[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2626 Introduced in House (IH)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2626
To authorize research, development, demonstration, and commercial
application activities relating to clean coal technologies, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 25, 2001
Mr. Boehlert introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize research, development, demonstration, and commercial
application activities relating to clean coal 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 ``Clean Coal Power Initiative Act of
2001''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) reliable, affordable, increasingly clean electricity
will continue to power the growing United States economy;
(2) an increasing use of electrotechnologies, the desire
for continuous environmental improvement, a more competitive
electricity market, and concerns about rising energy prices add
importance to the need for reliable, affordable, increasingly
clean electricity;
(3) coal, which, as of the date of enactment of this Act,
accounts for more than \1/2\ of all electricity generated in
the United States, is the most abundant fossil energy resource
of the United States;
(4) coal comprises more than 85 percent of all fossil
resources in the United States and exists in quantities
sufficient to supply the United States for 250 years at current
usage rates;
(5) investments in electricity generating facility
emissions control technology over the past 30 years have
reduced the aggregate emissions of pollutants from coal-based
generating facilities by 21 percent, even as coal use for
electricity generation has nearly tripled; and
(6) continued environmental improvement in coal-based
generation through continued research, development,
demonstration, and commercial application toward an ultimate
goal of near-zero emissions is important and desirable.
SEC. 3. CLEAN COAL POWER INITIATIVE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy (in this Act referred to
as the ``Secretary'') shall carry out a program of research on and
development, demonstration, and commercial application of clean coal
technologies under--
(1) this Act;
(2) the Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development
Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5901 et seq.);
(3) the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5801
et seq.); and
(4) title XIII of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C.
13331 et seq.).
(b) Conditions.--The research, development, demonstration, and
commercial application program described in subsection (a) shall be
designed to achieve cost and performance-based goals established by the
Secretary under section 4.
SEC. 4. COST AND PERFORMANCE-BASED GOALS.
(a) Review and Assessment.--The Secretary shall perform an
assessment that establishes measurable cost and performance-based goals
for 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 for the programs authorized by this Act.
Such assessment shall be based on the latest scientific and technical
knowledge, and shall also take into consideration, as appropriate, the
comparative environmental impacts (including emissions of greenhouse
gases) of the energy saved or produced by specific programs.
(b) Consultation.--In establishing the measurable cost and
performance-based goals under subsection (a), the Secretary shall
consult with the private sector, institutions of higher learning,
national laboratories, environmental organizations, professional and
technical societies, and any other persons as the Secretary considers
appropriate.
(c) Schedule.--The Secretary shall--
(1) issue and publish in the Federal Register a set of
draft measurable cost and performance-based goals for the
programs authorized by this Act for public comment--
(A) in the case of a program established before the
date of the enactment of this Act, not later than 120
days after the date of the enactment of this Act; and
(B) in the case of a program not established before
the date of the enactment of this Act, not later than
120 days after the date of establishment of the
program;
(2) not later than 60 days after the date of publication
under paragraph (1), after taking into consideration any public
comments received, transmit to the Congress and publish in the
Federal Register the final measurable cost and performance-
based goals; and
(3) update all such cost and performance-based goals on a
biennial basis.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Clean Coal Power Initiative.--Except as provided in subsection
(c), there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry
out the Clean Coal Power Initiative under section 3 $200,000,000 for
each of the fiscal years 2002 through 2011, to remain available until
expended.
(b) Other Coal and Related Technologies Programs.--Except as
provided in subsection (c), there are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary $172,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, $179,000,000 for
fiscal year 2003, and $186,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, to remain
available until expended, for other coal and related technologies
research and development programs, which shall include--
(1) Innovations for Existing Plants;
(2) Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle;
(3) advanced combustion systems;
(4) Turbines;
(5) Sequestration Research and Development;
(6) innovative technologies for demonstration;
(7) Transportation Fuels and Chemicals;
(8) Solid Fuels and Feedstocks;
(9) Advanced Fuels Research; and
(10) Advanced Research.
(c) Limit on Use of Funds.--Notwithstanding subsections (a) and
(b), no funds may be used to carry out the activities authorized by
this Act after September 30, 2002, unless the Secretary has transmitted
to the Congress the report required by this subsection and 1 month have
elapsed since that transmission. The report shall include--
(1) with respect to subsection (a), a 10-year plan
containing--
(A) a detailed assessment of whether the aggregate
funding levels provided under subsection (a) are the
appropriate funding levels for that program;
(B) a detailed description of how proposals will be
solicited and evaluated, including a list of all
demonstration activities expected to be undertaken;
(C) a detailed list of technical milestones for
each coal and related technology that will be pursued;
(D) recommendations for a mechanism for recoupment
of Federal funding for successful commercial projects;
and
(E) a detailed description of how the program will
avoid problems enumerated in General Accounting Office
reports on the Clean Coal Technology Program, including
problems that have resulted in unspent funds and
projects that failed either financially or
scientifically;
(2) with respect to subsection (b), a plan containing--
(A) a detailed description of how proposals will be
solicited and evaluated, including a list of all
demonstration activities expected to be undertaken; and
(B) a detailed list of technical milestones for
each coal and related technology that will be pursued;
and
(3) a description of how the programs will be carried out
under subsection (a) and subsection (b) so as to complement
each other and not duplicate activities.
(d) Applicability.--Subsection (c) shall not apply to any program,
project, or activity begun before September 30, 2001.
SEC. 6. PROJECT CRITERIA.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall not provide funding for any
research, development, demonstration, or commercial application of coal
and related technologies that do not advance efficiency, environmental
performance, and cost competitiveness well beyond the level of
technologies that are in operation or have been demonstrated as of the
date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Technical Criteria for Clean Coal Power Initiative.--
(1) Sequestration and gasification.--(A) In allocating the
funds authorized under section 5(a), the Secretary shall ensure
that at least 80 percent of the funds are used only for
projects on carbon sequestration, or coal-based gasification
technologies, including gasification combined cycle,
gasification fuel cells, gasification coproduction and hybrid
gasification/combustion.
(B) The Secretary shall set technical milestones specifying
emissions levels that coal gasification projects must be
designed to and reasonably expected to achieve. The milestones
shall get more restrictive through the life of the program. The
milestones shall be designed to achieve by 2020 coal
gasification projects able--
(i) to remove 99 percent of sulfur dioxide;
(ii) to emit no more than .05 lbs of NOx per
million BTU;
(iii) to remove 95 percent of mercury; and
(iv) to achieve a thermal efficiency of 60 percent
(higher heating value).
(2) Other projects.--For projects not described in
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall set technical milestones
specifying emissions levels that the projects must be designed
to and reasonably expected to achieve. The milestones shall get
more restrictive through the life of the program. The
milestones shall be designed to achieve by 2010 projects able--
(A) to remove 97 percent of sulfur dioxide;
(B) to emit no more than .08 lbs of NOx per million
BTU;
(C) to remove 90 percent of mercury; and
(D) to achieve a thermal efficiency of 45 percent
(higher heating value).
(c) Financial Criteria.--The Secretary shall not provide a funding
award for any research, development, demonstration, or commercial
application of coal and related technologies unless the recipient of
the award has documented to the satisfaction of the Secretary that--
(1) the award recipient is financially viable without the
receipt of additional Federal funding;
(2) the recipient will provide sufficient information to
the Secretary for the Secretary to ensure that the award funds
are spent efficiently and effectively; and
(3) a market exists for the technology being demonstrated
or applied, as evidenced by statements of interest in writing
from potential purchasers of the technology.
(d) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of a coal or
related technology project funded by the Secretary shall not exceed 50
percent.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Science.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
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