Energy

Super Pollutants Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2015

Super Pollutants Act of 2015 This bill requires the President to establish the Interagency Task Force on Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Mitigation. The Task Force must report on federal agencies' plans for reducing those pollutants, including: (1) black carbon (soot emissions), (2) methane, and (3) hydrofluorocarbons with high global warming potential (high-GWP HFC). The Department of State must develop a comprehensive plan to reduce black carbon emissions from international shipping, which must include a roadmap toward helping countries reduce fine-particle emissions from shipping. While acting as chairperson of the Arctic Council, the Secretary of State must: (1) lead an effort to reduce black carbon through an Arctic-wide aspirational black carbon goal, and (2) encourage observers of that Council to adopt national black carbon emissions reduction goals and mitigation plans. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) must: (1) prioritize black carbon mitigation activities as part of aid distribution activities; (2) give special emphasis to projects that produce substantial environmental, gender, livelihood, and public health benefits; and (3) work with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves to help developing nations establish thriving markets for clean and efficient cooking solutions. The State Department must provide technical assistance to aid international efforts in reducing black carbon emissions from diesel trucks, 2-stroke engines, diesel generators, and industrial processes. The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must: (1) evaluate the availability of high-GWP HFC alternatives, and (2) report on a plan for revising regulatory barriers that prevent the use of those alternatives. The bill amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit the manufacture of any uncharged hydrochlorofluorocarbon-22 air-conditioning condensing equipment for residential use. The EPA must study and report on the most effective method to minimize the inadvertent release of HFC-134a from automotive air conditioning recharge kits when the recharge container is not being used. The State Department, DOE, the EPA, and the Department of Commerce must provide to other countries technical guidance on containing emissions from gas drilling, landfills, coal mining, and agriculture. The Government Accountability Office must identify: (1) the types of equipment throughout the production value chain that are most likely to have high leak rates, and (2) voluntary efforts on replacing or monitoring those types of equipment.

Calling for urgent international action on behalf of Iraqi and Syrian civilians facing a dire humanitarian crisis and severe persecution because of their faith or ethnicity in the Nineveh Plain region of Iraq and Khabor, Kobane, and Aleppo regions of Syria.

United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2015

Condemns the religious bigotry and attacks against innocent civilians, as well as the destruction of property and ancient sites, by armed extremists in Iraq and Syria. Calls on the relevant parties to protect all citizens in the region. Calls on the President, the Department of State, and the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (U.N.) to provide humanitarian assistance, protect civilians, and help reestablish livelihoods for displaced and persecuted persons in their communities of origin. Calls on the U.S. Permanent Representative to work with relevant U.N. agencies, including the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, to document human rights abuses against Iraqi and Syrian refugees and develop a plan to facilitate safe access to potable water, health care, fuel, electricity, and basic security. Calls on the relevant U.N. agencies to collaborate with international humanitarian organizations working in Iraq and Syria to develop: (1) an effective resettlement strategy for displaced and persecuted populations in beleaguered areas, including the ancestral villages in the Nineveh Plain, that facilitates a transition from emergency relief to longer-term economic development; and (2) mechanisms to ensure that assistance reaches vulnerable ethnic and religious minorities without being diverted. Calls on the Department of State and the Department of Defense to: (1) support the training and equipping of vetted local Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac Christians security forces in Iraq and Syria, and (2) work to ensure that minority communities in Iraq and Syria are integrated into future security forces.

Dry Cask Storage Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2015

Dry Cask Storage Act of 2015 Amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to require each licensee of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to submit a plan for: (1) transfer (including on-going additional transfers) to spent nuclear fuel dry casks of any spent nuclear fuel stored by the licensee for at least seven years in spent nuclear fuel pools, and (2) configuration of the remaining spent nuclear fuel in the pool in a manner that minimizes the chance of a fire if there is a loss of water in the pool. Requires the NRC to approve or disapprove the plan within 90 days after its submission. Authorizes the NRC to make a grant to any licensee with an approved plan to assist in the cost of transferring spent nuclear fuel to dry casks under the plan. Requires the emergency planning zone applicable to each civilian nuclear power reactor to be at least 10 miles in radius until all spent nuclear fuel at the reactor has been transferred to dry casks. Directs the NRC to expand to 50 miles in radius the emergency planning zone applicable to each reactor not in compliance with an approved plan. Makes the licensee responsible for all coasts associated with expansion. Requires the Department of the Treasury to transfer annually to the NRC, to pay the costs of the grants program, 10% of the interest generated during the preceding fiscal year from investments of the Nuclear Waste Fund.

To establish a pilot program to reduce the number of vehicles owned by certain Federal departments and increase the use of ride-sharing services.

United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2015

This bill directs the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, and Energy to each establish a pilot program to: (1) reduce the inventory of light vehicles owned by the department by 10% for each of the 5 fiscal years beginning after the expiration of the 1-year period starting on the date of enactment of this Act, and (2) increase the department's use of commercial ride-sharing companies.

National Park Service Centennial Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2015

National Park Service Centennial Act This bill establishes the National Park Centennial Challenge Fund in the Treasury to finance signature projects and programs to enhance the National Park System (NPS) as it approaches its centennial in 2016. There is also established in the Treasury a Public Lands Centennial Fund. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture shall jointly establish a program under which funds from the Centennial Fund are made available to federal land or water management agencies to support projects that: enhance visitor services and outdoor recreational opportunities, restore lands and waters, repair facilities or trails, or increase energy and water efficiency. National Park Foundation Endowment Act The National Park Foundation shall establish the Second Century Endowment for the National Park Service. The National Park Service Second Century Fund is established in the Treasury. Interior shall undertake a broad program of the highest quality interpretation and education. The Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 is amended to increase from 25 to 30 the age limit for participants in the Public Lands Corps. This bill makes permanent the Volunteers in the Parks Program. Interior may establish a Visitor Services Management Authority (VSMA) to administer commercial visitor services programs and activities of the NPS, including the award and administration of commercial visitor facilities and services management contracts pursuant to this Act. A VSMA revolving fund is established for expenses necessary for the management, improvement, enhancement, operation, construction, and maintenance of commercial visitor services and facilities and payment of possessory interest and leasehold surrender interest.

Fuel Cell Tax Extenders Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2015

Fuel Cell Tax Extenders Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2021: the residential energy efficient property tax credit for qualified fuel cell property, the energy tax credit for qualified fuel cell property, the alternative motor vehicle tax credit for qualified fuel cell motor vehicles, the tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property relating to hydrogen, and the excise tax credit for the sale or use of alternative fuels involving hydrogen.

Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2015

Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! Act of 2015 This bill: (1) prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act, with specified exceptions, for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in such project are produced in the United States; and (2) requires all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors on federally-assisted projects to be paid wages at locally-prevailing rates. TITLE I--RELIEF FOR WORKERS AND BUSINESSES This title amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) restore the making work pay tax credit in 2015, and (2) allow 100% bonus depreciation for certain property acquired and placed in service before January 1, 2015. The title amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to increase to $7.5 million the limit on the guarantee for contract surety bonds and on the liability for bonds obtained by fraud or misrepresentation. This increase expires on September 30, 2016. TITLE II--PUTTING WORKERS BACK ON THE JOB WHILE REBUILDING AND MODERNIZING AMERICA This title directs the Departments of Education and the Interior (for schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education) to reserve through FY2016 appropriated amounts to provide educational assistance to outlying areas based on their respective needs. The Department of Justice must carry out a competitive grant program for the hiring, rehiring, or retention of career law enforcement officers The Department of Education must award grants to states to modernize, renovate, or repair early learning or elementary or secondary education facilities and existing facilities at community colleges. This title makes funds available to the Department of Transportation for: (1) grants-in-aid for airport planning and development and noise compatibility planning projects under the airport improvement program; (2) Federal Aviation Administration Next Generation air traffic control system advancements; (3) highway and bridge restoration, repair, and construction projects and for passenger and freight rail transportation and port infrastructure projects; (4) grants for high-speed rail projects, capital investment grants for intercity passenger rail service, and grants to reduce congestion on intercity rail passenger transportation; (5) capital grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK); (6) transit capital assistance grants; (7) capital projects for existing fixed guideway system modernization, replacement and repair of buses and bus-related equipment, and construction of bus-related facilities; and (8) discretionary capital investment grants for surface transportation infrastructure. Building and Upgrading Infrastructure for Long-Term Development Act This bill establishes the American Infrastructure Financing Authority (AIFA) as a wholly-owned government corporation to make direct loans and loan guarantees to facilitate transportation, water, or energy infrastructure projects. This title: (1) requires infrastructure projects assisted under this Act to have costs that are reasonably anticipated to equal or exceed $100 million ($25 million for rural infrastructure projects), (2) requires the AIFA Chief Lending Officer to establish an Office of Rural Assistance to provide technical assistance in the development and financing of rural infrastructure projects and a Center for Excellence to provide such assistance to public sector borrowers in the development and financing of infrastructure projects, and (3) establishes an Office of Special Inspector General to audit and investigate the business activities of AIFA. This title amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2018 the exemption from the alternative minimum tax for certain tax-exempt private activity bonds. This title appropriates funds for assistance to eligible entities, including state and local governments, qualified nonprofit organizations, businesses, or eligible consortia, for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed-upon properties and for stabilization of affected neighborhoods (Project Rebuild). TITLE III--ASSISTANCE FOR THE UNEMPLOYED AND PATHWAYS BACK TO WORK Supporting Unemployed Workers Act of 2015 This title amends: (1) the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to extend the emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) program until January 1, 2016; (2) the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend through December 31, 2015, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC; and (3) the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through December 31, 2015, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits for employees with 10 or more years of service and for employees with less than 10 years of service. The title establishes the Reemployment NOW program to facilitate the reemployment of individuals receiving emergency unemployment compensation (EUC claimants). A state may use its allotted funds to: (1) establish a Bridge to Work program to provide EUC claimants with short-term work experience placements with eligible employers; (2) provide a wage insurance program to pay, for up to two years, an EUC claimant who obtains reemployment up to 50% of the difference between the wages received at the time of work separation and the wages received for reemployment; and (3) provide a program of enhanced reemployment services to EUC claimants, including unemployed individuals who have exhausted their EUC rights. The Department of Labor must award grants to states for short-time compensation programs and develop model legislative language for use by states in developing, enacting, and implementing such programs. The work opportunity tax credit is expanded to include the hiring of long-term unemployed individuals (individuals who are unemployed and receiving unemployment compensation for six months or more). Pathways Back to Work Act of 2015 This bill establishes programs to subsidize employment for unemployed, low-income adults, to provide summer and year-round employment opportunities to low-income youth, and for work-based training. Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2015 This bill makes it an unlawful practice for certain employers to: (1) publish a job advertisement or announcement that includes provisions indicating that an individual's status as unemployed disqualifies the individual for employment or that the employer will not consider or hire an individual for employment based on such status, (2) fail or refuse to consider or hire an individual because of such status, or (3) direct or request that an employment agency take an individual's status into account to disqualify an applicant for consideration for employment or when screening or referring employees. The bill makes it an unlawful practice for an employment agency to commit similar acts, including to: (1) screen, or fail or refuse to consider or refer, an individual for employment because of the individual's unemployed status; or (2) limit, segregate, or classify any such individual in any manner that would limit access to job information or consideration, screening, or referral for jobs. The bill makes it unlawful for any employer or employment agency to: (1) interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of any right provided under this Act; or (2) fail or refuse to hire, discharge, or otherwise discriminate against an employee because such individual opposed any practice made unlawful by this Act or asserted any right under it. TITLE IV--OFFSETS This title amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for offsets against decreases in revenue by: (1) limiting tax deductions and other tax exclusions for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000 ($250,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return), (2) treating income received by a partner from an investment services partnership interest as ordinary income for income tax purposes, (3) treating all general aviation aircraft (including corporate jets) as seven-year property for depreciation purposes; (4) denying the foreign tax credit to dual capacity taxpayers; and (5) increasing the period for amortizing geological and geophysical expenditures. The title repeals, after 2015, certain tax expenditures for the oil and gas industry, including: (1) the tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs for oil and gas wells; (2) the tax deduction for tertiary injectant expenditures; (3) percentage depletion for oil and gas wells; (4) the tax deduction for income from activities relating to oil, natural gas, or any primary product thereof; (5) the exemption from limitations on passive activity losses; and (6) the tax credits for enhanced oil recovery and for producing oil and gas from marginal wells. The title amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act), as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011, to repeal its budget goal enforcement requirements (sequestration mandate).

A bill to authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue an order continuing a stay of a hydroelectric license for the Mahoney Lake hydroelectric project in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2015

This bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), upon request of the City of Saxman, Alaska, to issue a stay of the statutory deadline by which the city must commence construction on the Mahoney Lake Hydroelectric Project located in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska. In addition, upon request, FERC must reinstate the construction license and make it effective as of the date the stay is lifted. Subject to certain conditions, FERC is required to extend for up to six years the statutory deadline by which the city must commence construction on the project.

Farm to Table Safety Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2015

Farm to Table Safety Act This bill amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to modify the food safety education program authorized in the Act. The bill requires the Department of Agriculture to: (1) include farm workers in the program, and (2) expand the scope of the program to include practices that prevent bacterial contamination of food, methods of identifying sources of food contamination, and other means of decreasing food contamination.

Maritime and Energy Workforce Technical Training Enhancement Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2015

Maritime and Energy Workforce Technical Training Enhancement Act This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to award grants to enable eligible community colleges and other public postsecondary institutions of higher education that are located near marine or port facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, or Great Lakes to expand upon existing programs in maritime and energy workforce technical training, including by admitting more students, training faculty, expanding facilities, creating new maritime career pathways from an associate degree to a baccalaureate degree, awarding credit for prior learning experience, and increasing cooperation with an appropriate federal agency or the National Science Foundation. DOE shall give priority to institutions that have entered into a partnership with an appropriate federal agency. Recipients shall use grant amounts for: training related to maritime or energy transportation, logistics, and supply chain management or to shipbuilding and ship repair; enhancement of academic and workforce training programs for maritime and energy employment; salary supplementation for faculty in maritime or energy training and education; operation and maintenance of maritime or energy related equipment and technology for use in instructional programs; acquisition of marine vessels and other assets and equipment for use in maritime or energy related training and education; renovation or construction of buildings to house maritime or energy training and education programs; or tuition reimbursement for successful completion of a maritime or energy course, program, or certification. DOE may also award a grant to an eligible nonprofit organization (one with at least 10 years of expertise in working with community colleges on developing workforce development programs) to provide assistance in carrying out this Act. DOE shall award a grant to to enable up to 10 eligible institutions that offer accredited programs in academic areas relevant to maritime or energy-related workforce training to: (1) establish Centers of Excellence in Maritime and Energy Workforce Technical Training; and (2) improve and expand maritime and energy workforce training opportunities through such Centers for veterans, members of the Armed Forces, federal employees, and civilians by implementing new training programs and providing job placement services in maritime and energy employment fields.

