S. 1543 – Reading Mode

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1543

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 5, 2007

Mr. Bingaman introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To establish a national geothermal initiative to encourage increased production of energy from geothermal resources, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the National Geothermal Initiative Act of 2007.

Findings

Congress finds that—

(1)

domestic geothermal resources have the potential to provide vast amounts of clean, renewable, and reliable energy to the United States;

(2)

Federal policies and programs are critical to achieving the potential of those resources;

(3)

Federal tax policies should be modified to appropriately support the longer lead-times of geothermal facilities and address the high risks of geothermal exploration and development;

(4)

sustained and expanded research programs are needed—

(A)

to support the goal of increased energy production from geothermal resources; and

(B)

to develop the technologies that will enable commercial production of energy from more geothermal resources;

(5)

a comprehensive national resource assessment is needed to support policymakers and industry needs;

(6)

a national exploration and development technology and information center should be established to support the achievement of increased geothermal energy production; and

(7)

implementation and completion of geothermal and other renewable initiatives on public land in the United States is critical, consistent with the principles and requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) and other applicable law.

National goal

Congress declares that it shall be a national goal to achieve 20 percent of total electrical energy production in the United States from geothermal resources by not later than 2030.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Initiative

The term Initiative means the national geothermal initiative established by section 5(a).

(2)

National goal

The term national goal means the national goal of increased energy production from geothermal resources described in section 3.

(3)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Energy.

National geothermal initiative

(a)

Establishment

There is established a national geothermal initiative under which the Federal Government shall seek to achieve the national goal.

(b)

Federal support and coordination

In carrying out the Initiative, each Federal agency shall give priority to programs and efforts necessary to support achievement of the national goal to the extent consistent with applicable law.

(c)

Energy and Interior goals

(1)

In general

In carrying out the Initiative, the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior shall establish and carry out policies and programs—

(A)

to characterize the complete geothermal resource base (including engineered geothermal systems) of the United States by not later than 2010;

(B)

to sustain an annual growth rate in the use of geothermal power, heat, and heat pump applications of at least 10 percent;

(C)

to demonstrate state-of-the-art energy production from the full range of geothermal resources in the United States;

(D)

to achieve new power or commercial heat production from geothermal resources in at least 25 States; and

(E)

to develop the tools and techniques to construct an engineered geothermal system power plant.

(2)

Report to Congress

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 3 years thereafter, the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior shall jointly submit to the appropriate Committees of Congress a report that describes—

(A)

the proposed plan to achieve the goals described in paragraph (1); and

(B)

a description of the progress during the period covered by the report toward achieving those goals.

(d)

Geothermal research, development, demonstration, and commercial application

(1)

In general

The Secretary shall carry out a program of geothermal research, development, demonstration, outreach and education, and commercial application to support the achievement of the national goal.

(2)

Requirements of program

In carrying out the geothermal research program described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—

(A)

prioritize funding for the discovery and characterization of geothermal resources;

(B)

expand funding for cost-shared drilling;

(C)

(i)

establish, at a national laboratory or university research center selected by the Secretary, a national geothermal exploration research and information center;

(ii)

support development and application of new exploration and development technologies through the center; and

(iii)

in cooperation with the Secretary of the Interior, disseminate geological and geophysical data to support geothermal exploration activities through the center;

(D)

support cooperative programs with and among States, including with the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy, the Intermountain West Geothermal Consortium, and other similar State and regional initiatives, to expand knowledge of the geothermal resource base of the United States and potential applications of that resource base;

(E)

improve and advance high-temperature and high-pressure drilling, completion, and instrumentation technologies benefiting geothermal well construction;

(F)

demonstrate geothermal applications in settings that, as of the date of enactment of this Act, are noncommercial;

(G)

research, develop, and demonstrate engineered geothermal systems techniques for commercial application of the technologies, including advances in—

(i)

reservoir stimulation;

(ii)

reservoir characterization, monitoring, and modeling;

(iii)

stress mapping;

(iv)

tracer development;

(v)

3-dimensional tomography; and

(vi)

understanding seismic effects of deep drilling and reservoir engineering; and

(H)

support the development and application of the full range of geothermal technologies and applications.

(3)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this subsection—

(A)

$75,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;

(B)

$110,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2012; and

(C)

for fiscal year 2013 and each fiscal year thereafter through fiscal year 2030, such sums as are necessary.

(e)

Geothermal assessment, exploration information, and priority activities

(1)

Interior

In carrying out the Initiative, the Secretary of the Interior—

(A)

acting through the Director of the United States Geological Survey, shall, not later than 2010—

(i)

conduct and complete a comprehensive nationwide geothermal resource assessment that examines the full range of geothermal resources in the United States; and

(ii)

submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report describing the results of the assessment; and

(B)

in planning and leasing, shall consider the national goal established under this Act.

(2)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out this subsection—

(A)

$15,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;

(B)

$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 to 2012; and

(C)

for fiscal year 2013 and each fiscal year thereafter through fiscal year 2030, such sums as are necessary.

Intermountain West Geothermal Consortium

Section 237 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15874) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(d)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section—

(1)

$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2013; and

(2)

such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2020.

International market support for geothermal energy development

(a)

United States Agency for International Development

The United States Agency for International Development, in coordination with other appropriate Federal and multilateral agencies, shall support international and regional development to promote the use of geothermal resources, including (as appropriate) the African Rift Geothermal Development Facility.

(b)

United States Trade and Development Agency

The United States Trade and Development Agency shall support the Initiative by—

(1)

encouraging participation by United States firms in actions taken to carry out subsection (a); and

(2)

providing grants and other financial support for feasibility and resource assessment studies.

(c)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.