education, multi-institutional collaborations, and other 
        appropriate entities.
            ``(3) Goals.--Each demonstration or pilot project carried 
        out pursuant to the demonstration program under this subsection 
        shall--
                    ``(A) be designed to further the development of 
                qualifying technologies that may be used by a 
                qualifying electric generation facility;
                    ``(B) be financed in part by the private sector;
                    ``(C) if necessary, secure agreements for the 
                offtake of carbon dioxide emissions captured by 
                qualifying technologies during the project; and
                    ``(D) support energy production in the United 
                States.
            ``(4) Request for applications.--Not later than 120 days 
        after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
        solicit applications for cooperative agreements for projects--
                    ``(A) to demonstrate qualifying technologies at up 
                to five qualifying electric generation facilities; and
                    ``(B) to construct and operate three or more 
                facilities to capture carbon dioxide from a qualifying 
                electric generation facility.
            ``(5) Review of applications.--In considering applications 
        submitted under paragraph (4), the Secretary, to the maximum 
        extent practicable, shall--
                    ``(A) ensure a broad geographic distribution of 
                project sites;
                    ``(B) ensure that a broad selection of qualifying 
                electric generation facilities are represented;
                    ``(C) ensure that a broad selection of qualifying 
                technologies are represented;
                    ``(D) require information and knowledge gained by 
                each participant in the demonstration program to be 
                transferred and shared among all participants in the 
                demonstration program; and
                    ``(E) leverage existing--
                            ``(i) public-private partnerships; and
                            ``(ii) Federal resources.
    ``(d) Cost Sharing.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
shall require cost sharing in accordance with section 988.
    ``(e) Fee Title.--The Secretary may vest fee title or other 
property interests acquired under cooperative agreements entered into 
under subsection (b)(4) in any entity, including the United States.
    ``(f) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which the 
Secretary solicits applications under subsection (c)(3), and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
jurisdiction of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report 
that includes--
            ``(1) a detailed description of how applications for 
        cooperative agreements under subsection (b) will be solicited 
        and evaluated, including--
                    ``(A) a list of any activities carried out by the 
                Secretary to solicit or evaluate applications; and
                    ``(B) a process for ensuring that any projects 
                carried out under a cooperative agreement are designed 
                to result in the development or demonstration of 
                qualifying technologies;
            ``(2)(A) in the case of the first report under this 
        subsection, a detailed list of technical milestones for the 
        development and demonstration of each qualifying technology 
        pursued under subsection (b); and
            ``(B) in the case of each subsequent report under this 
        subsection, the progress made towards achieving such technical 
        milestones during the period covered by the report; and
            ``(3) with respect to the demonstration program established 
        under subsection (c), includes--
                    ``(A) an estimate of the cost of licensing, 
                permitting, constructing, and operating each carbon 
                capture facility expected to be constructed under that 
                demonstration program;
                    ``(B) a schedule for the planned construction and 
                operation of each demonstration or pilot project; and
                    ``(C) an estimate of any financial assistance, 
                compensation, or incentives proposed to be paid by the 
                host State, Indian Tribe, or local government with 
                respect to each facility.
    ``(g) Funding.--For each of fiscal years 2020 through 2025, out of 
any amounts appropriated to the Department to carry out fossil energy 
research and development activities and not otherwise obligated, the 
Secretary may use to carry out this section not more than 
$50,000,000.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58; 119 Stat. 600) is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to section 968 the following:

``Sec. 969. Natural gas carbon capture research, development, and 
                            demonstration program.''.
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