Hospital Energy Conservation Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2015

Hospital Energy Conservation Act This bill directs the Department of Energy to establish a pilot program to award grants and loan guarantees to no more than six hospitals during FY2016-FY2017 to carry out energy conservation projects for: (1) significantly improving energy efficiency; and (2) encouraging on-site power generation and energy storage, capable of operating independent of the grid, and providing sufficient on-site emergency backup power for essential hospital functions.

North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2015

North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015 This bill amends the Natural Gas Act to revise procedures for consideration by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) of applications for federal authorization of the exportation or importation of natural gas, including a deadline for a final decision on a federal authorization within 90 days after FERC issues its final environmental document. The Federal Power Act (FPA) is amended to require FERC, in resolving environmental and grid reliability conflicts, to ensure that any emergency order which may result in conflict with federal, state, or local environmental law or regulations: requires electric energy generation, delivery, interchange, or transmission only during hours necessary to meet the emergency; is consistent with environmental law or regulation; and minimizes adverse environmental impacts. The Department of Energy (DOE) shall: adopt procedures, among other things, to improve communication and coordination between DOE's energy response team, federal partners, and the oil and natural gas industry regarding enhanced emergency preparedness for natural disasters; and order emergency measures to protect the reliability of either the bulk-power system or the defense critical electric infrastructure in the event of an imminent grid security emergency. DOE shall submit to Congress a plan to establish a Strategic Transformer Reserve for the storage of spare large power transformers in numbers sufficient to temporarily replace critically damaged large power transformers. DOE may also establish a Strategic Transformer Reserve in accordance with the Plan. DOE shall establish a voluntary Cyber Sense program to identify and promote cyber-secure products intended for use in the bulk-power system. The bill amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to require each electric utility to: develop a plan to use resiliency-related technologies and other approaches designed to improve the resilience of electric infrastructure, mitigate power outages, continue delivery of vital services, and maintain the flow of power to critical facilities; develop and implement a plan for deploying advanced energy analytics technologies; and adopt or modify policies to ensure that such electric utility incorporates reliable generation into its integrated resource plan. DOE shall implement a comprehensive education and training program for underrepresented groups to increase the number of skilled workers in energy and manufacturing-related jobs. DOE must report to Congress on: (1) recommended U.S. energy security valuation methods; and (2) a recommended framework and implementation strategy for a North American energy security plan to improve planning and coordination with Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean and Central American partners. DOE shall convene at least two energy security forums to promote the collective energy security of the United States, its allies, and its trading partners. DOE must conduct a long-range strategic review of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) and transmit to Congress an implementation schedule specifying near-term and long-term roles of the SPR relative to U.S energy security and economic goals and objectives. The bill amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to require federal agency coordination with the Office of Management and Budget, DOE, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop an implementation strategy for federal maintenance, purchase, and use of energy-efficient and energy-saving information technologies. DOE shall: involve information technology industry and other key stakeholders in the voluntary national information program for energy efficient data centers, maintain a data center energy practitioner program that leads to certification of energy practitioners qualified to evaluate energy usage and efficiency opportunities in federal data centers, establish an open data initiative for federal data center energy usage, participate in efforts to harmonize global specifications and metrics for data center energy and water efficiency, and report to Congress on the impact of thermal insulation on energy and water use systems for potable hot and chilled water in federal buildings. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 is amended to treat certain thermal energy projects as renewable energy with respect to the federal electric energy purchase requirement. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) is amended to require: FERC to initiate a rulemaking to consider making prominent a special note on the Energy Guide label for any product that includes Smart Grid capability, DOE and EPA to rely upon testing conducted by recognized voluntary verification programs to verify compliance with energy conservation standards and Energy Star specifications, and DOE to publish a final rule on whether the standards for non-weatherized natural gas furnaces and mobile home gas furnaces should be amended. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is amended to require institution of higher education-based industrial research and assessment centers to: (1) assess sustainable manufacturing goals and information technology advancements for supply chain analysis, logistics, system monitoring, and industrial and manufacturing processes; and (2) engage in outreach activities to inform small- and medium-sized manufacturers of available information, technologies, and services. The National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA) is amended with respect to the use of energy and water efficiency measures in federal buildings. DOE shall report to the President and Congress on the status of: (1) each agency's energy savings performance contracts, (2) utility energy service contracts, (3) the investment value of such contracts, (4) the guaranteed energy savings for the previous year as compared to the actual energy savings for the previous year, (5) the plan for entering into such contracts in the coming year, and (6) an explanation why any previously submitted plans for such contracts were not implemented. Under NECPA, furthermore, a federal agency, in entering energy savings performance contracts, may not limit the recognition of operation and maintenance savings associated with implementation of energy and water conservation measures, but it may sell or transfer energy savings and apply the proceeds to fund such a contract. The EPCA is amended to direct DOE to establish a clearinghouse to disseminate information regarding available federal programs and financing mechanisms that may be used to help initiate, develop, and finance energy efficiency, distributed generation, and energy retrofitting projects for schools. The FPA is further amended to to rename the FERC Office of Public Participation as the Office of Compliance Assistance and Public Participation. The Government Accountability Office shall study whether and how current market rules, practices, and structures of each regional transmission entity produce rates that are just and reasonable by performing certain activities.

THE IMPACTS OF FEDERAL POLICIES ON ENERGY PRODUCTION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE GULF

United States · United States House of Representatives · 15 September 2015

State and Local Fleet Efficiency Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2015

State and Local Fleet Efficiency Act Recognizes state or local government authority to require fleet owners or operators to acquire only new fleet vehicles that: utilize natural gas as a fuel; are flexible fuel vehicles that operate on gasoline, E85, and M85; or meet a technology or performance-based characteristic that is commercially available. Provides that nothing in this Act or any other provision of law shall limit the purchase requirement authority of a state or local government applicable to fleets operating primarily within the jurisdiction if the requirements further any policy regarding climate change, the control of air pollution, energy independence, or local economic benefits. Defines "fleet" as a group of 20 or more light-duty motor vehicles, medium-duty motor vehicles, or heavy-duty motor vehicles carrying 14 or more passengers operating primarily in a metropolitan area with a population of more than 250,000 that are: centrally dispatched; or centrally fueled, or capable of being centrally fueled, and owned, operated, leased, or otherwise controlled by a governmental entity or other person meeting specified criteria.

