Energy

Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017

Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow energy tax credits through 2021 for investments in: (1) qualified biogas property, or (2) qualified manure resource recovery property. The bill also permits new clean renewable energy bonds to be used for such properties. "Qualified biogas property" comprises a system that: (1) uses anaerobic digesters or other specified processes to convert biomass into a gas which is at least 52% methane, and (2) captures the gas for use as a fuel. The term includes property that cleans and conditions the gas for use as a fuel. "Qualified manure resource recovery property" comprises a system that uses specified processes to recover the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus from a non-treated digestate or animal manure by reducing or separating at least 50% of the nutrients, excluding any reductions during the incineration, storage, composting, or field application of the non-treated digestate or animal manure. The term also includes certain processing equipment. The Department of the Treasury must enter into an agreement with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for a study of biogas and report to Congress on the study.

A bill to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from revising the approved oil and gas leasing program for fiscal years 2017 through 2022.

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017

This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from revising the approved Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for FY2017-FY2022. (Interior approved the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's proposed final Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for FY2017-FY2022 on January 17, 2017.)

A bill to require the Secretary of Energy to establish an energy efficiency materials pilot program.

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017

This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a pilot program to award grants for providing nonprofit buildings with energy-efficiency materials. The bill reduces the authorization of appropriations for the zero net energy commercial buildings initiative for FY2018.

OCEAN Act

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017

Outer Continental Shelf Energy Access Now Act or the OCEAN Act This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to limit the President's authority to prohibit oil and gas leasing on the outer Continental Shelf. The President may prohibit, through a rule making, oil and gas leasing on areas of the outer Continental Shelf located in a national marine sanctuary. Any suspension of operations under a lease arising from a state of war or declaration of national emergency shall be for 90 days and may be renewed. The bill rescinds existing moratoriums on oil and gas leasing on areas of the outer Continental Shelf other than marine sanctuaries and national monuments. The President may not declare or reserve any ocean waters or lands beneath ocean waters as a national monument.

Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2017

Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit conducting geological or geophysical activities in support of oil, gas, or methane hydrate exploration and development on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. The geological and geophysical activities are described in a final programmatic environmental impact statement by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management entitled "Atlantic OCS Proposed Geological and Geophysical Activities, Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Planning Areas."

OCEAN Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2017

Outer Continental Shelf Energy Access Now Act or the OCEAN Act This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to limit the President's authority to prohibit oil and gas leasing on the outer Continental Shelf. The President may prohibit oil and gas leasing on areas of the outer Continental Shelf located in a national marine sanctuary designated in accordance with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act or by statute or rule. Any suspension of operations under a lease arising from a state of war or declaration of national emergency shall be for 90 days and may be renewed. The bill rescinds existing moratoriums on oil and gas leasing on areas of the outer Continental Shelf other than marine sanctuaries and national monuments. The President may not declare or reserve any ocean waters or lands beneath ocean waters as a national monument.

Western Area Power Administration Transparency Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2017

Western Area Power Administration Transparency Act This bill directs the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) to establish a pilot project to provide increased transparency for its customers. WAPA must publicly display on its website specific information dating back to FY2008, including rates charged by power systems to customers for power and transmission services, the amount of capacity or energy sold by power systems and a detailed accounting at the functional and budget activity level of all its expenditures and capital costs by region and for the headquarters office. Additionally, WAPA must annually update the information it provides on the website, including the changes it publishes, the reasons for the changes and the amount of the unobligated balances it retains at the end of the prior fiscal year within each marketing area and at headquarters. The pilot project shall terminate in seven years.

To reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving Jennings Randolph Dam.

United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2017

This bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), upon request, to extend for up to six years the time period during which construction must commence on the Jennings Randolph Hydroelectric Project located on the North Branch of the Potomac River in Garrett County, Maryland, and Mineral County, West Virginia. Additionally, FERC may reinstate the construction license if it is expired.

No REX Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2017

No Russia Exemptions for Oil Production Act or the No REX Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury from providing licenses or other authorization for U.S. persons to engage in activities relating to deepwater, Arctic offshore, or shale projects that may produce oil in Russia or within its maritime jurisdiction. Executive Order 13662 (relating to blocking property of additional persons contributing to the situation in Ukraine) authorized Treasury to prevent U.S. persons from engaging in business with Russia in various sectors, including the energy sector. Additionally, the bill nullifies any license or other authorization to engage in prohibited activities issued before the enactment of this bill.

Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area Boundary Modification Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2017

Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area Boundary Modification Act of 2017 This bill modifies the boundary of the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in Idaho to: (1) include specified Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered land and certain Bureau of Reclamation administered land, and (2) exclude specified lands identified as the Segment 8 Revised Proposed Route and as the Segment 9 Revised Proposed Route. The Department of the Interior shall issue to Gateway West (a high-voltage transmission line project in Idaho and Wyoming) a right-of-way for such proposed routes, which is to be used for the construction and maintenance of transmission lines and for access roads and activities related to fire prevention and suppression, subject to construction mitigation and conservation requirements. Interior shall: (1) administer the BLM and Reclamation administered lands as part of the National Landscape Conservation System, and (2) continue to administer the proposed route lands but as lands that are not included in the conservation area. The bill transfers from Reclamation to the BLM administrative jurisdiction over the Reclamation administered lands. Interior shall amend the management plan for the conservation area in order to address the long-term management of the BLM and Reclamation administered lands, including for livestock grazing, hunting, fishing, and motorized access. Specified federal land in the Cotterel Wind Power Project area may not be used for producing electricity from wind.

Energy Workforce for the 21st Century Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2017

Energy Workforce for the 21st Century Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a comprehensive program to improve education and training for energy- and manufacturing-related jobs, with emphasis on increasing the number of skilled individuals from underrepresented groups trained to work in those jobs.

Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017

Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2017 This bill amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund until 19 years after this bill's enactment. The trust fund compensates individuals who contract cancer or other diseases as a result of their exposure to radiation during nuclear testing undertaken by the United States during the Cold War. The bill revises the requirements of that Act, including by: increasing the amount of compensation that an individual may receive; expanding the affected area to include Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and New Mexico; expanding eligibility requirements to include additional individuals, such as certain employees of uranium mines or mills, or individuals who participated onsite in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll (a ring of islands in the Pacific Ocean where nuclear testing occurred) from 1977 through 1980; and extending until 19 years after this bill's enactment the statute of limitations for the filing of claims. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences must establish a grant program for institutions of higher education to study the epidemiological impacts of uranium mining and milling among non-occupationally exposed individuals. The bill amends the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 by expanding eligibility requirements for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program with respect to chronic beryllium disease.

BREATHE Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017

Bringing Reductions to Energy's Airborne Toxic Health Effects Act or the BREATHE Act This bill amends the Clean Air Act to revise requirements for hazardous air pollutants. Specifically, the bill allows: (1) emissions from oil or gas exploration or production wells and emissions from pipeline compressors or pump stations to be aggregated with emissions from other similar sources and regulated as a major source of toxic air pollutants, (2) emissions from those wells to be aggregated for purposes of emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants, and (3) emissions from oil or gas production wells to be regulated as an area source of toxic air pollutants. The Environmental Protection Agency must: (1) issue a final rule adding hydrogen sulfide to the list of hazardous air pollutants; and (2) revise the list of air pollution sources within 365 days after issuing the rule to include categories and subcategories of major sources and area sources of hydrogen sulfide, including oil and gas wells.

Community College Energy Training Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017

Community College Energy Training Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE), in coordination with the Departments of Labor and Agriculture (USDA), to create a joint program under which the Departments award grants to community colleges to provide workforce training and education in sustainable energy industries and practices, such as: (1) clean energy; (2) high-performance green building construction, design, and redevelopment; (3) sustainable energy technologies; (4) water, energy, and resource conservation; (5) recycling and waste reduction; and (6) sustainable agriculture and farming. DOE, Labor, and USDA must: ensure that at least one-half of the grant funds are awarded to community colleges with existing sustainability programs leading to certificates, credentials, or degrees in such industries or practices; and give priority to community colleges that plan to use the grant to carry out programs developed and maintained through consultation with such industries and practices.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in support of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) nuclear security role.

United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) plays an indispensable role in strengthening global nuclear security. Reaffirms that the United States has a vital interest in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and securing nuclear materials. Encourages the United States and other IAEA member states to ensure that the IAEA has the necessary resources carry out its duties.

