Hydrogen Liberty Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) establish an Advanced Reactor Hydrogen Cogeneration Project; (2) establish a national steering committee to advise the Secretary and the Director of the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology on the project; (3) seek international cooperation, participation, and financial contribution in the project; and (4) establish cost-shared partnerships with domestic industry or international participants for the research, development, design, construction, and operation of the research facility.
Grants the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing and regulatory authority for any reactor authorized under this Act.
Instructs the Secretary to: (1) prepare a detailed roadmap to implement certain recommendations related to advanced nuclear reactor technologies, solar energy technologies, and wind energy technologies; and (2) provide for the establishment of five projects in diverse geographic areas to demonstrate the commercial production of hydrogen at existing nuclear power plants, including one demonstration project at a national laboratory or institution of higher education using an advanced gas-cooled reactor.
Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to direct the NRC to give priority to the licensing of a utilization facility that is collocated with a hydrogen production facility.
Directs the Secretary to support research programs at institutions of higher education for the development of advanced nuclear reactor energy technologies, solar energy technologies, and wind energy technologies for the production of hydrogen.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1482 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1482
To provide for the research and development of advanced nuclear
reactor, solar energy, and wind energy technologies for the production
of hydrogen, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 5, 2005
Mr. Wynn (for himself and Mr. Shimkus) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Science, and in addition to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the research and development of advanced nuclear
reactor, solar energy, and wind energy technologies for the production
of hydrogen, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be referred to as the ``Hydrogen Liberty Act''.
SEC. 2. HYDROGEN PRODUCTION PROGRAMS.
(a) Advanced Reactor Hydrogen Cogeneration Project.--
(1) Project establishment.-- The Secretary is directed to
establish an Advanced Reactor Hydrogen Cogeneration Project.
(2) Project definition.-- The project shall consist of the
research, development, design, construction, and operation of a
hydrogen production cogeneration research facility that,
relative to the current commercial reactors, enhances safety
features, reduces waste production, enhances thermal
efficiencies, increases proliferation resistance, and has the
potential for improved economics and physical security in
reactor siting. This facility shall be constructed so as to
enable research and development on advanced reactors of the
type selected and on alternative approaches for reactor-based
production of hydrogen.
(3) Project management.--
(A) Management.--The project shall be managed
within the Department by the Office of Nuclear Energy,
Science, and Technology.
(B) Lead laboratory.--The lead laboratory for the
project, providing the site for the reactor
construction, shall be the Idaho National Laboratory
(in this subsection referred to as ``INL'').
(C) Steering committee.--The Secretary shall
establish a national steering committee with membership
from the national laboratories, universities, and
industry to provide advice to the Secretary and the
Director of the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, and
Technology on technical and program management aspects
of the project.
(D) Collaboration.--Project activities shall be
conducted at INL, other national laboratories,
universities, domestic industry, and international
partners.
(4) Project requirements.--
(A) Research and development.--
(i) In general.--The project shall include
planning, research and development, design, and
construction of an advanced, next-generation,
nuclear energy system suitable for enabling
further research and development on advanced
reactor technologies and alternative approaches
for reactor-based generation of hydrogen.
(ii) Reactor test capabilities at inl.--The
project shall utilize, where appropriate,
extensive reactor test capabilities resident at
INL.
(iii) Alternatives.--The project shall be
designed to explore technical, environmental,
and economic feasibility of alternative
approaches for reactor-based hydrogen
production.
(iv) Industrial lead.--The industrial lead
for the project shall be a company incorporated
in the United States.
(B) International collaboration.--
(i) In general.--The Secretary shall seek
international cooperation, participation, and
financial contribution in this project.
(ii) Assistance from international
partners.--The Secretary may contract for
assistance from specialists or facilities from
member countries of the Generation IV
International Forum, the Russian Federation, or
other international partners where such
specialists or facilities provide access to
cost-effective and relevant skills or test
capabilities.
(iii) Generation iv international forum.--
International activities shall be coordinated
with the Generation IV International Forum.
(iv) Generation iv nuclear energy systems
program.--The Secretary may combine this
project with the Generation IV Nuclear Energy
Systems Program.
(C) Demonstration.--The overall project, which may
involve demonstration of selected project objectives in
a partner nation, must demonstrate both electricity and
hydrogen production and may provide flexibility, where
technically and economically feasible in the design and
construction, to enable tests of alternative reactor
core and cooling configurations.
(D) Partnerships.--The Secretary shall establish
cost-shared partnerships with domestic industry or
international participants for the research,
development, design, construction, and operation of the
research facility, and preference in determining the
final project structure shall be given to an overall
project which retains United States leadership while
maximizing cost sharing opportunities and minimizing
Federal funding responsibilities.
(E) Target date.--The Secretary shall select
technologies and develop the project to provide initial
testing of either hydrogen production or electricity
generation by 2011, or provide a report to Congress
explaining why this date is not feasible.