National Oceans and Coastal Security Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2015

National Oceans and Coastal Security Act This bill authorizes the Department of Commerce and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to establish the National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund as a tax exempt fund for supporting programs and activities to protect, conserve, and restore ocean and coastal resources and coastal infrastructure. Donations from a foreign government may not be deposited into the fund. Commerce must prioritize projects that have non-federal partners sharing the project costs. According to a specified allocation formula, the Foundation must award a minimum percentage of funds as grants to eligible coastal states while awarding a lesser percentage of funds to entities including states, Indian tribes, regional bodies, associations, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions. The bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to require the President to ensure that a certain percent of offshore energy revenues are deposited into the fund.

A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the congressional review provision of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 does not apply to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action announced on July 14, 2015, because the President failed to transmit the entire agreement as required by such Act, and that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action would only preempt existing Iran sanctions laws as "the supreme Law of the Land" if ratified by the Senate as a treaty with the concurrence of two thirds of the Senators present pursuant to Article II, section 2, clause 2, of the Constitution or if Congress were to enact new implementing legislation that supersedes the mandatory statutory sanctions that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action announced on July 14, 2015, purports to supersede.

United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2015

Declares the sense of the Senate that: the congressional review requirement of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as added by the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (Act), does not apply to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) announced on July 14, 2015, because the President failed to comply with the transmission to Congress requirements; because the President did not transmit to Congress all related materials and annexes within five days of reaching agreement with Iran the congressional review period did not occur, at least not in the manner envisioned by the members of Congress who voted for the Act; in light of the President's failure to submit the entire agreement relating to Iran's nuclear program, including side agreements, to Congress within five days the congressional review requirement by its own terms does not apply to the partial agreement (JCPA), and so for the substance of the transmission to become "the supreme Law of the Land'' it would need either to be treated by the Senate as a treaty or Congress would need to enact new implementing legislation that supersedes the mandatory sanctions the JCPA purports to supersede; the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012, and the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 remain "the supreme Law of the Land'' until a Senate-ratified treaty or duly enacted statute repeals or otherwise supersedes them; and the Senate, which has the power to consent to treaties under Article II of the Constitution, has not and does not consent to the JCPA, which is therefore not "the supreme Law of the Land,'' and the President therefore has a constitutional duty to ensure that the Iran sanctions laws continue to be executed faithfully.

Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2015

Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 This bill amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 with respect to energy efficiency in buildings and appliances. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the Department of Energy (DOE) shall conduct activities with respect to manufacturing energy efficiency. Vehicle Innovation Act of 2015 DOE shall conduct research, development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application programs regarding passenger as well as medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles and transit vehicles. The Federal Power Act is amended with respect to cybersecurity threats, and requirements are prescribed for enhanced electric grid security as well as bulk-power system reliability. The EPCA is amended regarding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Natural Gas Act is amended with respect to liquefied natural gas exports. DOE shall conduct programs with respect to electric grid storage and related grid matters. The Department of Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 is replaced by the Exascale Computing Act of 2015, and DOE shall conduct research for development of two or more exascale computing machine architectures. The bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and specified other Acts regarding: hydroelectric power, geothermal energy, marine hydrokinetic renewable energy, biomass, oil and gas, helium, specified critical minerals, coal, nuclear energy, 21st century energy workforce development, and recycled carbon fiber and nonrecycled mixed plastics. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 and other Acts are amended to: revise or prescribe requirements for loan and loan guarantee incentives for innovative technologies, and establish an e-prize competition or challenge pilot program to implement community and regional energy solutions to reduce energy costs in high-cost regions. DOE and the Department of the Interior shall establish a joint NEWS Office and Interagency Coordination Committee on the Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability. Interior may develop a current and accurate multipurpose cadastre to support federal land management activities. The Department of Energy Organization Act is amended to: direct the President to establish a Quadrennial Energy Review Task Force, rename the DOE Under Secretary for Science as the Under Secretary for Science and Energy, direct the DOE Energy Information Administration (EIA) to develop a plan to identify all oil inventories and other physical oil assets owned by the 50 largest traders of oil contracts, and create within the EIA a Financial Market Analysis Office. The bill establishes a Working Group on Energy Markets. The EPCA is amended to repeal the mandates for various specified studies, reports, plans, and programs. The bill establishes a National Park Service Critical Maintenance and Revitalization Conservation Fund, and revises requirements for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Historic Preservation Fund.

Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2015

Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act This bill prohibits the President from waiving, suspending, reducing, providing relief from, or otherwise limiting the application of sanctions against Iran under any provision of law, or refraining from applying sanctions pursuant to requirements under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (as amended by the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015) for any nuclear agreement with Iran, until the President has certified to Congress that Iran has paid each judgment: that was brought against it, or against it and any other country; for which Iran was not immune from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts under specified terrorism exceptions to immunity under the judicial code; and that was entered during the period March 4, 2000-May 22, 2015.

Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015.

United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2015

Declares that: the President has not complied with provisions of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 requiring transmission to Congress of nuclear agreements with Iran and related verification assessments because the communication from the President did not constitute the agreement as defined by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954; and the period for review by Congress of nuclear agreements with Iran under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 has not commenced because the agreement has not yet been transmitted to the appropriate congressional committees and leadership.

Offshore Production and Energizing National Security Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2015