Florida Coastal Protection Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017

Florida Coastal Protection Act This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management from offering any tract for oil and gas leasing or preleasing in the following areas: the Eastern Gulf of Mexico Planning Area that is within 125 miles of the coastline of Florida, the South Atlantic Planning Area that is south of 30 degrees 43 minutes North Latitude, or the Straits of Florida Planning Area.

CLEANER Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017

CLEANER Act of 2017 or the Closing Loopholes and Ending Arbitrary and Needless Evasion of Regulations Act of 2017 This bill amends the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to eliminate the exemption for waste derived from the exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas, or geothermal energy from regulations governing the disposal of hazardous waste. Within a year of this bill's enactment, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must: determine whether waste associated with oil, gas, or geothermal energy activities meet the criteria promulgated for the identification or listing of hazardous waste; identify or list as hazardous waste any of those wastes if they meet the identification or listing criteria; and promulgate regulations regarding standards applicable to generators, transporters, and owners and operators of facilities for the treatment, storage, or disposal of those wastes. The EPA may modify the regulation of those standards to consider the special characteristics of those wastes so long as the modified regulations protect human health and the environment. Within a year of this bill's enactment, the EPA must promulgate revisions of certain criteria concerning landfills and waste management practices of open dumping for facilities that may receive wastes that are: (1) associated with those activities, and (2) not identified or listed as hazardous waste. Those revisions must: protect human health and the environment, while allowing consideration of the practicable capability of such facilities; and require groundwater monitoring as necessary to detect contamination; establish criteria for the acceptable location of new or existing facilities; and provide for corrective action and financial assurance as appropriate.

Safe Hydration is an American Right in Energy Development Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017

Safe Hydration is an American Right in Energy Development Act of 2017 This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require states, in order to obtain primary enforcement responsibility for a state underground injection control program, to prohibit the underground injection of fluids or propping agents pursuant to hydraulic fracturing operations related to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities unless the person proposing to conduct the hydraulic fracturing operations agrees to conduct testing and report data in accordance with this bill. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process to extract underground resources such as oil or gas from a geologic formation by injecting water, a propping agent (e.g., sand), and chemical additives into a well under enough pressure to fracture the geological formation. Regulations under the Act for state underground injection control programs must require any person conducting such hydraulic fracturing operations to: (1) conduct testing of underground sources of drinking water in accordance with sampling and testing requirements described in this bill, and (2) report to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the testing results. Hydraulic fracturing operations are exempted from those testing and reporting requirements if there is no accessible underground source of drinking water within a radius of one mile of the site where the operations occur. The EPA must establish and maintain a publicly accessible and searchable database of testing results.

Tax Pollution, Not Profits Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017

Tax Pollution, Not Profits Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an excise tax on certain greenhouse gas emissions. The tax is equal to $30 per metric ton of carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide equivalent in 2018, increasing each subsequent year at 4% above inflation. The Internal Revenue Service must: (1) provide certain refunds of the tax to account for the capture and permanent sequestration of greenhouse gas emissions, and (2) adjust the tax to account for goods that are exported or imported. The bill amends the Social Security Act to establish a Low-Income Energy Cost Mitigation Program to provide an energy refund amount to certain low and middle-income households to compensate such households for increases in energy costs due to this bill. The Department of Labor may use up to 2% of the revenues generated by this bill to implement a program to assist displaced workers in the coal industry. The bill also provides for a gradual reduction in the corporate income tax rate to 32% in taxable years beginning in 2018 and 28% in taxable years beginning after 2021. The bill requires the Department of the Treasury to establish a website to make information regarding the amount and sources of revenue attributable to this bill publicly available.

Carbon Capture Improvement Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017

Carbon Capture Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize the issuance of tax-exempt facility bonds for the financing of qualified carbon dioxide capture facilities. A "qualified carbon dioxide capture facility" is any equipment installed in an industrial carbon dioxide facility that satisfies specified capture and storage requirements and: (1) is used for the capture, treatment and purification, compression, transportation, or on-site storage of carbon dioxide produced by the industrial carbon dioxide facility; or (2) is integral or functionally related and subordinate to a gasification process that converts a product from coal, petroleum residue, biomass, or other materials which are recovered for their energy or feedstock value into a synthesis gas composed primarily of carbon dioxide and hydrogen for direct use or subsequent chemical or physical conversion.

