S 388 IS
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 388
To protect the energy security of the United States and decrease
America's dependency on foreign oil sources to 50 percent by the year 2011 by
enhancing the use of renewable energy resources, conserving energy resources,
improving energy efficiencies, and increasing domestic energy supplies; improve
environmental quality by reducing emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse
gases; mitigate the effect of increases in energy prices on the American
consumer, including the poor and the elderly; and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 26, 2001
Mr. MURKOWSKI (for himself, Mr. BREAUX, Mr. LOTT, Mr. VOINOVICH, Mr.
DOMENICI, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. THOMAS, Mr. SHELBY, Mr. BURNS, Mr. HAGEL,
Mr. STEVENS, and Mr. HUTCHINSON) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
A BILL
To protect the energy security of the United States and decrease
America's dependency on foreign oil sources to 50 percent by the year 2011 by
enhancing the use of renewable energy resources, conserving energy resources,
improving energy efficiencies, and increasing domestic energy supplies; improve
environmental quality by reducing emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse
gases; mitigate the effect of increases in energy prices on the American
consumer, including the poor and the elderly; 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 cited as the `National Energy Security Act of 2001'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS- The Congress finds that--
(1) increasing dependence on foreign sources of oil causes systemic harm
to all sectors of the United States economy, threatens national security,
undermines the ability of Federal, State, and local units of government to
provide essential services, and jeopardizes the peace, security, and welfare
of the American people;
(2) dependence on imports of foreign oil was 46 percent in 1992, rose to
more than 55 percent by the beginning of 2000, and is estimated by the
Department of Energy to rise to 65 percent by 2020 unless current policies
are altered;
(3) even with increased energy efficiency, energy use in the United
States is expected to increase 27 percent by 2020;
(4) the United States lacks a comprehensive national energy policy and
has taken actions that limit the availability and capability of the domestic
energy sources of oil and gas, coal, nuclear and hydroelectric;
(5) a comprehensive energy strategy must be developed to combat this
trend, decrease the United States dependence on imported oil supplies and
strengthen our national energy security;
(6) this comprehensive strategy must decrease the United States
dependence on foreign oil supplies to not more than 50 percent by the year
2011;
(7) this comprehensive energy strategy must be multifaceted and enhance
the use of renewable energy resources (including hydroelectric, solar, wind,
geothermal and biomass), conserve energy resources (including improving
energy efficiencies), and increase domestic supplies of conventional energy
resources (including oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear);
(8) conservation efforts and alternative fuels alone will not enable
America to meet this goal as conventional energy sources supply 96 percent
of America's power at this time;
(9) immediate actions must also be taken to mitigate the economic
effects of recent increases in the price of crude oil, natural gas, and
electricity and the related impacts on American consumers, including the
poor and the elderly.
(b) PURPOSES- The purposes of this Act are to protect the energy security
of the United States by decreasing America's dependence on foreign oil sources
to not more than 50 percent by 2010, by enhancing the use of renewable energy
resources, conserving energy resources (including improving energy
efficiencies), and increasing domestic energy supplies, improving
environmental quality by reducing emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse
gases, and mitigating the immediate effect of increases in energy prices on
the American consumer, including the poor and the elderly.
TITLE I--GENERAL PROVISIONS TO PROTECT ENERGY SUPPLY AND
SECURITY
SEC. 101. CONSULTATION AND REPORT ON FEDERAL AGENCY ACTIONS AFFECTING
DOMESTIC ENERGY SUPPLY.
Prior to taking or initiating any action that could have a significant
adverse effect on the availability or supply of domestic energy resources or
on the domestic capability to distribute or transport such resources, the head
of a Federal agency proposing or participating in such action shall notify the
Secretary of Energy in writing of the nature and scope of the action, the need
for such action, the potential effect of such action on energy resource
supplies, price, distribution, and transportation, and any alternatives to
such action or options to mitigate the effects and shall provide the Secretary
of Energy with adequate time to review the proposed action and make
recommendations to avoid or minimize the adverse effect of the proposed
action. The proposing agency shall consider any such recommendations made by
the Secretary of Energy. The Secretary of Energy shall provide an annual
report to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States
Senate and to the appropriate committees of the House of Representatives on
all actions brought to his attention, what mitigation or alternatives, if any,
were implemented, and what the short-term, mid-term, and long-term effect of
the final action will likely be on domestic energy resource supplies and their
development, distribution, or transmission.
