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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5723 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5723
To require the Secretary of Agriculture to provide information and
education tools to farmers on the cost savings, energy savings, water
conservation, and carbon emissions reductions that can be realized
through the use of energy-efficient pumping systems, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 26, 2023
Mr. Molinaro (for himself, Ms. Caraveo, and Ms. Slotkin) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Agriculture to provide information and
education tools to farmers on the cost savings, energy savings, water
conservation, and carbon emissions reductions that can be realized
through the use of energy-efficient pumping systems, 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 ``Leveraging Efficiency Awareness for
Pumping Systems Act'' or the ``LEAPS Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) There are over 600,000 pumping systems used for
irrigation on agricultural land in the United States, many of
which still rely on fossil fuels.
(2) Improving the efficiency of agricultural irrigation
pumping systems can save up to 22 billion kilowatt hours of
energy per year and eliminate 8.3 million metric tons of carbon
emissions annually.
(3) Energy savings from electrifying agricultural
irrigation pumping systems can save farmers and ranchers more
than $1.8 billion annually in energy costs.
(4) Pumping systems play a central role in the watering of
livestock and the management of animal waste in every State.
(5) Pumping systems are a critical component of the
Nation's $2,300,000,000 aquaculture industry.
(6) Improving the efficiency of pumping systems used in
raising livestock and fish can significantly reduce energy use,
save producers millions of dollars annually, and provide
meaningful reductions in carbon emissions.
(7) Agricultural irrigation pumping systems utilizing
plastic piping can provide significant drought relief benefits,
dramatically reducing water losses from evaporation and
seepage; agriculture uses 37 percent of the Nation's surface
and ground water, 30 percent of which is lost to seepage and
evaporation.
(8) Reducing the friction in piping used for agricultural
irrigation and livestock watering can provide meaningful energy
and cost savings; there are potentially 2,500 kWh of energy
savings for every 10 miles of plastic piping utilized in
delivering water for crops and livestock.
(9) Solar pumping systems can play an important role in
protecting riparian habitat and improving water quality in
streams, rivers, lakes, and estuaries through providing
alternative watering options for livestock.
SEC. 3. INFORMATION ON ENERGY-EFFICIENT PUMPING SYSTEMS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with pumping
system experts, in order to educate farmers on the benefits of energy-
efficient pumping systems, shall develop and make publicly available on
the website of the Department of Agriculture easily accessible
information on cost savings, energy savings, water conservation, and
carbon emissions reductions that can be realized through the use of
energy-efficient pumping systems.
(b) Contents.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall
include information on--
(1) pumps, pipes, motors, drives, and controls that can
provide energy savings and cost savings, conserve water, and
reduce carbon emissions; and
(2) Department of Agriculture programs that provide farmers
resources for acquiring energy-efficient pumping systems and
drought management infrastructure, including the environmental
quality incentives program, the Rural Energy for America
Program, and the conservation stewardship program.
SEC. 4. ENERGY EFFICIENCY PRE-ASSESSMENT TOOL.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with pumping
system experts, in order to raise awareness of the benefits of energy-
efficient pumping systems and increase participation in Department of
Agriculture programs that promote energy efficiency, shall develop and
make publicly available on the website of the Department of Agriculture
a user-friendly tool to--
(1) assist farmers in making a preliminary assessment of
the energy efficiency of existing pumping systems; and
(2) provide an estimate of potential energy savings, cost
savings, and carbon emissions reductions that may be realized
through pumping system improvements.
(b) Requirements.--
(1) Ease of use.--The Secretary shall ensure that the tool
made available under subsection (a) provides a user with
projected energy savings, projected cost savings, and projected
carbon emissions reductions through the input by the user of
the following data relating to an existing pumping system:
(A) Pump type.
(B) Flow rating and actual flow.
(C) Pressure rating and actual pressure.
(D) Speed rating and actual speed.
(2) Considerations.--The Secretary shall ensure that the
tool made available under subsection (a)--
(A) in assessing the energy efficiency of a pumping
system, takes into consideration pumps, pipes, motors,
drives, and controls associated with the pumping
system; and
(B) in projecting the energy savings, cost savings,
and carbon emissions reductions that may be realized
through pumping system improvements, takes into
consideration the cost of electricity and the profile
of the existing pumping system.
SEC. 5. ENERGY AUDITOR EDUCATION.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with pumping
system experts, in order to increase the effectiveness of Department of
Agriculture energy efficiency programs, shall establish a process to
educate persons performing energy efficiency audits for the Department
of Agriculture on energy use and energy efficiency in pumping systems.
(b) Implementation.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary
shall consider the use of existing education and training programs
focused on energy use and energy efficiency in pumping systems.
SEC. 6. CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.
Section 1240I(2)(B)(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3839aa-21(2)(B)(i)) is amended by inserting ``and energy-efficient
pumping systems'' before ``, as determined''.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
(2) Pumping system.--The term ``pumping system'' means any
pumps, pipes, motors, drives, and controls used to move water
and other fluids on farms, ranches, and aquaculture operations.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.
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