Energy and Water Research Integration Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to integrate water considerations into energy research, development, and demonstration programs and projects of the Department of Energy (DOE), to: (1) advance energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices that meet the objectives of minimizing freshwater withdrawal and consumption, increasing water use efficiency, and utilizing nontraditional water sources with efforts to improve the quality of water from those sources; (2) consider the effects climate variability and change may have on water supplies and quality for energy generation and fuel production; and (3) improve understanding of the energy required to provide reliable water supplies and the water required to provide reliable energy supplies throughout the United States (energy-water nexus). Requires the Secretary to develop, submit to Congress within nine months, and update every three years a Strategic Plan identifying the research, development, and demonstration needs of such programs and projects.
Requires the Secretary, in developing such Plan, to consider and incorporate relevant information and recommendations, including those of the National Water Availability and Use Assessment Program.
Directs the Secretary, in coordination with other relevant federal agencies, to establish an Energy-Water Architecture Council to promote and enable improved energy and water resource data collection, reporting, and technological innovation. Requires the Council to: (1) make recommendations on the development of data collection and communication standards and protocols to agencies and entities currently engaged in collecting the data for the energy-water nexus, (2) recommend ways to make improvements to federal water use data to increase understanding of trends in energy generation and fuel production, (3) recommend best practices for utilizing information from existing monitoring networks to provide nationally uniform water and energy use and infrastructure data, and (4) conduct annual technical workshops to facilitate information exchange among experts on technologies that encourage the conservation and efficient use of water and energy.
Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to require state, tribal, or local governments to take any action that may result in an increased financial burden by restricting their water use.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5827 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5827
To ensure consideration of water intensity in the Department of
Energy's energy research, development, and demonstration programs to
help guarantee efficient, reliable, and sustainable delivery of energy
and clean water resources.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 18, 2012
Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas (for herself and Ms. Edwards)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To ensure consideration of water intensity in the Department of
Energy's energy research, development, and demonstration programs to
help guarantee efficient, reliable, and sustainable delivery of energy
and clean water resources.
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 ``Energy and Water Research
Integration Act of 2012''.
SEC. 2. INTEGRATING ENERGY AND WATER RESEARCH.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall integrate water
considerations into energy research, development, and demonstration
programs and projects of the Department of Energy by--
(1) advancing energy and energy efficiency technologies and
practices that meet the objectives of--
(A) minimizing freshwater withdrawal and
consumption;
(B) increasing water use efficiency; and
(C) utilizing nontraditional water sources with
efforts to improve the quality of the water from those
sources;
(2) considering the effects climate variability and change
may have on water supplies and quality for energy generation
and fuel production; and
(3) improving understanding of the energy-water nexus.
(b) Strategic Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a strategic
plan identifying the research, development, and demonstration
needs for Department programs and projects to carry out
subsection (a). The strategic plan shall include technical
milestones for achieving and assessing progress toward the
objectives of subsection (a)(1).
(2) Specific considerations.--In developing the strategic
plan, the Secretary shall consider--
(A) new advanced cooling technologies for energy
generation and fuel production technologies;
(B) performance improvement of existing cooling
technologies and cost reductions associated with using
those technologies;
(C) innovative water reuse, recovery, and treatment
technologies in energy generation and fuel production;
(D) technology development for carbon capture and
storage systems that utilize efficient water use design
strategies;
(E) technologies that are life-cycle cost
effective;
(F) systems analysis and modeling of issues
relating to the energy-water nexus;
(G) technologies to treat and utilize wastewater
and produced waters discharged from oil, natural gas,
coalbed methane, and any other substance to be used as
an energy source;
(H) advanced materials for the use of
nontraditional water sources for energy generation and
fuel production;
(I) biomass production and utilization and the
impact on hydrologic systems;
(J) technologies that reduce impacts on water from
energy resource development;
(K) energy efficient technologies for water
distribution and collection systems;
(L) technologies for energy generation from water
distribution and collection systems; and
(M) any other area of the energy-water nexus that
the Secretary considers appropriate.
(3) Collaboration and nonduplication.--In developing the
strategic plan, the Secretary shall coordinate and avoid
duplication--
(A) with other Federal agencies operating related
programs, if appropriate; and
(B) across programs and projects of the Department,
including with those of the National Laboratories.
(4) Relevant information and recommendations.--In
developing the strategic plan, the Secretary shall consider and
incorporate, as appropriate, relevant information and
recommendations, including those of the National Water
Availability and Use Assessment Program under section 9508(d)
of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C.
10368(d)).
(5) Nongovernmental participation.--In developing the
strategic plan, the Secretary shall consult and coordinate with
a diverse group of representatives from research and academic
institutions and industry who have expertise in technologies
and practices relating to the energy-water nexus.
(6) Submission to congress.--Not later than 9 months after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit
to Congress the strategic plan.
(7) Updating the strategic plan.--Not later than 3 years
after the date of enactment of this Act, and at least once
every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall--
(A) utilize relevant information produced by
Federal Government agencies, academia, and industry to
update the strategic plan;
(B) include in the updated strategic plan a
description of the changes from the previous strategic
plan and the rationale for such changes; and
(C) submit the updated strategic plan to Congress.
(c) Progress Reports.--Not less frequently than once every 2 years,
the Secretary shall transmit to Congress a report on the progress the
Department has made toward the milestones outlined in the strategic
plan.
(d) Additional Activities.--The Secretary may provide for such
additional research, development, and demonstration activities as
appropriate to integrate water considerations into the research,
development, and demonstration activities of the Department as
described in subsection (a).
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this section $60,000,000
for each of the fiscal years 2013 through 2017.
SEC. 3. ENERGY-WATER ARCHITECTURE COUNCIL.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, in coordination with other relevant
Federal agencies, shall establish an Energy-Water Architecture Council
to promote and enable improved energy and water resource data
collection, reporting, and technological innovation. The Council shall
consist of--
(1) representation from each Federal agency that conducts
research related to the energy-water nexus; and
(2) non-Federal members, including representatives of
research and academic institutions and industry, who have
expertise in technologies and practices relating to the energy-
water nexus.
(b) Functions.--The Council shall--
(1) make recommendations on the development of data
collection and data communication standards and protocols to
agencies and entities currently engaged in collecting the data
for the energy-water nexus;
(2) recommend ways to make improvements to Federal water
use data to increase understanding of trends in energy
generation and fuel production;
(3) recommend best practices for utilizing information from
existing monitoring networks to provide nationally uniform
water and energy use and infrastructure data; and
(4) conduct annual technical workshops, including at least
1 regional workshop annually, to facilitate information
exchange among Federal, regional, State, local, and tribal
governments and private sector experts on technologies that
encourage the conservation and efficient use of water and
energy.
(c) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, and at least once every 2 years thereafter, the Council,
through the Secretary, shall transmit to Congress a report on its
findings and activities under this section.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this section $2,000,000
for each of the fiscal years 2013 through 2017.
SEC. 4. MANDATES.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require State, tribal, or
local governments to take any action that may result in an increased
financial burden to such governments by restricting the use of water by
such governments.
SEC. 5. COORDINATION AND NONDUPLICATION.
To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall coordinate
activities under this Act with other programs of the Department and
other Federal research programs.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the Energy-Water
Architecture Council established by section 3(a).
(2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Energy.
(3) Energy-water nexus.--The term ``energy-water nexus''
means the energy required to provide reliable water supplies
and the water required to provide reliable energy supplies
throughout the United States.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E853)
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
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