Offshore Production and Energizing National Security Act of 2015 This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to direct the Department of the Interior to make available for oil and natural gas leasing, and conduct lease sales, including sales of the available unleased acreage, within each outer Continental Shelf (OCS) planning area in the Gulf of Mexico considered to have the largest undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources. Interior must also make available for leasing under each five-year oil and gas leasing program any OCS planning area in the Gulf of Mexico estimated to contain more than 2.5 billion barrels of oil or 7.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The bill also amends the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 to: redefine "Military Mission Line" as the western border of the Eastern Planning Area in the Gulf of Mexico, and reduce the area subject to a moratorium on oil and gas leasing activities in the Eastern and Central Planning Areas off Florida. Interior shall implement the Proposed Final Outer Continental Shelf Oil & Gas Leasing Program (FY2017-FY2022) in accordance with a specified schedule, and conduct lease sales in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico in accordance with another prescribed schedule for FY2018-FY2020. Florida shall be added, beginning in FY2017, to the list of Gulf producing states (currently Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas), and the areas containing leases from which qualified revenues are derived shall be expanded to include the Central and Western Planning Areas. The bill revises requirements for the distribution of qualified OCS revenues (all rentals, royalties, bonus bids, and other sums due and payable to the United States from leases). The bill increases, for FY2018-FY2055, the amount of qualified OCS revenues available for distribution to Gulf producing states. Oil or natural gas exploration, development, or production on the OCS under a federal lease that would conflict with a military operation are hereby prohibited. Before publishing the programmatic environmental impact statement relating to any Proposed Final Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, a state shall have the option to enter into the offshore oil and gas leasing and development program described in that proposed program in specified circumstances. The Clean Air Act is amended to repeal the requirement that the Environmental Protection Agency establish requirements to control air pollution from OCS sources located along the U.S. Gulf Coast off Florida to attain and maintain federal and state ambient air quality standards. The bill addresses the moratorium under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 on the taking and importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products, except under an incidental harassment authorization. The bill prescribes deadlines for consideration by Interior of any request for incidental harassment authorization by a U.S. citizen who engages in a specified activity (other than commercial fishing) within a specific geographic region. The bill extends the period of continuous operation of production under an oil, gas, or sulphur lease during which certain actions must be taken to renew the lease. The Government Accountability Office shall estimate the costs of complying with major federal rules relating to offshore energy development and production activities on the OCS. Interior shall establish a Nearshore Beaufort Sea Planning Area in the OCS within three nautical miles of the seaward boundary of Alaska, and conduct one oil and gas lease sale under the OCSLA in specified areas. Oil and gas leases under the OCSLA shall have an initial 20-year lease period if they are located in the portion of the Beaufort Planning Area or Chukchi Planning Area beyond three nautical miles of the seaward boundary of Alaska. The OCSLA is amended to establish a scheme for revenue allocation between Treasury and the state of Alaska for specified purposes. Interior shall include in any leasing program for FY2023-FY2027 at least three lease sales in each of the Beaufort Planning Area and the Chukchi Planning Area, as well as annual lease sales in the Nearshore Beaufort Sea Planning Area and the Cook Inlet Planning Area. Before conducting a lease sale that would offer leases within 30 nautical miles of the coastline, Interior shall consult with the governor of each potentially affected state. Interior shall include the South Atlantic planning area in the OCS leasing program for FY2017-FY2022. No person may engage in any exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas on the OCS under a lease issued under this title that would conflict with any military operation, as determined in accordance with a specified agreement between Interior and the Department of Defense. The OCSLA is amended to direct Interior to deposit certain portions of qualified revenues into the general fund of the Treasury and into a special Treasury account for allocation for specified purposes to states adjacent to the South Atlantic Planning Area. Acting through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior shall partner with certain institutions of higher education to facilitate the study of geological and geophysical sciences on the Atlantic OCS and elsewhere on the U.S. Continental Shelf. The BOEM Director shall establish an Atlantic regional office in an area of the OCS leasing program with the highest potential for resource development. Interior shall establish a grant program for specified activities to improve the resilience of Indian tribes to specified challenges. The bill establishes the Tribal Resilience Fund. Specified domestic crude oil or condensate may be exported without a federal license to countries not subject to U.S. sanctions, but subject to export licensing requirements or other restrictions in the event of a national emergency or national security. The department in which the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is operating shall analyze certain proposed BSEE regulations and rules relating to offshore oil and gas operations and exploratory drilling activities on the U.S. Arctic Continental Shelf.

To extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project.

United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2015

This bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), upon the request of the licensee for FERC project numbered 12642 (W. Kerr Scott Hydropower Project in Wilkes County, North Carolina), to extend the time period during which the licensee is required to commence the construction of the project for up to three consecutive two-year periods from the date of the expiration of the extension originally issued by FERC.

Gas Accessibility and Stabilization Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2015

Gas Accessibility and Stabilization Act of 2015 This bill amends the Clean Air Act to allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to waive fuel mandates if there is a problem with distribution or delivery equipment that is necessary for the transportation or delivery of fuel or fuel additives. The EPA may extend the effectiveness of such waiver for more than 20 days if the problem exists for more than 20 days. If the EPA does not approve or deny a request for such waiver within three days, the waiver must be considered to be approved. The bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to revise requirements for a fuel system requirements harmonization study by: (1) including the consideration of biofuels in the study, and (2) extending the deadline for reporting on the study until June 1, 2016.

Free Market Energy Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2015

Free Market Energy Act This bill amends: (1) the Federal Power Act to define "distributed energy resource" as a resource, technology, or service interconnected to the electricity distribution system that generates, manages, or reduces energy use; and (2) the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to provide that distributed energy resources shall have a general right of interconnection under such Act. States must ensure that electric distribution grid operators adopt requirements for interconnection rates and fees that are just and reasonable, that provide for the two-way benefit for the distributed energy resource and the electricity grid, and that are not punitive. Time frames for interconnection shall be well-defined, expeditious, and not unduly protracted. An interconnection may not be delayed or denied unless the electric utility demonstrates that the interconnection is unsafe or impracticable. A state regulatory authority that considers modifying the treatment of net energy metering customers must consider requiring that distributed energy resources be eligible to receive just and reasonable energy and rate treatment using dynamic pricing, which may account for locational benefit, to be provided on an unbundled basis, after accounting for the two-way valuation of dynamic rates, for services provided to or by the grid. Dynamic pricing considerations shall include: pricing for energy sold to, and pricing for energy purchased from, an electric utility, capacity, the provision of ancillary services, the societal value of distributed energy resources, and transmission and distribution losses. A state regulatory authority or applicable Regional Transmission Organization or Independent System Operator must consider nontransmission alternatives in instances in which an entity proposes transmission projects seeking cost-of-service rate recovery. To reduce the cost to the ratepayer of a potential transmission upgrade, the cost of the nontransmission alternative shall be recovered from the ratebase or regional recovery mechanism in the same manner as the transmission upgrade otherwise would have been.

Cherry Ann Murray, of Kansas, to be Director of the Office of Science, Department of Energy, vice William F. Brinkman.

United States · United States Senate · 5 August 2015

Laura S. H. Holgate, of Virginia, to be the Representative of the United States of America to the International Atomic Energy Agency, with the rank of Ambassador.

United States · United States Senate · 5 August 2015

TRASH Act

United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2015

Trash Reduction and Sensible Handling Act of 2015 or the TRASH Act This bill amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to authorize state solid waste management plans to restrict the importation of out-of-state waste at the state and local level by requiring out-of-state waste to be from states with waste handling and reduction standards that are equivalent or higher than the standards of the state receiving the waste. Those plans may impose a community benefit fee on out-of-state waste, which may be higher than the fees for in-state waste. States may provide those fees to affected communities and may differentiate community benefit fees based on whether the imported waste was disposed of at a landfill, an incinerator, a resource recovery facility, a waste-to-energy facility, or other waste handling facility.

Tax Relief Extension Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2015

Tax Relief Extension Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2016 expired or expiring tax provisions for individuals, business taxpayers, and the energy sector. Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) Congress should pursue a process of comprehensive tax reform, (2) Congress should eliminate temporary provisions in the Internal Revenue Code by making permanent those provisions that merit permanency and by allowing others to expire, and (3) a major focus of the tax reform process should be fostering economic growth and lowering tax rates by broadening the tax base. Excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, any amount received by a non-corporate taxpayer as a clean coal power grant, award, or allowance under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Allows the consolidation of remuneration paid to a motion picture project worker by a motion picture project employer in a calendar year, for employment tax purposes. Equalizes the excise tax on liquefied petroleum gas and liquefied natural gas by establishing a rate of 18.3 cents per energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline for liquefied petroleum gas and 24.3 cents per energy equivalent of a gallon of diesel for liquefied natural gas. Requires mortgage interest information returns to include: (1) the amount of the outstanding mortgage at the beginning of the calendar year, (2) the address of the property securing such mortgage, and (3) the date of the origination of the mortgage.