OPENS Alaska Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017

Offshore Production and Energizing National Security Alaska Act of 2017 or the OPENS Alaska Act of 2017 This bill nullifies the memorandum issued by the President on December 20, 2016, entitled "Withdrawal of Certain Portions of the United States Arctic Outer Continental Shelf from Mineral Leasing." The bill also nullifies any other presidential action to prohibit mineral leasing in certain portions of the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf. The bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish a Nearshore Beaufort Sea Planning Area in the Outer Continental Shelf within three nautical miles of the seaward boundary of Alaska and conduct one oil and gas lease sale under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) in such planning area and the Cook Inlet Planning Area in each of FY2018-FY2020. 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 the Chukchi Planning Area beyond 3 nautical miles of the seaward boundary of Alaska. The OCSLA is amended to establish a scheme for revenue allocation between the Treasury and the state of Alaska. Interior shall include in any leasing program 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. Interior shall establish a grant program for activities to improve the resilience of Indian tribes to the effects of climate change, build Native American communities, and aid the modernization of infrastructure. The bill also establishes the Tribal Resilience Fund.

A resolution designating April 20, 2017, as "National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day."

United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017

Designates April 20, 2017, as National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day for promoting the greater use of cleaner, more efficient transportation that uses new sources of energy. Urges the people of the United States to: (1) increase use of cleaner and energy efficient alternative fuel vehicles and advanced technology vehicles; (2) promote public sector adoption of those vehicles; and (3) encourage the adoption of federal policies to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil through the advancement and adoption of alternative, advanced, and emerging vehicle and fuel technologies.

PACE Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017

Protecting Americans from Credit Entanglements Act of 2017 or the PACE Act of 2017 This bill amends the Truth in Lending Act to extend that Act's requirements to real property retrofit loans. A "real property retrofit loan" is a loan that is: (1) secured by an interest in real property; (2) repayable in installment payments made concurrently with the payment of property taxes on the real property; and (3) used to finance real property retrofits, including energy-efficiency upgrades, renewable-energy installations, seismic retrofits, water-conservation upgrades, and other similar improvements. Before extending a real property retrofit loan, the creditor must disclose that the loan will result in a lien on the real property securing the loan.

PACE Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017

Protecting Americans from Credit Entanglements Act of 2017 or the PACE Act of 2017 This bill amends the Truth in Lending Act to extend that Act's requirements to real property retrofit loans. A "real property retrofit loan" is a loan that is: (1) secured by an interest in real property; (2) repayable in installment payments made concurrently with the payment of property taxes on the real property; and (3) used to finance real property retrofits, including energy-efficiency upgrades, renewable-energy installations, seismic retrofits, water-conservation upgrades, and other similar improvements. At the time of application for a real property retrofit loan, the creditor must disclose that the loan will result in a lien on the real property securing the loan.

Carbon Capture Improvement Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017

Carbon Capture Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize the issuance of tax-exempt facility bonds for the financing of qualified carbon dioxide capture facilities. A "qualified carbon dioxide capture facility" is any equipment installed in an industrial carbon dioxide facility that satisfies specified capture and storage requirements and: (1) is used for the capture, treatment and purification, compression, transportation, or on-site storage of carbon dioxide produced by the industrial carbon dioxide facility; or (2) is integral or functionally related and subordinate to a gasification process that converts a product from coal, petroleum residue, biomass, or other materials which are recovered for their energy or feedstock value into a synthesis gas composed primarily of carbon dioxide and hydrogen for direct use or subsequent chemical or physical conversion.

EFFORTS TO PROTECT U.S. ENERGY DELIVERY SYSTEMS FROM CYBERSECURITY THREATS

United States · United States Senate · 4 April 2017

BUILD Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017

Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act of 2017 or the BUILD Act This bill amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to: (1) revise and reauthorize brownfields revitalization funding through FY2020, and (2) reauthorize state response programs through FY2020. (Brownfields are certain commercial properties that are hindered from reuse or redevelopment due to the presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.) Certain nonprofit organizations and community development entities are made eligible for brownfields revitalization funding. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must establish a program to provide multipurpose grants to carry out inventory, characterization, assessment, planning, or remediation activities at brownfield sites. The brownfield site characterization and assessment grant program is revised by authorizing eligible governmental entities to receive grants for property that was acquired before January 11, 2002, even if the entities do not qualify as bona fide prospective purchasers. The bill increases the cap on the amount that may be given in grants and loans for each site to be remediated. The EPA must establish a program to provide grants to: (1) carry out inventory, characterization, assessment, planning, feasibility analysis, design, or remediation activities to locate a clean energy project at brownfield sites; and (2) capitalize a revolving loan fund for those purposes.