SEC. 102. ANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES ENERGY INDEPENDENCE.
(a) REPORT- Beginning on October 1, 2001, and annually thereafter, the
Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the
heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall submit a report to the
President and the Congress which evaluates the progress the United States has
made toward obtaining the goal of not more than 50 percent dependence on
foreign oil sources by 2010.
(b) ALTERNATIVES- The report shall specify what specific legislative or
administrative actions that must be implemented to meet this goal and set
forth a range of options and alternatives with a benefit/cost analysis for
each option or alternative together with an estimate of the contribution each
option or alternative could make to reduce foreign oil imports. The
Secretary shall solicit information from the public and request information
from the Energy Information Agency and other agencies to develop the report. The
report shall indicate, in detail, options and alternatives to--
(1) increase the use of renewable domestic energy sources, including
conventional and non-conventional sources such as, but not limited to,
increased hydroelectric generation at existing Federal facilities;
(2) conserve energy resources, including improving efficiencies and
decreasing consumption; and
(3) increase domestic production and use of oil, natural gas, nuclear,
and coal, including any actions necessary to provide access to, and
transportation of, these energy resources.
(c) REFINERY CAPACITY- As part of the reports submitted in 2001, 2005, and
2008, the Secretary shall examine and report on the condition of the domestic
refinery industry and the extent of domestic storage capacity for various
categories of petroleum products and make such recommendations as he believes
will enhance domestic capabilities to respond to short-term shortages of
various fuels due to climate or supply interruptions and ensure long-term
supplies on a reliable and affordable basis.
(d) NOTIFICATION TO CONGRESS- Whenever the Secretary determines that
stocks of petroleum products have declined or are anticipated to decline to
levels that would jeopardize national security or threaten supply shortages or
price increases on a national or regional basis, he shall immediately notify
the Congress of the situation and shall make such recommendations for
administrative or legislative action as he believes are necessary to alleviate
the situation.
SEC. 103. STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE STUDY AND REPORT.
The President shall immediately establish an Interagency Panel on the
Strategic Petroleum Study (referred to as the `Panel' in this section) to
study oil markets and estimate the extent and frequency of fluctuations in the
supply and price of, and demand for crude oil in the future and determine
appropriate capacity of and uses for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The
Panel may recommend changes in existing authorities to strengthen the ability
of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to respond to energy requirements. The
Panel shall complete its study and submit a report containing its findings and
any recommendations to the President and the Congress within six months from
the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 104. STUDY OF EXISTING RIGHTS-OF-WAY TO DETERMINE CAPABILITY TO SUPPORT
NEW PIPELINES OR OTHER TRANSMISSION FACILITIES.
Within one year from the date of enactment of this Act, the head of each
Federal agency that has authorized a right-of-way across Federal lands for
transportation of energy supplies or transmission of electricity shall review
each such right-of-way and submit a report to the Secretary of Energy and the
Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission whether the right-of-way
can be used to support new or additional capacity and what modifications or
other changes, if any, would be necessary to accommodate such additional
capacity. In performing the review, the head of each agency shall consult with
agencies of State or local units of government as appropriate and consider
whether safety or other concerns related to current uses might preclude the
availability of a right-of-way for additional or new transportation or
transmission facilities and shall set forth those considerations in the
report.
SEC. 105. USE OF FEDERAL FACILITIES.
(a) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of the Army shall each
inventory all dams, impoundments, and other facilities under their
jurisdiction.
(b) Based on this inventory and other information, the Secretary of the
Interior and the Secretary of the Army shall each submit a report to the
Congress within six months from the date of enactment of this Act. Each report
shall:
(1) Describe, in detail, each facility that is capable, with or without
modification, of producing additional hydroelectric power. For each such
facility, the report shall state the full potential for the facility to
generate hydroelectric power, whether the facility is currently generating
hydroelectric power, and the costs to install, upgrade, modify, or take
other actions to increase the hydroelectric generating capability of the
facility. For each facility that currently has hydroelectric generating
equipment, the report shall indicate the condition of such equipment,
maintenance requirements, and schedule for any improvements as well as the
purposes for which power is generated.