Fusion Innovation Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2015

Fusion Innovation Act of 2015 Directs the Office of Science of the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a Fusion Innovation Initiative, under which the Office shall issue a competitive, merit-reviewed funding opportunity announcement to solicit proposals for engineering designs for innovative fusion energy systems, including upgrades to existing facilities, which have the potential to demonstrate net energy production not later than seven years after the start of construction. Requires a recipient to submit the design within 18 months after receiving funding. Directs the Office to assign top priority to, and provide expedited financial support for, relevant construction activities for any design that the Office determines merits support. Directs DOE to establish open, transparent processes to share unclassified resources and information that will accelerate the advancement of fusion energy technologies among researchers from the National Laboratories (specified DOE-owned laboratories), institutions of higher education, and the private sector. Directs the Office to: (1) establish processes to make unclassified, proprietary simulation codes relevant to the development of a fusion energy system, that are controlled by a National Laboratory, available to researchers from other National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, and the private sector; (2) support shared platforms for the co-development of simulation codes for fusion energy systems among such researchers; and (3) establish a process for fusion researchers from the National Laboratories to serve limited-term residencies at private sector companies working to advance fusion technologies. Directs DOE to submit a report assessing its capabilities to authorize, host, and oversee privately funded fusion prototypes with up to 20 megawatts thermal output and related demonstration facilities at DOE-owned sites.

Electrify Africa Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2015

Electrify Africa Act of 2015 This bill directs the President to establish a multiyear strategy to assist countries in sub-Saharan Africa implement national power strategies and develop an appropriate mix of power solutions, including renewable energy, to provide access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable power in order to reduce poverty and drive economic growth. The President may: (1) establish an interagency working group to coordinate the activities of U.S. government departments and agencies involved in carrying out the strategy, and (2) use U.S. influence to leverage international support to promote the strategy. The U.S. Agency for International Development, the Trade and Development Agency, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), and the Millennium Challenge Corporation are urged to prioritize efforts and assistance for power projects and markets in sub-Saharan Africa. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to extend OPIC's issuing authority through September 30, 2018. OPIC should: simplify the application, approval, and post-approval processes for insurance, financing, investment, or reinsurance for power generation and distribution projects in sub-Saharan Africa for which total OPIC support is less than $20 million; prioritize its loan, guarantee, and insurance programs, and financial commitments in the areas of power generation, distribution, and off-grid power and lighting in sub-Saharan Africa, including through the use of an investment advisory council; and publish in an accessible digital format the amount, type, location, duration, and measurable results of its investments and financings. OPIC is temporarily authorized to: (1) issue local currency guarantees to African subsidiaries of foreign financial institutions to facilitate eligible investor lending for power projects in sub-Saharan Africa, and (2) make loans to eligible investors for power projects in sub-Saharan Africa for which total OPIC support does not exceed $50 million. Foreign corporations, partnerships, and other associations that are majority owned by one or more U.S. citizens or corporations, partnerships, or other associations shall be temporarily considered eligible investors for the sole purpose of receiving OPIC assistance for power projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act

United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2015

Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code to limit or repeal certain tax benefits for major integrated oil companies (defined as companies with annual gross receipts over $1 billion and an average daily worldwide production of crude oil of at least 500,000 barrels or certain successors in interest of such companies), including: (1) the foreign tax credit for companies that are dual capacity taxpayers; (2) the tax deduction for income attributable to the production, refining, processing, transportation, or distribution of oil, natural gas, or primary products thereof; (3) the tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs; (4) the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas wells; and (5) the tax deduction for qualified tertiary injectant expenses. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal royalty relief (suspension of royalties) for: (1) natural gas production from deep wells in shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico; and (2) deep water oil and gas production in the Western and Central Planning Area of the Gulf (including the portion of the Eastern Planning Area encompassing whole lease blocks lying west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes west longitude). Dedicates any increased revenue generated by this Act to the reduction of a federal budget deficit or the federal debt. Provides for compliance of the budgetary effects of this Act with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.

A resolution expressing the determination of the Senate that the 60-calendar day period for congressional review of the nuclear agreement with Iran did not begin with the transmittal of the agreement on July 19, 2015, because that transmittal did not include all materials required to be transmitted pursuant to the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015.

United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2015

It is the determination of the Senate that: for purposes of section 135(b)(2) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as added by section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, the 60-calendar day period for congressional review of the nuclear program agreement with Iran did not begin with the transmittal of the agreement on July 19, 2015, because that transmittal did not include all materials required to be transmitted under the definition of agreement, including specifically side agreements with Iran and U.S. government-issued guidance materials in relation to Iran; and the 60-calendar day period for the Senate's review of such agreement cannot be considered to have begun until the Majority Leader certifies that all of the materials required to be transmitted have been transmitted to the Majority Leader.

21st Century Energy Workforce Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

21st Century Energy Workforce Act This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a National Center of Excellence for the 21st Century Workforce Advisory Board to: (1) support and develop training and science education programs, (2) align apprenticeship programs and industry certifications to further develop succession planning in the energy sector, (3) integrate educational standards to develop foundational skills for elementary and secondary education and postsecondary education to create a pipeline between education and career, and (4) support the replication of existing model energy curricula. DOE shall also establish a pilot program to award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities for job training to obtain an industry-recognized credential. Grant amounts are limited to $1 million for any one year. The federal share of the cost of a job training and education program using a grant shall be up to 65%, while the non-federal share may not be less than 50% cash.

Know the CBRN Terrorism Threats to Transportation Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

Know the CBRN Terrorism Threats to Transportation Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security, acting through the Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis, to conduct a terrorism threat assessment of the transportation of chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological materials through U.S. land borders and within the United States. The Under Secretary shall disseminate such assessment to federal partners, including the Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy, and state and local partners, including the National Network of Fusion Centers.

Justice for Former American Hostages in Iran Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

Justice for Former American Hostages in Iran Act of 2015 Establishes in the Treasury the American Hostages in Iran Compensation Fund to: (1) make payments to the Americans held hostage in Iran, and to their families, who are identified as members of the proposed class in case number 1:00-CV-03110 (ESG) of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; and (2) satisfy their claims against Iran relating to the taking of hostages and treatment of personnel of the U.S. embassy in Tehran between November 4, 1979, and January 20, 1981. Imposes a surcharge, to be deposited into the Fund, of 30% on the amount of: (1) any fine or penalty imposed for a violation (committed on or after enactment of this Act) of a law or regulation penalizing any economic activity relating to Iran that is administered by the Departments of State, Treasury, Justice, Commerce, or Energy; or (2) the monetary amount of a settlement entered into by a person regarding a suspected violation of such a law or regulation. Requires distribution of Fund payments to members of the proposed class in the following amounts: to each living former hostage, $6,750 for each day of captivity; to the estate of each deceased former hostage, $6,750 for each day of captivity; to each spouse (who is also a member of the identified class) of a former hostage, $600,000, or to the estate of such spouse who is deceased, $600,000; and to each child (who is also a member of the identified class) of a former hostage, $600,000, or to the estate of such child who is deceased, $600,000. Specifies the order of payment distribution. Prohibits a payment recipient from maintaining an action against Iran in any federal or state court for any claims relating to the hostage events. Deems waived and forever released all existing claims against Iran for those events upon payment from the Fund to all designated recipients. Requires the Department of State to submit recommendations to Congress if Fund amounts will be insufficient to pay all recipients within 444 days after enactment of this Act.

POWER Counties Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

Providing Opportunity with Energy Revenues in Counties Act or the POWER Counties Act This bill amends the Mineral Leasing Act to: (1) change from 40% to 20% the percentage of money received from sales, bonuses, royalties including interest charges collected under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 that is to be paid into the reclamation fund created by the Reclamation Act; and (2) require 20% of such money to be paid to the county within the boundaries of which the leased lands or deposits are or were located and used by such county for its schools and roads.