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to, and utilization of, bone mass measurement benefits under part B of the Medicare program by establishing a minimum payment amount under such part for bone mass measurement.

United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017

This bill specifies that certain Medicare payment rules applicable to imaging services shall apply to dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry services used in bone mass scans beginning in 2017. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must establish national minimum payment amounts for such services.

Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017

Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act This bill requires the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA), with respect to lands under their respective jurisdictions, to ensure that all existing and future rights-of-way for electrical transmission and distribution facilities on such lands include requirements for utility vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance activities that: are developed in consultation with the holder of the right-of-way; enable the owner or operator of a facility to operate it in good working order and comply with federal, state, and local electric system reliability and fire safety requirements; and minimize the need for case-by-case or annual approvals, and instead provide for expedited review and approval, for routine vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance activities within existing electrical transmission and distribution rights-of-way, as well as utility vegetation management activities necessary to control hazard trees within or adjacent to electrical transmission and distribution rights-of-way. Interior and the USDA shall give facility owners and operators the option to submit to the appropriate agency a vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance plan. Interior and the USDA shall apply its categorical exclusion process under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to plans developed under this bill. (A "categorical exclusion" under NEPA is a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and for which neither an Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental Impact Statement is required.)

To establish a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in combined cycle and simple cycle power generation systems.

United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017

This bill requires the Office of Fossil Energy to carry out a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in power generation systems and to identify the technologies that will lead to gas turbine combined cycle efficiency of 67% or simple cycle efficiency of 50%. The program must: (1) support first-of-a-kind engineering and detailed gas turbine design for megawatt-scale and utility-scale electric power generation; (2) include technology demonstration through component testing, subscale testing, and full scale testing in existing fleets; (3) include field demonstrations of the developed technology elements to demonstrate technical and economic feasibility; and (4) assess overall combined cycle and simple cycle system performance. The goals of the multiphase program must be: in phase I, to develop the conceptual design of, and to develop and demonstrate the technology required for, advanced high efficiency gas turbines that can achieve at least 65% combined cycle efficiency or 47% simple cycle efficiency on a lower heating value basis; and in phase II, to develop the conceptual design for advanced high efficiency gas turbines that can achieve at least 67% combined cycle efficiency or 50% simple cycle efficiency on a lower heating value basis. In selecting program proposals, the office must emphasize the extent to which the proposal will stimulate the creation or increased retention of jobs in the United States and promote and enhance U.S. technology leadership.

THE POTENTIAL FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO CREATE JOBS AND REDUCE THE COST OF LIVING THROUGH ALL-OF-THE-ABOVE ENERGY AND MINERAL PRODUCTION IN ALASKA

United States · United States Senate · 30 March 2017

CLIMATE Act

United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017

Congressional Leadership In Mitigating Administration Threats to the Earth Act or the CLIMATE Act This bill nullifies the Executive Order entitled "Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth" that was released on March 28, 2017. No federal funds may be used to implement or enforce the order. The bill takes effect on March 28, 2017.

21st Century Energy Workforce Act

United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017

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.

FEDERAL ENERGY-RELATED TAX POLICY AND ITS EFFECTS ON MARKETS, PRICES, AND CONSUMERS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 29 March 2017

Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017

Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act of 201 7 This bill declares that it is the policy of the United States that the Arctic Ocean should be managed for the best interests of the people of the United States, including by keeping fossil fuels in the ground to avoid the dangerous impacts of climate change. The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act is amended to prohibit the Department of the Interior from issuing or renewing a lease or any other authorization for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in the Arctic Ocean, including the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea Planning Areas.

Smart Manufacturing Leadership Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017

Smart Manufacturing Leadership Act This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to complete a national plan for smart manufacturing technology (certain advanced technologies in information, automation, monitoring, computation, sensing, modeling, and networking) development and deployment to improve the productivity and energy efficiency of the U.S. manufacturing sector. 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. DOE may make grants to states 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.

