Protect Our Waters and Expand Renewables on Our Reservoirs Act or the POWER Our Reservoirs Act
This bill creates a framework for the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to pilot the use of floating solar panels at Reclamation and USACE project sites. Before launching the pilot programs, Reclamation and the USACE must separately analyze and report on expected costs, benefits, technical requirements, and overall feasibility.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2731 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2731
To require assessments of opportunities to install and maintain
floating photovoltaic solar panels at Bureau of Reclamation and Corps
of Engineers projects, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 19, 2023
Mr. Tonko (for himself and Mr. Huffman) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources,
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
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require assessments of opportunities to install and maintain
floating photovoltaic solar panels at Bureau of Reclamation and Corps
of Engineers projects, 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 ``Protect Our Waters and Expand
Renewables on Our Reservoirs Act'' or the ``POWER Our Reservoirs Act''.
SEC. 2. FLOATING SOLAR ENERGY AT RECLAMATION PROJECTS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Commissioner.--The term ``Commissioner'' means the
Commissioner of Reclamation.
(2) Reclamation project.--The term ``Reclamation project''
means--
(A) any reclamation or irrigation project,
including incidental features of the project--
(i) that is authorized by the reclamation
laws;
(ii) that is constructed by the United
States pursuant to the reclamation laws; or
(iii) in connection with which there is a
repayment or water service contract executed by
the United States pursuant to the reclamation
laws; or
(B) any project constructed by the Secretary of the
Interior for the reclamation of land.
(b) Assessment.--
(1) In general.--The Commissioner, in consultation with the
Secretary of Energy and the relevant National Laboratories of
the Department of Energy, shall conduct an assessment of
opportunities to install and maintain floating photovoltaic
solar panels at Reclamation projects.
(2) Requirements.--In conducting the assessment under
paragraph (1), the Commissioner shall--
(A) determine the economic, environmental, and
technical feasibility of installing and maintaining, or
contracting with third parties to install and maintain,
photovoltaic solar panels at Reclamation projects;
(B)(i) identify Reclamation projects with a high
potential for the installation and maintenance of
floating photovoltaic solar panels, including which
Reclamation projects are likely to have high
cobenefits; and
(ii) determine whether the installation and
maintenance at Reclamation projects identified under
clause (i) would require additional authorization;
(C) account for potential effects and benefits on
Reclamation projects and the authorized purposes of the
Reclamation projects of installing and maintaining
floating photovoltaic solar panels at the Reclamation
projects, including--
(i) evaporation suppression;
(ii) energy yield;
(iii) dam safety;
(iv) recreation;
(v) water quality; and
(vi) fish and wildlife;
(D) account for potential damage to floating
photovoltaic solar panels from--
(i) weather;
(ii) water-level fluctuations; and
(iii) recreational and other uses of the
Reclamation projects;
(E)(i) identify methods to monetarily quantify
cobenefits of floating photovoltaic solar panel
projects; and
(ii) identify mechanisms to pass those benefits to
project developers, and assess whether the use of such
mechanisms may increase the viability of floating
photovoltaic solar panel projects; and
(F) account for the availability of electric grid
infrastructure close to Reclamation projects, including
underutilized transmission infrastructure.
(3) Report to congress.--Not later than 18 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Commissioner shall submit to
Congress and make publicly available (including on a publicly
available website) a report describing the results of the
assessment conducted under paragraph (1).
(c) Pilot Program.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, if the Commissioner determines, based on
the results of the assessment conducted under subsection (b),
that establishing a pilot program is advisable, the
Commissioner shall establish a pilot program under which the
Commissioner, or an applicable non-Federal entity that is
acting in partnership with the Commissioner, subject to
paragraph (2), shall carry out projects to deploy floating
photovoltaic solar panels at Reclamation projects identified
under subsection (b)(2)(B).
(2) Requirements.--To be eligible to carry out a project
under paragraph (1), a non-Federal entity shall--
(A) agree to invest in and deploy floating
photovoltaic solar panels at the applicable Reclamation
project; and
(B) have the authority to enter into agreements,
including through public-private partnerships, for the
purpose of carrying out the applicable project under
that paragraph.
(3) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of
carrying out a project under paragraph (1)--
(A) shall not exceed 100 percent, in the case of a
project carried out by the Commissioner; and
(B) shall not exceed 50 percent, in the case of a
project carried out by a non-Federal entity, acting in
partnership with the Commissioner.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Commissioner to carry out this section $12,000,000
for fiscal year 2024, to remain available until expended.
(e) No Effect on Project Purposes.--Nothing in this section affects
the authorized purposes of a Reclamation project.
SEC. 3. FLOATING SOLAR ENERGY AT CORPS OF ENGINEERS PROJECTS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Corps of engineers project.--The term ``Corps of
Engineers project'' means any water resources development
project--
(A) constructed by the Secretary; or
(B) for which the Secretary has financial or
operational responsibility.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Army.
(b) Sustainability Reports.--Beginning not later than 2 years after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall include
renewable energy from floating photovoltaic solar panels as part of any
sustainability report and implementation plan of the Corps of
Engineers.
(c) Pilot Program.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, if supported by the results of the
assessment conducted under subsection (a) of section 8232 of
the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-
263), the Secretary shall establish a pilot program for the
deployment of floating photovoltaic solar panels at Corps of
Engineers projects identified under paragraph (2)(B) of that
subsection under which the Secretary or an applicable non-
Federal interest--
(A) agrees to invest in and deploy floating
photovoltaic solar panels; and
(B) may enter into agreements, including through
public-private partnerships, for the purpose of
carrying out such activities.
(2) Cost share.--The Federal share of the cost of a project
carried out under this subsection shall be--
(A) not more than 100 percent, in the case of a
project carried out by the Secretary; and
(B) not more than 50 percent, in the case of a
project carried out by a non-Federal interest.
(d) Funding.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out this section
using amounts made available to the Secretary to carry out
section 8232 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022
(Public Law 117-263) that are not otherwise obligated.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--In addition to
amounts made available under paragraph (1), there is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section
$2,000,000 for fiscal year 2024, to remain available until
expended.
(e) No Effect on Project Purposes.--Nothing in this section affects
the authorized purposes of a Corps of Engineers project.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, 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.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
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