(2) Describe what actions are planned or underway to increase
hydroelectric production from facilities under his jurisdiction and shall
include any recommendations the Secretary deems advisable to increase such
production, reduce costs, and improve efficiency at Federal facilities,
including, but not limited to, use of lease of power privilege and
contracting with non-federal entities for operation and maintenance.
SEC. 106. NUCLEAR GENERATION STUDY.
The Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall submit a report to
the Congress within six months from the date of enactment of this Act on the
state of nuclear power generation and production in the United States and the
potential for increasing nuclear generating capacity and production as part of
this Nation's energy mix. The report shall include an assessment of agency
readiness to license new advanced reactor designs and discuss the needed
confirmatory and anticipatory research activities that would support such a
state of readiness. The report shall also review the status of the relicensing
process for civilian nuclear power plants, including current and anticipated
applications, and recommendations for improvements in the process, including,
but not limited to recommendations for expediting the process and ensuring
that relicensing is accomplished in a timely manner.
SEC. 107. DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL STRATEGY AND
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL RESEARCH.
(a) Prior to the Federal Government taking any irreversible action
relating to the disposal of spent nuclear fuel, Congress must determine
whether the spent fuel should be treated as waste subject to permanent burial
or should be considered an energy resource that is needed to meet future
energy requirements.
(b) OFFICE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL RESEARCH- There is hereby established an
Office of Spent Nuclear Fuel Research (referred to as the `Office' in this
section) within the Office of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology of the
Department of Energy. The Office shall be headed by the Associate Director,
who shall be a member of the Senior Executive Service appointed by the
Director of the Office of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, and
compensated at a rate determined by applicable law.
(c) ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR- The Associate Director of the Office of Spent
Nuclear Fuel Research shall be responsible for carrying out an integrated
research, development, and demonstration program on technologies for
treatment, recycling, and disposal of high-level nuclear radioactive waste and
spent nuclear fuel, subject to the general supervision of the Secretary. The
Associate Director of the Office shall report to the Director of the Office of
Nuclear Energy Science and Technology. The first such Associate Director shall
be appointed
within 90 days of the enactment of this Act.
(d) GRANT AND CONTRACT AUTHORITY- In carrying out his responsibilities
under this section, the Secretary may make grants, or enter into contracts,
for the purposes of the research projects and activities described in
(e)(2).
(e) DUTIES- (1) The Associate Director of the Office shall involve
national laboratories, universities, the commercial nuclear industry, and
other organizations to investigate technologies for the treatment, recycling,
and disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.
(2) The Associate Director of the Office shall--
(A) develop a research plan to provide recommendations by 2015;
(B) identify technologies for the treatment, recycling, disposal of
spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste;
(C) conduct research and development activities on such
technologies;
(D) ensure that all activities include as key objectives minimization of
proliferation concerns and risk to health of the general public or site
workers, as well as development of cost-effective technologies;
(E) require research on both reactor- and accelerator-based
transmutation systems;
(F) require research on advanced processing and separations;
(G) encourage that research efforts include participation of
international collaborators;
(H) be authorized to fund international collaborators when they bring
unique capabilities not available in the United States and their host
country is unable to provide for their support;
(I) ensure that research efforts with the Office are coordinated with
research on advanced fuel cycles and reactors conducted within the Office of
Nuclear Energy Science and Technology.
(f) REPORT- The Associate Director of the Office of Spent Nuclear Fuel
Research shall annually prepare and submit a report to the Congress on the
activities and expenditures of the Office, including the progress that has
been made to achieve the objectives of subsection (c).
SEC. 108. STUDY AND REPORT ON STATUS OF DOMESTIC REFINING INDUSTRY AND
PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
(a) ANNUAL REPORT- The Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the
Administrator of the Environment Protection Agency, the States, the National
Petroleum Council, and other representatives of the petroleum refining,
distribution and retailing industries, shall submit a report to the Congress
on the condition of the domestic petroleum refining industry and the petroleum
product distribution system. The first such report shall be submitted no later
than January 1, 2002, and revised annually thereafter.