(F) Waiver of construction timelines.--The
Secretary is authorized to conduct the Advanced Reactor
Hydrogen Cogeneration Project without the constraints
of DOE Order 413.3, relating to program and project
management for the acquisition of capital assets, as
necessary to meet the specified operational date.
(G) Competition.--The Secretary may fund up to 2
teams for up to 1 year to develop detailed proposals
for competitive evaluation and selection of a single
proposal and concept for further progress. The
Secretary shall define the format of the competitive
evaluation of proposals.
(H) Use of facilities.--Research facilities in
industry, national laboratories, or universities either
within the United States or with cooperating
international partners may be used to develop the
enabling technologies for the research facility.
Utilization of domestic university-based facilities
shall be encouraged to provide educational
opportunities for student development.
(I) Role of nuclear regulatory commission.--
(i) In general.--The Nuclear Regulatory
Commission shall have licensing and regulatory
authority for any reactor authorized under this
subsection, pursuant to section 202 of the
Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C.
5842).
(ii) Risk-based criteria.--The Secretary
shall seek active participation of the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission throughout the project to
develop risk-based criteria for any future
commercial development of a similar reactor
architecture.
(J) Report.--The Secretary shall develop and
transmit to Congress a comprehensive project plan not
later than 3 months after the date of enactment of this
Act. The project plan shall be updated annually with
each annual budget submission.
(b) Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies.--The Secretary shall--
(1) prepare a detailed roadmap for carrying out the
provisions in this Act related to advanced nuclear reactor
technologies and for implementing the recommendations related
to advanced nuclear reactor technologies that are included in
the report transmitted under subsection (f); and
(2) provide for the establishment of 5 projects in
geographic areas that are regionally and climatically diverse
to demonstrate the commercial production of hydrogen at
existing nuclear power plants, including one demonstration
project at a national laboratory or institution of higher
education using an advanced gas-cooled reactor.
(c) Collocation With Hydrogen Production Facility.--Section 103 of
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2011) is amended by adding at
the end the following new subsection:
``g. The Commission shall give priority to the licensing of a
utilization facility that is collocated with a hydrogen production
facility. The Commission shall issue a final decision approving or
disapproving the issuance of a license to construct and operate a
utilization facility not later than the expiration of 2 years after the
date of the submission of such application, if the application
references a Commission-certified design and an early site permit,
unless the Commission determines that the applicant has proposed
material and substantial changes to the design or the site design
parameters.''.
(d) Solar Energy Technologies.--The Secretary shall--
(1) prepare a detailed roadmap for carrying out the
provisions in this Act related to solar energy technologies and
for implementing the recommendations related to solar energy
technologies that are included in the report transmitted under
subsection (f);
(2) provide for the establishment of 5 projects in
geographic areas that are regionally and climatically diverse
to demonstrate the production of hydrogen at solar energy
facilities, including one demonstration project at a national
laboratory or institution of higher education;
(3) establish a research and development program--
(A) to develop optimized concentrating solar power
devices that may be used for the production of both
electricity and hydrogen; and
(B) to evaluate the use of thermochemical cycles
for hydrogen production at the temperatures attainable
with concentrating solar power devices;
(4) coordinate with activities sponsored by the Department
of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology
on high-temperature materials, thermochemical cycles, and
economic issues related to solar energy;
(5) provide for the construction and operation of new
concentrating solar power devices or solar power cogeneration
facilities that produce hydrogen either concurrently with, or
independently of, the production of electricity;
(6) support existing facilities and research programs
dedicated to the development and advancement of concentrating
solar power devices; and
(7) establish a program--
(A) to research and develop methods that use
electricity from photovoltaic devices for the onsite
production of hydrogen, such that no intermediate
transmission or distribution infrastructure is required
or used and future demand growth may be accommodated;
(B) to evaluate the economics of small-scale
electrolysis for hydrogen production; and
(C) to research the potential of modular
photovoltaic devices for the development of a hydrogen
infrastructure, the security implications of a hydrogen
infrastructure, and the benefits potentially derived
from a hydrogen infrastructure.
(e) Wind Energy Technologies.--The Secretary shall--
(1) prepare a detailed roadmap for carrying out the
provisions in this Act related to wind energy technologies and
for implementing the recommendations related to wind energy
technologies that are included in the report transmitted under
subsection (f); and
(2) provide for the establishment of 5 projects in
geographic areas that are regionally and climatically diverse
to demonstrate the production of hydrogen at existing wind
energy facilities, including one demonstration project at a
national laboratory or institution of higher education.
(f) Report.--The Secretary shall transmit to the Congress not later
than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act a report
containing detailed summaries of the roadmaps prepared under
subsections (b)(1), (d)(1), and (e)(1), descriptions of the Secretary's
progress in establishing the projects and other programs required under
this section, and recommendations for promoting the availability of
advanced nuclear reactor energy technologies, solar energy
technologies, and wind energy technologies for the production of
hydrogen.
