Challenges & Prizes for Climate Act of 2019
This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a Climate Solutions Challenges program. Under the program, DOE must carry out competitions that award cash and other incentives for climate and energy solutions, such as
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3100 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3100
To direct the Secretary of Energy to provide for prize competitions
relating to climate and energy, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 5, 2019
Mr. Lipinski (for himself, Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Crist,
Mr. Rooney of Florida, Mr. Deutch, Miss Gonzalez-Colon of Puerto Rico,
Mrs. Murphy, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, and Mr. Kilmer) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Energy to provide for prize competitions
relating to climate and 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 ``Challenges & Prizes for Climate Act
of 2019''.
SEC. 2. CLIMATE SOLUTIONS CHALLENGES.
(a) Authority.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall establish a program to be
known as ``Climate Solutions Challenges'' for carrying out prize
competitions described under subsection (d) pursuant to section 24 of
the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719)
relating to the climate and energy.
(b) Prize Committees.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall assemble a prize
committee with respect to each prize competition that shall
define the scope and detail of, and provide the requirements
for, the prize competitions under this section. Such committee
shall be composed of--
(A) members from the Federal agency, department, or
office that most appropriately corresponds with the
topic of the prize competition, including--
(i) with respect to a prize competition
under subsection (c)(4), the Administrator of
the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration and the Director of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
(ii) with respect to a prize competition
under subsection (c)(5), the Director of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
and the Director of the National Technical
Information Service; and
(B) representatives of any other entities, as
determined appropriate by the Secretary, including
State and local governments and the private sector.
(2) Defining topic areas.--The prize committee may modify
and define the scope of the prize areas described under
subsection (c), so long as such modification is in accordance
with descriptions in such subsection.
(3) Incentive for prize competition.--The prize committee
for each prize competition shall determine the incentive for
the prize competition. In determining the incentive, the
committee shall consider--
(A) a cash prize;
(B) access to Government facilities, such as
through a lab-embedded entrepreneurship program of the
Department of Energy, a cooperative research and
development agreement, or other method;
(C) advance market commitments for technologies of
use or promise to the Federal Government; and
(D) any other incentive provided for by law.
(4) Judging criteria.--The prize committee for each prize
competition shall establish judging criteria for the
competition that shall include, at a minimum--
(A) potential for the solution to become a
commercial product or service or advance knowledge to
further the public good;
(B) consideration of how likely the solution is to
lead to subsequent research, development, or
manufacturing in the United States;
(C) the degree to which the solution will lower the
climate footprint of the United States; and
(D) the degree to which the solution will lower the
global climate footprint.
(5) Consideration.--In carrying out this section, the
committee shall take into consideration the best practices
provided for in the challenges and prizes toolkit made publicly
available on December 15, 2016, by the General Services
Administration.
(6) Definition of advance market commitment.--In this
subsection, the term ``advance market commitment'' means a
commitment by the Federal Government to purchase a set number
of units of a product from a private sector entity at an
agreed-upon price, assuming pre-specified criteria are met.
(c) Prize Competitions.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary
shall provide for prize competitions, including at least one prize
competition on each of the following:
(1) Carbon capture and beneficial use.--Solutions to
capture carbon directly from the atmosphere or from sources
that would otherwise be emitted to the atmosphere, and convert
it to a beneficial use that does not result in near-term re-
release into the atmosphere, unless such re-release offsets the
emission of additional carbon into the atmosphere, such that
the net effect of the solution is to reduce the overall amount
of carbon being emitted to the atmosphere.
(2) Energy efficiency.--Solutions to achieve transformative
increases in energy efficiency, defined as an increase in
energy efficiency of 2 times or more over commonly-available
technology without a proportional increase in cost.
(3) Energy storage.--Solutions to achieve implementation or
grid integration of advanced energy storage technology.
(4) Climate resiliency.--Solutions to provide new or
improved approaches to mitigating or adapting to the effects of
climate change (such as floods, drought, excessive heat and
cold, and severe weather) in rural or urban areas.
(5) Data analytics.--Solutions to--
(A) provide new or improved tools that use data to
better model Earth's climate at a global, regional, or
local scale;
(B) forecast climate-related phenomena (such as
weather, seasonal trends, oceanic and atmospheric
circulation); or
(C) provide actionable information on the climate
and related phenomena to government, industry, and
members of the public.
(d) Acceptance of Funds.--In addition to such sums as may be
appropriated or otherwise made available to the Secretary to award
prizes under this section, the Secretary may accept funds from other
Federal agencies, private sector entities, and State and local
governments to award prizes under this section. The Secretary may not
give any special consideration relating to the selection of awards
under the prize competition to any private sector entity or individual
in return for a donation to the Secretary or prize committee.
(e) Eligibility.--Notwithstanding section 24(g)(3) of the
Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C.
3719(g)(3)), a group may be eligible for an award under this section if
one or more members of such group is a citizen or permanent resident of
the United States.
(f) Completion of Prize Competitions.--The prize competitions
carried out under this section shall be completed not later than the
date that is 5 years after the program is established under subsection
(a).
(g) GAO Report.--Not later than the date of completion under
subsection (f), the Comptroller General of the United States shall
submit to Congress a report on the impact and the effectiveness of the
program carried out under this section.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated $20,000,000 to carry out this Act, to remain available
until expended.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
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