(b) RECOMMENDATIONS- Each annual report shall include any recommendations
that the Secretary believes should be implemented either through legislation
or regulation to ensure that there is adequate domestic refining capacity and
motor fuel supplies to meet the economic, social, and security requirements of
the United States.
(c) PREPARATION- In preparing each annual report, the Secretary shall--
(1) provide an assessment of the condition of the domestic petroleum
refining industry and the Nation's motor fuel distribution system, including
the ability to make future capital investments necessary to manufacture,
transport, and store different petroleum products required by local, State,
and Federal statute and regulations;
(2) examine the reliability and cost of feedstocks and energy supplied
to the refining industry as well as the reliability and cost of products
manufactured by such industry;
(3) provide an assessment of the collective effect of current and future
motor fuel requirements on--
(A) the ability of the domestic motor fuels refining, distribution,
and retailing industries to reliably and cost-effectively supply fuel to
the Nation's consumers and businesses;
(B) gasoline (reformulated and conventional) and diesel fuel
(on-highway and off-highway) supplies;
(C) retail motor fuel price volatility;
(4) explore opportunities to streamline permitting and siting decisions
and approvals for expanding existing and/or building new domestic refining
capacity;
(5) recommend actions that can be taken to reduce future motor supply
concerns, and
(6) provide an assessment of whether uniform, regional, or national
performance-based fuel specifications would reduce supply disruptions and
price spikes.
(d) CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA- Any information requested by the Secretary to
be submitted by industry for purposes of this section shall be treated as
confidential and shall be used only for the preparation of the annual
report.
SEC. 109. REVIEW OF FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION NATURAL GAS
PIPELINE CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall, in consultation with other
appropriate Federal agencies, immediately undertake a comprehensive review of
policies, procedures, and regulations for the certification of natural gas
pipelines to determine how to reduce the cost and time of obtaining a
certificate. The Commission shall report its findings within 6 months of the
date of the enactment of this Act to the Senate Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources and the appropriate committees of the United States House of
Representatives, including any recommendations for legislative changes.
SEC. 110. ANNUAL REPORT ON AVAILABILITY OF DOMESTIC ENERGY RESOURCES TO
MAINTAIN THE UNITED STATES ELECTRICITY GRID.
(a) Beginning on October 1, 2001, and annually thereafter, the Secretary
of Energy, in consultation with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and
the North American Electric Reliability Council, States, and appropriate
regional organizations, shall submit a report to the President and the
Congress which evaluates the availability and capacity of domestic sources of
energy generation to maintain the electricity grid in the United States.
Specifically, the Secretary shall evaluate each region of the country with
regard to grid stability during peak periods, such as summer, and options for
improving grid stability.
(b) The report shall specify specific legislative or administrative
actions that could be implemented to improve baseload generation and set forth
a range of options and alternatives
with a benefit/cost analysis for each option or alternative together with an
estimate of the contribution each option or alternative could make to reduce
foreign oil imports. The report shall indicate, in detail, options and
alternatives to--
(1) increase the use of non-emitting domestic energy sources, including
conventional and non-conventional sources such as, but not limited to,
increased nuclear energy generation; and
(2) conserve energy resources, including improving efficiencies and
decreasing fuel consumption.
SEC. 111. STUDY OF FINANCING FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES.
(a) The Secretary of Energy shall undertake an independent assessment of
innovative financing techniques to encourage and enable construction of new
electricity supply technologies with high initial capital costs that might not
be otherwise built in a deregulated market.
(b) The assessment shall be conducted by a firm with proven expertise in
financing large capital projects or in financial services consulting, and is
to be provided to the Congress no later than nine months from the date of
enactment of this Act.
(c) The assessment shall include a comprehensive examination of all
available techniques to safeguard private investors in high capital cost
technologies--including advanced design power plants including, but not
limited to, nuclear--against government-imposed risks that are beyond the
investors' control. Such techniques may include (but need not be limited to)
Federal loan guarantees, Federal price guarantees, special tax considerations,
and direct Federal Government investment.
SEC. 112. REVIEW OF REGULATIONS TO ELIMINATE BARRIERS TO EMERGING ENERGY
TECHNOLOGY.
(a) IN GENERAL- Each Federal agency shall carry out a review of its
regulations and standards to determine those that act as a barrier to market
entry for emerging energy-efficient technologies, including, but not limited
to, fuel cells, combined heat and power, and distributed generation (including
small-scale renewable energy).