Carbon Capture Research and Development Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

Carbon Capture Research and Development Act This bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Department of Energy to consider the objective of improving the conversion, use, and storage of carbon dioxide produced from fossil fuels when carrying out certain research, development, demonstration, and commercial application programs in fossil energy.

American Renewable Energy and Efficiency Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

American Renewable Energy and Efficiency Act - Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to require each retail electric supplier to submit to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) a quantity of federal renewable electricity credits that is equal to at least the annual target of the retail electric supplier established by this Act for each of 2017 through 2040. Requires the target to be equal to the product of the supplier's base amount (electricity sold) for the year and a specified annual percentage for that year, which increases from 8.5% for 2017 to 30% for 2030 through 2040. Sets forth provisions governing the issuance, tracking, verification, trading, banking, and retirement of federal renewable electricity credits. Authorizes alternative compliance payments in lieu of credits. Authorizes states to set the rates for a sale of electric energy by a facility generating electric energy from renewable energy sources pursuant to a voluntary production incentive program. Requires the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to: (1) establish a program to implement, enforce, review, and adjust performance standards for specified cumulative electricity and natural gas savings for 2017 through 2030; (2) promulgate regulations establishing performance standards for 2031 through 2040 and for subsequent years by specified deadlines; and (3) set such standards at levels reflecting the maximum achievable level of cost-effective energy efficiency potential. Prohibits standards for any year from being lower than the standard for 2030. Requires the Secretary, at 10-year intervals, to review the most recent standards and increase them if additional cost-effective energy efficiency potential is achievable. Requires each retail electricity and natural gas supplier to submit a report annually demonstrating that it has achieved cumulative required savings, which the Secretary shall review to verify that performance standards have been met. Authorizes suppliers to use electricity or natural gas savings purchased from another supplier, a state, or a third-party efficiency provider to meet such standards. Provides for state administration of an energy efficiency program to meet the requirements of this Act. Requires the Secretary to direct the state to correct deficiencies found in a review and to report to the Secretary on progress not later than 180 days after the date of the receipt of review results. Encourages state utility regulatory commissions to review their rules and regulations to ensure that utilities can recover the direct costs of energy efficiency programs, fully recover authorized fixed costs, and earn an incentive for shareholders if the energy efficiency standards are achieved. Requires the Secretary to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to submit a comprehensive evaluation of all aspects of the program established by this Act by July 1, 2021, and every 10 years thereafter.

Weatherization Enhancement, and Local Energy Efficiency Investment and Accountability Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

Weatherization Enhancement and Local Energy Efficiency Investment and Accountability Act This bill amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to reauthorize the Weatherization Assistance Program for low-income persons through FY2020. The Department of Energy (DOE) must make competitive grants to qualified tax-exempt charitable organizations for energy efficiency retrofits of low-income homes. The grants may be used for single-family and multifamily housing. Contractors carrying out weatherization with funds under the bill must be selected through a competitive bidding process and be accredited as specified by this bill. In order to receive a grant, organizations must use a crew chief who is certified or accredited as required by this bill. Beginning on October 1, 2016, DOE must ensure that: (1) each retrofit for which weatherization assistance is provided meets minimum efficiency and quality of work standards, (2) at least 10% of the dwelling units are randomly inspected by an accredited third party to ensure compliance with the standards, and (3) the standards meet or exceed the current industry standards for home performance work. The bill amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to reauthorize the program for state energy conservation plans through FY2020.

National Infrastructure Development Bank Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

National Infrastructure Development Bank Act of 2015 Establishes the National Infrastructure Development Bank as a wholly owned government corporation. Makes the Bank's Board of Directors responsible for monitoring and overseeing energy, environmental, telecommunications, and transportation infrastructure projects. Authorizes the Board to: (1) make senior and subordinated direct loans and loan guarantees to assist in the financing or refinancing of an infrastructure project, (2) issue public benefit bonds and provide financing to infrastructure projects, and (3) pay an interest subsidy to the issuer of American Infrastructure Bonds. Requires the Board to establish an Executive Committee to establish requirements and make recommendations for project proposals to be considered for financial assistance. Requires the Bank to establish a Risk Management Committee, which shall: (1) create financial, credit, and operational risk management guidelines for the Bank; (2) set guidelines to ensure diversification of lending activities by geographic region and infrastructure project type; (3) create conforming standards for all financial assistance provided by the Bank; (4) monitor financial, credit, and operational exposure of the Bank; (5) provide financial recommendations to the Board; and (6) ensure that the aggregate amount of interest subsidies provided for American Infrastructure Bonds in a given calendar year does not exceed 28% of interest payable under all such Bonds. Requires the Bank to establish an audit committee. Requires the Board to approve criteria established by the Executive Committee for determining project eligibility for financial assistance. Sets forth criteria to be considered by the Board for each type of infrastructure project. Requires the Executive Committee to conduct an analysis that considers the economic, environmental, and social benefits and costs of each project under consideration, prioritizing projects that contribute to economic growth, lead to job creation, and are of regional or national significance. Requires any financial assistance for an infrastructure project to be repayable from dedicated revenue sources that also secure the infrastructure project obligations. Limits the amount of assistance under this Act to 50% of reasonably anticipated project costs. Exempts all bonds issued by the Bank from state or local government taxation. Sets forth requirements regarding compliance of assisted projects with wage rate, domestic content, and buy American statutes. Requires the Board to establish an American Infrastructure Bond program. Establishes in the Treasury the National Infrastructure Development Bank Trust Fund into which an amount estimated to equal the tax receipts attributable to interest payable under such Bonds is to be appropriated.

To establish a Residence Star program, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

This bill amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a Residence Star program within the Energy Star program to recognize owners of separate residential spaces who voluntarily achieve high levels of energy efficiency. Owners recognized under the program and certain other third parties may advertise: (1) estimates of the monetary and energy savings included in the most recent program audit for their spaces, and (2) the Residence Star brand.

Coal Royalty Fairness Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

Coal Royalty Fairness Act of 2015 Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to require the coal lease royalty to be at least 12.5% of the assessment value of federal coal (currently, 12.5% of the value of coal as defined by regulation), which value shall be established by the Secretary of the Interior within one year after enactment of this Act. Defines "assessment value" as: (1) the price of federal coal paid by the purchaser at final sale, or (2) a price imputed by the Secretary based on the coal price index. Defines "coal price index" as the schedule of average market prices of federal coal paid by the purchaser at final sale, based on the quality and type of the federal coal, as determined by the Secretary. Directs the purchaser of federal coal to annually submit a report containing such information as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to examine the records of any person engaged in the purchase, sale, transportation, or marketing of federal coal. Directs the Secretary to: (1) compile the assessment values of coal by type and quality of coal in the coal price index, and (2) publish such index at least quarterly. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) determining and assessing royalties for the export of federal coal, (2) compiling in a transportation cost index the average costs of transporting coal, and (3) determining the amount of any applicable transportation cost deduction on the basis of such index. Requires the Secretary to publish such index at least twice annually. Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress every 3 years over a 15-year period on a review of the federal coal program.

