[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1950 Referred in House (RFH)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1950
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 25, 2006
Referred to the Committee on International Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To promote global energy security through increased cooperation between
the United States and India in diversifying sources of energy,
stimulating development of alternative fuels, developing and deploying
technologies that promote the clean and efficient use of coal, and
improving energy efficiency.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``United States-India Energy Security
Cooperation Act of 2006''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The December 2004 National Intelligence Council report
entitled ``Mapping the Global Future in 2020'' states that the
single most important factor affecting the demand for energy
will be global economic growth, especially that of China and
India. It is estimated that the current economic growth rate in
India is approximately 7 percent of gross domestic product.
India will need to double its energy consumption within the
next 15 years to maintain steady rates of economic growth.
(2) The United States and India launched an energy dialogue
on May 31, 2005, aimed at building upon a broad range of
existing energy cooperation and developing new avenues of
collaboration on energy. These efforts will promote increased
trade and investment in the energy sector by utilizing
resources in the public and private sectors, focusing on oil
and gas, power and energy efficiency, new technologies and
renewable energy, coal and clean coal technology, and civil
nuclear cooperation. In his testimony before the Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate on July 26, 2005, Under
Secretary of Energy David Garman said, ``The United States and
India recognize their mutual interests are best served by
working together in a collaborative fashion to ensure stability
in global energy markets.''.
(3) As the sixth largest energy consumer in the world,
India satisfies 70 percent of its oil demand with imports and
has embarked on an aggressive oil and gas exploration program.
The largest discovery of natural gas in the world in 2002
occurred in India. In 2003, the largest discovery of oil in the
world occurred in the state of Rajasthan in India. External
funding and investment in the oil and gas industry in India is
necessary to maximize recovery from oil fields, but an improved
investment environment in India is needed to attract such
investment.
(4) India is the world's third largest producer of coal and
will continue to rely on coal as a major energy source to
support expanding industrial and electric power generation
needs. However, many of India's coal-fired plants are
inefficient and lack adequate pollution control equipment. In
his address to a joint session of the United States Congress on
July 19, 2005, Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh noted the
importance of allowing greater access for developing countries
to clean coal technologies and of exploring partnerships that
encourage more efficient use of hydrocarbon resources.
(5) India provides a market for United States technologies
that promote the clean and efficient use of energy.
(6) India has announced plans to develop a 5,000,000 ton
strategic crude oil reserve, which is expected to be completed
by 2009.
(7) United States energy experts have emphasized the need
for the United States to increase collaboration with other
countries--
(A) to develop and deploy energy technologies that
will not be pursued absent greater Federal support;
(B) to increase investment in cooperative
international energy research; and
(C) to expand the global network of strategic
petroleum reserves.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to cooperate with India to address common energy
challenges, to ensure future global energy security, and to
increase the world-wide availability of clean energy;
(2) to promote dialogue and increased understanding between
the United States and India on our respective national energy
policies and strategies as an integral part of the expanding
strategic partnership between the two countries; and
(3) to collaborate with India in energy research that
fosters market-based approaches to energy security and offers
the promise of technological breakthroughs that reduce oil
dependency globally.
SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT ENERGY COOPERATION.
(a) Authorization.--The President is authorized to establish
programs in support of greater energy cooperation between the United
States and India.
(b) Activities.--Assistance may be provided under this section for
cooperation related to--
(1) research, development, and deployment of clean coal and
emission reduction technologies and carbon sequestration
projects;
(2) research, development, and deployment of alternative
fuel sources, such as ethanol, bio-mass, and coal-based fuels;
(3) research, development, and deployment of energy
efficiency and renewable energy projects and technologies;
(4) research related to commercially available technologies
that promote the clean and efficient use of energy in India;
and
(5) technical assistance in support of the development by
the Government of India of a strategic oil reserve to allow
India to cope with short-term disruptions to global oil
supplies without causing shocks to India's market or the global
market.
SEC. 5. REPORT ON ENERGY COOPERATION.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall, in coordination
with the Secretary of Energy, submit to the Committee on Foreign
Relations and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the
Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on
International Relations of the House of Representatives a report on
energy security cooperation between the United States and India.
(b) Content.--The report required under subsection (a) shall
describe--
(1) the ways in which the United States and India have
cooperated on energy research and development activities;
(2) joint projects that have been initiated using
assistance authorized under section 4, and the contribution
such assistance has made to improving global energy security;
and
(3) plans for future energy cooperation and joint projects
between the United States and India.
Passed the Senate July 24, 2006.
Attest:
EMILY J. REYNOLDS,
Secretary.