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS- No later than eighteen months from date of
enactment of this section, each agency shall provide a report to Congress and
the President detailing all regulatory barriers to emerging energy-efficient
technologies, along with actions the agency intends to take, or has taken, to
remove such barriers.
(c) PERIODIC REVIEW- Each agency shall subsequently review its regulations
and standards in this manner no less frequently than every five years, and
report their findings to Congress and the President. Such reviews shall
include a detailed analysis of all agency actions taken to remove existing
barriers to emerging energy technologies.
SEC. 113. INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF INTERSTATE
NATURAL GAS PIPELINE PROJECTS.
The Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, shall establish an administrative interagency task
force to develop an interagency agreement to expedite and facilitate the
environmental review and permitting of interstate natural gas pipeline
projects. The task force shall include the Bureau of Land Management and the
Fish and Wildlife Service in the Department of the Interior, the United States
Army Corps of Engineers, the United States Forest Service, the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and such
other agencies as the Office and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission deem
appropriate. The interagency agreement shall require that agencies complete
their review of interstate pipeline projects within a specific period of time
after referral of the matter by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The
agreement shall be completed within six months after the effective date of
this section.
SEC. 114. PIPELINE INTEGRITY, SAFETY AND RELIABILITY RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Transportation, in coordination with the
Secretary of Energy, shall develop and implement an accelerated cooperative
program of research and development to ensure the integrity of natural gas and
hazardous liquid pipelines. This research and development program shall
include materials inspection techniques, risk assessment methodology, and
information systems surety.
(b) PURPOSE- The purpose of the cooperative research program shall be to
promote research and development to--
(1) ensure long-term safety, reliability and service life for existing
pipelines;
(2) expand capabilities of internal inspection devices to identify and
accurately measure defects and anomalies;
(3) develop inspection techniques for pipelines that cannot accommodate
the internal inspection devices available on the date of enactment;
(4) develop innovative techniques to measure the structural integrity of
pipelines to prevent pipeline failures;
(5) develop improved materials and coatings for use in pipelines;
(6) improve the capability, reliability, and practicality of external
leak detection devices;
(7) identify underground environments that might lead to shortened
service life;
(8) enhance safety in pipeline siting and land use;
(9) minimize the environmental impact of pipelines;
(10) demonstrate technologies that improve pipeline safety, reliability,
and integrity;
(11) provide risk assessment tools for optimizing risk mitigation
strategies; and
(12) provide highly secure information systems for controlling the
operation of pipelines.
(c) AREAS- In carrying out this section, the Secretary of Transportation,
in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, shall consider research and
development on natural gas, crude oil, and petroleum product pipelines
for--
(1) early crack, defect, and damage detection, including real-time
damage monitoring;
(2) automated internal pipeline inspection sensor systems;
(3) land use guidance and set back management along pipeline
rights-of-way for communities;
(4) internal corrosion control;
(5) corrosion-resistant coatings;
(6) improved cathodic protection;
(7) inspection techniques where internal inspection is not feasible,
including measurement of structural integrity;
(8) external leak detection, including portable real-time video imaging
technology, and the advancement of computerized control center leak
detection systems utilizing real-time remote field data input;
(9) longer life, high strength, non-corrosive pipeline materials;
(10) assessing the remaining strength of existing pipes;
(11) risk and reliability analysis models, to be used to identify safety
improvements that could be realized in the near term resulting from analysis
of data obtained from a pipeline performance tracking initiative;
(12) identification, monitoring, and prevention of outside force damage,
including satellite surveillance; and
(13) any other areas necessary to ensuring the public safety and
protecting the environment.
(d) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PLAN- Within 240 days after the date
of enactment of this section, the Secretary of Transportation, in coordination
with the Secretary of Energy and the Pipeline Integrity Technical Advisory
Committee, shall prepare and submit to the Congress a five-year program plan
to guide activities under this section. In preparing the program plan, the
Secretary shall consult with appropriate representatives of the natural gas,
crude oil, and petroleum product pipeline industries to select and prioritize
appropriate project proposals. The Secretary may also seek the advice of
utilities, manufacturers, institutions of higher learning, Federal agencies,
the pipeline research institutions, national laboratories, State pipeline
safety officials, environmental organizations, pipeline safety advocates, and
professional and technical societies.