Clean Air, Healthy Kids Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017

Clean Air, Healthy Kids Act This bill nullifies the Executive Order entitled "Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth" that was signed on March 28, 2017. No federal funds may be used to implement or enforce the order. This bill may not be construed to impair any authority granted to the President. The bill takes effect on March 28, 2017.

CYBERSECURITY THREATS TO THE U.S. ELECTRIC GRID AND TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS TO MINIMIZE SUCH THREATS, AND TESTIMONY ON S. 79, THE SECURING ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE ACT

United States · United States Senate · 28 March 2017

A bill to ensure that oil transported through the Keystone XL pipeline into the United States is used to reduce United States dependence on Middle Eastern oil.

United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2017

This bill requires the Department of Energy to ensure that any crude oil, bitumen, and refined petroleum products transported into the United States through the Keystone XL pipeline will be entered into domestic commerce for use as fuel or the manufacture of another product. The President may waive the requirement in specified circumstances, including where: (1) a waiver is in the national interest; (2) an exchange of crude oil or petroleum products provides no net loss of these products domestically; or (3) a waiver is necessary under the Constitution, a law, or an international agreement.

Keep It in the Ground Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2017

Keep It in the Ground Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) from issuing, renewing, reinstating, or extending any nonproducing lease, or issuing any authorization for the exploration or production of oil, natural gas, or any other fossil fuel in the Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, or any other area of the Outer Continental Shelf. BOEM shall also cancel within 60 days any lease issued in the Beaufort Sea, Cook Inlet, or Chukchi Sea (three of the five bodies of water that encompass the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf). The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) must not issue, renew, reinstate, or extend any nonproducing lease for the exploration or production of any onshore fossil fuels, including coal, oil, tar sands, oil shale, and gas, on land subject to the Mineral Leasing Act. The bill provides for exceptions if there is an imminent national security threat that would be significantly reduced by granting an exception. In addition, BOEM and the BLM may allow a nonproducing lease to be renewed or extended if the lease contract was signed before this bill, and giving effect to any provision of this bill is likely to lead to a material breach of contract.

TRASH Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2017

Trash Reduction and Sensible Handling Act of 2017 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 to 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.

Virginia Jobs and Energy Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2017

Virginia Jobs and Energy Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to conduct an oil and gas lease sale off the coast of Virginia within one year, and conduct at least two lease sales in the area during the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. During each of Interior's five-year leasing programs, two lease sales must be conducted off the coast of Virginia. The bill prohibits oil or natural gas exploration, development, or production off the Virginia coast that would conflict with a military operation. The bill allocates 37.5% of new leasing revenues received each fiscal year by the federal government for payment to states affected with respect to the leases that generate these revenues. Additionally, the bill sets forth the minimum and maximum revenues that an affected state may receive. Interior must require any applicant seeking to conduct an offshore meteorological site testing and monitoring project to obtain a permit and right-of-way. (An offshore meteorological site testing and monitoring project is carried out on or in the waters of the outer Continental Shelf to test or monitor weather using towers, buoys, or other temporary ocean infrastructure). These projects shall be exempt from environmental impact statement requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

Counteracting Russian Hostilities Act of 2017

United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2017

Counteracting Russian Hostilities Act of 2017 This bill directs the President to impose U.S. entry and property blocking sanctions against: (1) a person that engages in significant activities for the government of the Russian Federation that undermine U.S. or allied cyber security, or (2) a foreign person responsible for serious human rights abuses in any territory occupied or controlled by Russia. The President shall impose specified financial and property sanctions against a person that: (1) engages in a significant transaction on behalf of Russian defense or intelligence sectors; (2) invests specified amounts in Russian petroleum or natural gas resources, energy export pipelines, or civil nuclear projects; (3) purchases or facilitates the issuance of Russian sovereign debt; or (4) contributes to Russia's ability to privatize state-owned assets. The Department of Homeland Security shall conduct public service campaigns to educate the people of the United States on cyber security threats and protective online practices. No federal agency shall take any action that recognizes: (1) Russian sovereignty over Crimea, or (2) the independence of South Ossetia or Abkhazia from Georgia. It is U.S. policy to assist Ukraine in restoring its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Specified executive orders imposing Ukraine-related sanctions shall remain in effect. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the countries of Europe and Eurasia should redouble efforts to build resilience within their political systems and civil society to counter Russian efforts to undermine democratic institutions. The Department of State shall report to Congress regarding Russian-controlled media outlets. The bill establishes in the Treasury the Europe and Eurasia Democracy and Anti-Corruption Fund. The Department of the Treasury shall establish a task force within the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network that focuses on illicit Russian-linked financial flows that interact with the U.S. financial system.

