Carbon Capture and Storage Early Deployment Act

Bill: 110-hr-6258
Sponsor: Rep. Boucher, Rick [D-VA-9]
Introduced: 2008-06-12 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Air pollution control
Auctions
Carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide
Coal
Commerce
Commercialization
Corporations
Electric utilities
Energy
Energy research
Environmental technology
Fees
Fossil fuels
Intellectual property
Laboratories
Natural gas
Nonprofit organizations
Patents
Petroleum
Research and development
Research and development facilities
Research centers
Research grants
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Storage

Summary:
action_date: 2008-06-12
text: 
Carbon Capture and Storage Early Deployment Act - Authorizes qualified industry organizations to conduct a referendum among the owners or operators of distribution utilities delivering fossil fuel-based electricity for the creation of a Carbon Storage Research Corporation. Requires the Corporation to be established as a division or affiliate of the Electric Power Research Institute upon approval of those persons representing two-thirds of the total quantity of fossil fuel-based electricity delivered to retail consumers. 
 
Requires the Corporation, annually, to collect an assessment on such distribution utilities that shall reflect the relative carbon dioxide emission rates of different fossil fuel-based electricity. Sets initial rates of assessment for coal, natural gas, and oil. Authorizes the Corporation to adjust the assessments to reflect changes in the expected quantities of such electricity from different fuel types such that the assessments generate between $1.0 billion and $1.1 billion annually. 
 
Authorizes the Corporation to collect assessments and conduct operations for 10 years. Dissolves the Corporation after 15 years. 

Provides for the Corporation to use funds derived from assessments to: (1) issue grants and contracts to private, academic, and governmental entities to accelerate the commercial demonstration or availability of carbon dioxide capture and storage technologies and methods; and (2) purchase carbon dioxide through reverse auctions or other acquisition methods when needed to conduct tests of carbon dioxide store sites in the case of established projects that are storing carbon dioxide emissions.

 Requires: (1) the Corporation to support large-scale demonstrations of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies capable of advancing the technologies to commercial readiness; and (2) the Corporation's Board to establish policies regarding the ownership of intellectual property developed as a result of Corporation support that encourage individual ingenuity and invention.
 
Authorizes Corporation grants or contracts for programs or projects of the Department of Energy (DOE) or its affiliated national laboratories and other fossil energy research entities and of academic organizations or consortia to accelerate the commercial development and demonstration of CCS or carbon capture and conversion technologies.
 
Provides for recovery of a distribution facility's costs of complying with this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-10
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2008-07-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
action_date: 2008-06-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality.
action_date: 2008-06-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Science and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-06-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Science and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-06-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Science and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-06-12
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1224)
action_date: 2008-06-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2008-06-12
text: Introduced in House