(e) IMPLEMENTATION- The Secretary of Transportation shall have primary
responsibility for ensuring the five-year plan provided for in subsection (d)
is implemented as intended by this section. In carrying out the research,
development, and demonstration activities under this section, the Secretary of
Transportation and the Secretary of Energy may use, to the extent authorized
under applicable provisions of law, contracts, cooperative agreements,
cooperative research and development agreements under the Stevenson-Wydler
Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.), grants, joint
ventures, other transactions, and any other form of agreement available to the
Secretary consistent with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee.
(f) REPORTS TO CONGRESS- The Secretary of Transportation shall report to
the Congress annually as to the status and results to date of the
implementation of the research and development program plan. The report shall
include the activities of the Departments of Transportation and Energy, the
natural laboratories, universities, and any other research organizations,
including industry research organizations.
(g) PIPELINE INTEGRITY TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE-
(1) ESTABLISHMENT- The Secretary of Transportation shall enter into
appropriate arrangements with the National Academy of Sciences to establish
and manage the Pipeline Integrity Technical Advisory Committee for the
purpose of advising the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of
Energy on the development and implementation of the five-year research,
development, and demonstration program plan as defined in Sec. 3(e). The
Advisory Committee shall have an ongoing role in evaluating the progress and
results of the research, development, and demonstration carried out under
this section.
(2) MEMBERSHIP- The National Academy of Sciences shall appoint the
members of the Pipeline Integrity Technical Advisory Committee after
consultation with the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of
Energy. Members appointed to the Advisory Committee should have the
necessary qualifications to provide technical contributions to the purposes
of the Advisory Committee.
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation and to the Secretary of Energy
for carrying out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of the
fiscal years 2002 through 2006.
SEC. 115. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR NEW NATURAL GAS TECHNOLOGIES.
(a) The Secretary of Energy shall conduct a comprehensive five-year
program for research, development and demonstration to improve the
reliability, efficiency, safety and integrity of the natural gas
transportation and distribution infrastructure and for distributed energy
resources (including microturbines, fuel cells, advanced engine-generators gas
turbines reciprocating engines, hybrid power generation systems, and all
ancillary equipment for dispatch, control and maintenance).
(b) There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary
for the purposes of this section.
TITLE II--TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR ADVANCED CLEAN
COAL TECHNOLOGY FOR COAL-BASED ELECTRICITY GENERATING FACILITIES
SEC. 201. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this title is to direct the Secretary of Energy (referred
to as `Secretary' in this title) to--
(1) establish a coal-based technology development program designed to
achieve cost and performance goals;
(2) carry out a study to identify technologies that may be capable of
achieving, either individually or in combination, the cost and performance
goals and for other purposes; and
(3) implement a research, development, and demonstration program to
develop and demonstrate, in commercial-scale applications, advanced clean
coal technologies for coal-fired generating units constructed before the
date of enactment of this title.
SEC. 202. COST AND PERFORMANCE GOALS.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall perform an assessment that identifies
costs and associated performance of technologies that would permit the
continued cost-competitive use of coal for electricity generation, as chemical
feedstocks, and as transportation fuel in 2007, 2015, and the years after
2020.
(b) CONSULTATION- In establishing cost and performance goals, the
Secretary shall consult with representatives of--
(1) the United States coal industry;
(2) State coal development agencies;
(3) the electric utility industry;
(4) railroads and other transportation industries;
(5) manufacturers of equipment using advanced coal technologies;
(6) organizations representing workers; and
(7) organizations formed to--
(A) further the goals of environmental protection;
(B) promote the use of coal; or
(C) promote the development and use of advanced coal
technologies.
(c) TIMING- The Secretary shall--
(1) not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
issue a set of draft cost and performance goals for public comment;
and
(2) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and
after taking into consideration any public comments received, submit to
Congress the final cost and performance goals.
SEC. 203. STUDY.