SEC. 3. HYDROGEN PRODUCTION RESEARCH.
(a) Program Support.--The Secretary shall support research programs
at institutions of higher education for the development of advanced
nuclear reactor energy technologies, solar energy technologies, and
wind energy technologies for the production of hydrogen. The research
programs supported under this section shall--
(1) enhance fellowship and faculty assistance programs;
(2) provide support for fundamental research;
(3) encourage collaborative research among industry,
national laboratories, and institutions of higher education;
(4) support communication and outreach; and
(5) to the greatest extent possible--
(A) be located in geographic areas that are
regionally and climatically diverse; and
(B) be located at part B institutions, minority
institutions, and institutions of higher education
located in States participating in the Experimental
Program to Stimulate Competitive Research of the
Department of Energy.
(b) Nuclear Reactor Research Programs.--Research programs supported
under this section that are related to advanced nuclear reactor
technologies--
(1) shall be programs that research designs for nuclear
reactors capable of producing hydrogen from a variety of
feedstocks;
(2) may provide technical assistance, in collaboration with
the United States civilian nuclear industry, to relicense and
upgrade research nuclear reactors at institutions of higher
education involved in such programs;
(3) may use funding authorized under subsection (d)(1) for
improvements of research nuclear reactors at institutions of
higher education involved in such programs as part of a focused
effort that emphasizes research, training, and education; and
(4) may use funding authorized under subsection (d)(1) to
offset a portion of the operating and maintenance costs of a
research nuclear reactor at an institution of higher education
involved in one of such programs.
(c) Institutions of Higher Education and National Laboratory
Interactions.--In conjunction with the programs supported under this
section, the Secretary shall develop sabbatical, fellowship, and
visiting scientist programs to encourage national laboratories and
institutions of higher education to share and exchange personnel.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) Advanced nuclear reactor technologies research
programs.--For the purpose of supporting research programs
related to the development of advanced nuclear reactor
technologies under this section, there are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary--
(A) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
(B) $74,750,000 for fiscal year 2007;
(C) $85,962,500 for fiscal year 2008;
(D) $98,856,875 for fiscal year 2009;
(E) $113,685,406 for fiscal year 2010;
(F) $130,738,217 for fiscal year 2011;
(G) $150,348,950 for fiscal year 2012;
(H) $172,901,292 for fiscal year 2013;
(I) $198,836,486 for fiscal year 2014; and
(J) $228,661,959 for fiscal year 2015.
(2) Solar energy technologies research programs.--For the
purpose of supporting research programs related to the
development of solar energy technologies under this section,
there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary--
(A) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
(B) $74,750,000 for fiscal year 2007;
(C) $85,962,500 for fiscal year 2008;
(D) $98,856,875 for fiscal year 2009;
(E) $113,685,406 for fiscal year 2010;
(F) $130,738,217 for fiscal year 2011;
(G) $150,348,950 for fiscal year 2012;
(H) $172,901,292 for fiscal year 2013;
(I) $198,836,486 for fiscal year 2014; and
(J) $228,661,959 for fiscal year 2015.
(3) Wind energy technologies research programs.--For the
purpose of supporting research programs related to the
development of wind energy technologies under this section,
there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary--
(A) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
(B) $74,750,000 for fiscal year 2007;
(C) $85,962,500 for fiscal year 2008;
(D) $98,856,875 for fiscal year 2009;
(E) $113,685,406 for fiscal year 2010;
(F) $130,738,217 for fiscal year 2011;
(G) $150,348,950 for fiscal year 2012;
(H) $172,901,292 for fiscal year 2013;
(I) $198,836,486 for fiscal year 2014; and
(J) $228,661,959 for fiscal year 2015.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act--
(1) the term ``advanced nuclear reactor technologies''
means--
(A) technologies related to advanced light water
reactors that may be commercially available in the
near-term, including mid-sized reactors with passive
safety features, for the generation of electric power
from nuclear fission and the production of hydrogen;
and
(B) technologies related to other nuclear reactors
that may require prototype demonstration prior to
availability in the mid-term or long-term, including
high-temperature, gas-cooled reactors and liquid metal
reactors, for the generation of electric power from
nuclear fission and the production of hydrogen;
(2) the term ``concentrating solar power devices'' means
devices that concentrate the power of the sun by reflection or
refraction to improve the efficiency of a photovoltaic or
thermal generation process;
(3) the term ``institution of higher education'' has the
meaning given to that term in section 101(a) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a));
(4) the term ``minority institution'' has the meaning given
to that term in section 365 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1067k);
(5) the term ``part B institution'' has the meaning given
to that term in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1061);
(6) the term ``photovoltaic devices'' means devices that
convert light directly into electricity through a solid-state,
semiconductor process; and
(7) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Energy.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Science, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Science, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Science, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
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