To direct the Secretary of Energy to review and update a report on the energy and environmental benefits of the re-refining of used lubricating oil.

United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2017

This bill directs the Department of Energy to update its report on the energy and environmental benefits of re-refining used lubricating oil and submit to Congress a strategic plan to increase the beneficial reuse of lubricating oil.

A bill to amend the Federal Power Act to modernize authorizations for necessary hydropower approvals.

United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2017

This bill amends the Federal Power Act to authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue a preliminary permit to a hydropower construction license applicant for up to four years, instead of three. FERC may extend a preliminary permit once for no more than four years and may issue a new permit after the end of an extension if it determines there are extraordinary circumstances that warrant the issuance of an additional permit. Additionally, FERC may extend the time a licensee has to commence construction on a project for up to eight years. Under current law, FERC may extend the license for no more than two years.

A bill to extend a project of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission involving the Cannonsville Dam.

United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2017

This bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), upon request, to extend by eight years the time period during which construction must commence on the Cannonsville Hydroelectric Project located on the West Branch of the Delaware River in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. (The City of New York was granted a construction license for the Cannonsville Hydroelectric Project on May 13, 2014.) Additionally, FERC may reinstate the construction license if it is expired.

A bill to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of certain hydroelectric projects.

United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2017

This bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), upon request, to extend by six years the time period during which construction must commence on the Gathright Hydroelectric Project located in Alleghany County, Virginia, and the Flannagan Dam and Reservoir Hydroelectric Project located in Dickenson County, Virginia. Additionally, FERC may reinstate either construction license if it is expired.

A bill to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project.

United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2017

This bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), upon request, to extend by six years the time period during which construction must commence on the W. Kerr Scott Hydropower Project located on the Yadkin River in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Additionally, FERC may reinstate the construction license if it is expired.

Faith-Based Community Center Protection Act

United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2017

Faith-Based Community Center Protection Act This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to: (1) permit the use of Urban Area Security Initiative or State Homeland Security Grant Program grant funds to protect a faith-based community center or vulnerable populations, including children or the elderly; and (2) define "faith-based community center" as a facility operated by a nonprofit faith-based community organization for the provision of recreational, social, or education services to the general public. The bill amends the federal criminal code to increase the term of imprisonment from 5 to 10 years for engaging in conduct with intent to convey false or misleading information that indicates that an activity has taken, is taking, or will take place that would constitute a violation of specified prohibitions, including certain prohibtions under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.

To modify the boundaries of the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2017

This bill modifies the boundary of the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in Idaho to: (1) include specified Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered land and certain Bureau of Reclamation administered land, and (2) exclude specified lands identified as the Segment 8 Revised Proposed Route and as the Segment 9 Revised Proposed Route. The Department of the Interior shall issue to Gateway West (a high-voltage transmission line project in Idaho and Wyoming) a right-of-way for such proposed routes, which is to be used for the construction and maintenance of transmission lines and for access roads and activities related to fire prevention and suppression, subject to construction mitigation and conservation requirements. Interior shall: (1) administer the BLM and Reclamation administered lands as part of the National Landscape Conservation System, and (2) continue to administer the proposed route lands as lands that are not included in the conservation area. The bill transfers from Reclamation to the BLM administrative jurisdiction over the Reclamation administered lands. Interior shall amend the management plan for the conservation area in order to address the long-term management of the BLM and Reclamation administered lands, including for livestock grazing, hunting, fishing, and motorized access. Specified federal land in the Cotterel Wind Power Project area may not be used for producing electricity from wind. Interior shall establish a Bureau of Land Management Foundation and grant it the same authorities granted to the National Park Foundation for National Park Service activities, for the purpose of providing opportunities for the BLM to address specific challenges that may be better addressed with the support of a foundation.