Solar Fuels Innovation Act
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. KNIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5638) to provide for the establishment at the Department of Energy of a Solar Fuels Basic Research Initiative, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 5638
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 ``Solar Fuels Innovation Act''. SEC. 2. SOLAR FUELS BASIC RESEARCH INITIATIVE.
(a) Amendment.--Section 973 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16313) is amended to read as follows: ``SEC. 973. SOLAR FUELS BASIC RESEARCH INITIATIVE.
``(a) Initiative.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a research initiative, to be known as the Solar Fuels Basic Research Initiative, to expand theoretical and fundamental knowledge of photochemistry, electrochemistry, biochemistry, and materials science useful for the practical development of experimental systems to convert solar energy to chemical energy.
``(2) Leveraging.--The Secretary shall leverage expertise and resources from the Basic Energy Sciences Program and Biological and Environmental Research Program within the Office of Science, and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, as provided under subsections (b) and (c).
``(3) Teams.--The Secretary shall organize activities under the Solar Fuels Basic Research Initiative to include multidisciplinary teams leveraging expertise from the National Laboratories, universities, and the private sector to the extent practicable. These multidisciplinary teams shall pursue aggressive, milestone-driven basic research goals. The Secretary shall provide sufficient resources for those teams to achieve those goals over a period of time to be determined by the Secretary.
``(4) Additional activities.--The Secretary is authorized to organize additional activities under this subsection through Energy Frontier Research Centers, Energy Innovation Hubs, or other organizational structures.
``(b) Artificial Photosynthesis.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall, as part of the Solar Fuels Basic Research Initiative, carry out a program to support research needed to bridge scientific barriers and discover knowledge relevant to artificial photosynthetic systems. In carrying out activities under this subsection, the Director of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences shall support basic research to pursue distinct lines of scientific inquiry, including photoinduced production of hydrogen and oxygen from water, and the sustainable photoinduced reduction of carbon dioxide to fuel products including hydrocarbons, alcohols, carbon monoxide, and natural gas. The Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy shall support translational research, development, and validation of physical concepts developed under this subsection.
``(2) Standard of review.--The Secretary shall review the program activities under this subsection to determine the achievement of technical milestones.
``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--
``(A) Authorization.--Subject to subsection (d), there are authorized for carrying out activities under this subsection for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2020--
``(i) $50,000,000 from funds within the Basic Energy Sciences Program account; and
``(ii) $25,000,000 from funds within the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account.
``(B) Prohibition.--No funds authorized under this subsection may be obligated or expended for commercial application of energy technology.
``(c) Biochemistry, Replication of Natural Photosynthesis, and Related Processes.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall, as part of the Solar Fuels Basic Research Initiative, carry out a program to support research needed to replicate natural photosynthetic processes by use of artificial photosynthetic components and materials. In carrying out activities under this subsection, the Director of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences shall support basic research to expand fundamental knowledge to replicate natural synthesis processes, including the photoinduced reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia, absorption of carbon dioxide from ambient air, molecular-based charge separation and storage, photoinitiated electron transfer, and catalysis in biological or biomimetic systems. The Associate Director of Biological and Environmental Research shall support systems biology and genomics approaches to understand genetic and physiological pathways connected to photosynthetic mechanisms. The Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy shall support translational research, development, and validation of physical concepts developed under this subsection.
``(2) Standard of review.--The Secretary shall review the program activities under this subsection to determine the achievement of technical milestones.
``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--
``(A) Authorization.--Subject to subsection (d), there are authorized for carrying out activities under this subsection for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2020--
``(i) $50,000,000 from funds within the Basic Energy Sciences Program and Biological and Environmental Research Program accounts; and
``(ii) $25,000,000 from funds within the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account.
``(B) Prohibition.--No funds authorized under this subsection may be obligated or expended for commercial application of energy technology.
``(d) Funding.--No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated under this section. This section shall be carried out using funds otherwise authorized by law.''.
(b) Table of Contents Amendment.--The item relating to section 973 in the table of contents of such Act is amended to read as follows: ``Sec. 973. Solar Fuels Basic Research Initiative.''.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. KNIGHT. 5638, the bill now under consideration.
Today it is my honor and privilege to bring H.R. 5638, the Solar Fuels Innovation Act, to the House of Representatives with several of my colleagues.
This bill, the first solar R&D bill to be considered on the House floor this Congress, will advance the policies of the America COMPETES Act that passed the House last year and establish a basic research initiative and groundbreaking solar fuels.
The solar fuel process, also known as artificial photosynthesis, harnesses energy from sunlight to create a range of chemical fuels. Basic research in artificial photosynthesis and related research could lead to a solar fuels system that consolidates solar power and energy storage into a cohesive process and fundamentally change the way we extract energy from our natural resources. This would be a game changer for our country.
Scientists up and down the coast of California are undertaking this research, from universities in southern California to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the bay area. Research authorized in this legislation could solve this key scientific challenge and open the door for American entrepreneurs to develop the next generation of solar technology.
The Solar Fuels Innovation Act will also enable universities and the DOE labs to train the next generation of scientists through a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together students in chemistry, physics, and materials science.
This legislation provides a framework for more coordination between basic research and early-stage translational research in solar fuels.
H.R. 5638 refocuses the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy on the early-stage research where the Federal Government can have the most significant impact.
H.R. 5638 reaffirms the Federal Government's key role in research and development.
This legislation is also fiscally responsible. By directing DOE to conduct this research using existing funds in the Office of Science and EERE, this legislation ensures the responsible use of limited tax dollars for the kind of research only the Federal Government has the tools to undertake.
Today, we hear a lot of enthusiasm for solar power. But far too often, we focus on today's technology, not the fundamentally new approach to renewable energy that is possible with this early-stage research.
In Congress, it is our responsibility to take the long-term view and be patient, making smart investments in research that can lead to the next big discovery.
DOE must focus on the kind of groundbreaking R&D that can lead to disruptive technology. Solar fuels could someday change the way we think about solar power.
I would like to thank my colleagues who joined me in introducing this bill and the many research institutions that offered letters of support.
H.R. 5638 authorizes innovative basic research that will lead to groundbreaking technology in solar fuels.
By harnessing the expertise of our Nation's national labs and universities, now we can lay the fundamental scientific groundwork for the private sector's development of advanced solar fuels technology in the future. This could fundamentally change the way we extract energy from our natural resources.
I want to thank Chairman Smith and my other colleagues on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee who have cosponsored H.R. 5638, including Dan Lipinski, Randy Neugebauer, Bill Posey, Randy Hultgren, Randy Weber, Brian Babin, and John Moolenaar. I also want to thank the dozens of researchers and stakeholders who provided feedback as we developed this legislation.
Finally, I want to reiterate that H.R. 5638 authorizes no new Federal spending. I think we got that from Chairman Weber. The bill reads: ``No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated under this section. This section shall be carried out using funds otherwise authorized by law.''
I urge the adoption of this commonsense, bipartisan legislation, which is part of Leader McCarthy's Innovation Initiative.
I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source