Waterway LNG Parity Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

Waterway LNG Parity Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the excise tax rate for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund to equal 29 cents per gallon or the per energy equivalent of a gallon of diesel in the case of liquefied natural gas, as defined by this Act.

Coal Royalty Fairness and Communities Investment Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

Coal Royalty Fairness and Communities Investment Act of 2015 This bill amends the Mineral Leasing Act to require the coal lease royalty to be at least 12.5% of the assessment value of federal coal (currently, 12.5% of the value of coal as defined by regulation), which value shall be established by the Department of the Interior within one year after enactment of this Act. "Assessment value" means: (1) the price of federal coal paid by the purchaser at final sale, or (2) a price imputed by the Secretary based on the coal price index (the schedule of average market prices of federal coal at final sale). The purchaser of federal coal shall report annually information necessary to carry out this Act. Interior may examine the records of any person engaged in the purchase, sale, transportation, or marketing of federal coal. The bill prescribes requirements for: (1) determining and assessing royalties for the export of federal coal, (2) compiling in a transportation cost index the average costs of transporting coal, and (3) determining the amount of any applicable transportation cost deduction on the basis of such index. The bill also establishes in the Treasury a Coal Area Economic Revitalization Fund for the annual deposit of $105 million of royalty revenues collected by the United States from coal leases. The Economic Development Administration of the Department of Commerce shall use certain Fund amounts to issue grants under specified programs for projects to assist communities and Indian tribes negatively impacted by changes in the coal economy. The Department of Energy shall use certain Fund amounts to provide financial assistance for the design, construction, and operation of large-scale projects to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sources. Specified federal departments and agencies shall provide impacted communities with technical assistance and educational outreach to fund partnerships.

Natural Gas Environmental and Economic Security Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

Natural Gas Environmental and Economic Security Act This bill amends the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 to direct the Department of the Interior to establish specified requirements for: reducing and preventing the waste of natural gas, including by venting, flaring, and fugitive releases, from all oil and gas operations subject to mineral leasing law or the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976; and measuring and reporting the production and disposition of all gas subject to the mineral leasing laws to allow for more accurate accounting of gas consumed or lost by venting and flaring, and of fugitive releases of such gas. All such requirements shall include consistent enforcement mechanisms for any operations not in compliance with them. Royalties otherwise authorized or required to be paid for natural gas shall be assessed on all gas produced under the mineral leasing laws, including: gas used or consumed within the area of a tract for the benefit of the lease (commonly referred to as "beneficial use gas"); and all gas consumed or lost by venting, flaring, or fugitive releases through any equipment during upstream operations. Exempted from assessment of these royalties is any natural gas: vented or flared in an acute emergency situation posing danger to human health that occurs for no more than 48 hours, or injected into the ground on a lease tract.

POWER Cuba Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

Promote Opportunities With Energy Resources for Cuba Act or the POWER Cuba Act This bill declares that oil and gas export restrictions under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act and the Natural Gas Act shall not apply to Cuba. The President may permit any person subject to U.S. jurisdiction to: (1) export energy resources, energy technologies, and related services to Cuba; (2) establish energy resource- and technology-related facilities there; (3) conduct related transactions; and (4) enter into and make and receive payments under a contract with any individual or entity in Cuba regarding the provision of energy resources and energy technologies.

Energy Efficient Manufactured Home Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

Energy Efficient Manufactured Home Act of 2015 This bill authorizes the Department of Housing and Urban Development to carry out a program to provide grants and loans to assist low-income owners of manufactured homes constructed before December 31, 1994, in decommissioning their dated homes and replacing them with Energy Star-qualified manufactured or modular homes. Grants or loans may be made only to a low-income owner of a dated manufactured home who has used that home as a primary residence on a year-round basis for at least the preceding 24 months. Each household may only receive one grant or loan under the program. The bill sets forth requirements with respect to: (1) ownership of the land on which the new manufactured or modular home is to be sited, and (2) the decommissioning of a dated home.

To authorize the use of the Armed Forces of the United States against Iran if Iran commits a serious violation of its commitments or obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015

This joint resolution expresses the sense of Congress that: the President should be commended for the commitment to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon and the willingness to explore a peaceful path to ensure Iran remains free of nuclear weapons; the President and the administration should be commended for exhausting diplomatic means in working with the P5+1 countries to reach the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) agreement with Iran that will ensure that Iran's civilian nuclear program becomes compliant with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) without jeopardizing the capability of the United States and U.S. allies to intervene militarily if such an option becomes necessary; and if the President determines that Iran's nuclear program becomes noncompliant under the JCPA agreement and poses a threat to U.S. national security, then the President should work with Congress to utilize appropriate measures, not limited to military intervention, to eliminate thath threat. The President is authorized to use the U.S. Armed Forces against Iran to dismantle Iran's nuclear infrastructure if the President: certifies to Congress that IAEA inspectors have determined that Iran has failed to comply with its JCPA obligations and the President determines that such failure is serious and a threat to U.S. national security; certifies to Congress that the provisions of the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions relating to the application of sanctions against Iran have been re-imposed as a result of such failure; and provides to Congress a scope and strategy for the use of the Armed Forces. Congress declares that this Act is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution, and that nothing in this joint resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution. The President shall report to, and consult with, Congress on matters relevant to this joint resolution. Nothing in this joint resolution shall be construed to interfere or violate the President's inherent right to authorize limited military force in self-defense pursuant to the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution.

Helping Americans Save Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2015

Helping Americans Save Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand eligibility for the retirement savings tax credit by increasing income eligibility limits. Allows an annual inflation adjustment to such income levels for taxable years beginning after 2015. Amends title IV, part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) of the Social Security Act to allow the disregard of the value of certain retirement plans for purposes of determining eligibility for programs to assist needy families, social security disability benefits, and low-income home energy assistance.

Smart Manufacturing Leadership Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2015

Smart Manufacturing Leadership Act This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to complete a national plan for smart manufacturing technology development and deployment to improve the productivity and energy efficiency of the U.S. manufacturing sector. Smart manufacturing is a set of advanced sensing, instrumentation, monitoring, controls, and process optimization technologies and practices that merge information and communication technologies with the manufacturing environment for the real-time management of energy, productivity, and costs across factories and companies. DOE must expand the scope of technologies covered by Industrial Assessment Centers to include smart manufacturing technologies and practices and to equip the centers' directors with the training and tools necessary to provide technical assistance in smart manufacturing technologies and practices. DOE must: (1) study how it can increase access to existing high-performance computing resources in the National Laboratories, and (2) facilitate access to the laboratories by small and medium manufacturers so that they can fully use the laboratories' high-performance computing resources to enhance manufacturing competitiveness. DOE may make grants to states for establishing state programs to be used as models for supporting the implementation of smart manufacturing technologies. States must use those grants to: (1) provide access to shared supercomputing facilities to small and medium manufacturers, (2) fund research and development of transformational manufacturing processes and materials technology that advance smart manufacturing, and (3) provide tools and training to aid the adoption of energy management systems and implement smart manufacturing technologies in the manufacturers' facilities.

Battery Storage Innovation Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2015

Battery Storage Innovation Act This bill amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expand the categories of projects that are eligible for innovative technology loan guarantees by including a project for battery storage technologies for residential, industrial, or transportation applications.