(a) IN GENERAL- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of the Interior and the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall conduct a study
to--
(1) identify technologies capable of achieving cost and performance
goals, either individually or in various combinations;
(2) assess costs that would be incurred by, and the period of time that
would be required for, the development and demonstration of technologies
that contribute, either individually or in various combinations, to the
achievement of cost and performance goals; and
(3) develop recommendations for technology development programs, which
the Department of Energy could carry out in cooperation with industry, to
develop and demonstrate such technologies.
(b) COOPERATION- In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall give
appropriate consideration to the expert advice of representatives from the
entities described in section 111(b).
SEC. 204. TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall carry out a program of research on and
development, demonstration, and commercial application of coal-based
technologies under--
(2) the Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974
(42 U.S.C. 5901 et seq.);
(3) the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.);
and
(4) title XVI of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 13381 et
seq.).
(b) CONDITIONS- The research, development, demonstration, and commercial
application programs identified in section 203(a) shall be designed to achieve
the cost and performance goals, either individually or in various
combinations.
(c) REPORT- Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall submit to the President and Congress a report
containing--
(1) a description of the programs that, as of the date of the report,
are in effect or are to be carried out by the Department of Energy to
support technologies that are designed to achieve the cost and performance
goals; and
(2) recommendations for additional authorities required to achieve the
cost and performance goals.
SEC. 205. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL- There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the
provisions of sections 202, 203, and 204, $100,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2002 through 2012, to remain available until expended.
(b) CONDITIONS OF AUTHORIZATION- The authorization of appropriations under
subsection (a)--
(1) shall be in addition to authorizations of appropriations in effect
on the date of enactment of this Act; and
(2) shall not be a cap on Department of Energy fossil energy research
and development and clean coal technology appropriations.
SEC. 206. POWER PLANT IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall carry out a power plant improvement
initiative program that will demonstrate commercial applications of advanced
coal-based technologies applicable to new or existing power plants, including
co-production plants, that, either individually or in combination, advance the
efficiency, environmental performance and cost competitiveness well beyond
that which is in operation or has been demonstrated to date.
(b) PLAN- Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this
title, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a plan to carry out subsection
(a) that includes a description of--
(1) the program elements and management structure to be used;
(2) the technical milestones to be achieved with respect to each of the
advanced coal-based technologies included in the plan; and
(3) the demonstration activities that will benefit new or existing
coal-based electric generation units having at least a 50 megawatt nameplate
rating including improvements to allow the units to achieve either--
(A) an overall design efficiency improvement of not less than 3
percentage points as compared with the efficiency of the unit as operated
on the date of the enactment of this title and before any retrofit,
repowering, replacement or installation;
(B) a significant improvement in the environmental performance related
to the control of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide or mercury in a manner
that is well below the cost of technologies that are in operation or have
been demonstrated to date; or
(C) a means of recycling or reusing a significant proportion of coal
combustion wastes produced by coal-based generating units excluding
practices that are commercially available at the date of
enactment.
SEC. 207. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
(a) IN GENERAL- Not later than 180 days after the date on which the
Secretary submits to Congress the plan under section 206(b), the Secretary
shall solicit proposals for projects which
serve or benefit new or existing facilities and, either individually or in
combination, are designed to achieve the levels of performance set forth in
section 206(b)(3).
(b) PROJECT CRITERIA- A solicitation under subsection (a) may include
solicitation of a proposal for a project to demonstrate--
(1) the reduction of emissions of one or more pollutants; or
(2) the production of coal combustion byproducts that are capable of
obtaining economic values significantly greater than byproducts produced on
the date of enactment of this title.
(c) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE- The Secretary shall provide financial assistance
to projects that--
(1) demonstrate overall cost reductions in the utilization of coal to
generate useful forms of energy;
(2) improve the competitiveness of coal among various forms of energy to
maintain a diversity of fuel choices in the United States to meet
electricity generation requirements; and
(3) achieve in a cost-effective manner, one or more of the criteria set
out in the solicitation; and
(4) demonstrate technologies that are applicable to 25 percent of the
electricity generating facilities that use coal as the primary feedstock on
the date of enactment of this title.
(d) FEDERAL SHARE- The Federal share of the cost of any project funded
under this section shall not exceed 50 percent.
(e) EXEMPTION FROM NEW SOURCE REVIEW PROVISIONS- A project funded under
this section shall be exempt from the new source review provisions of the
Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.).
SEC. 208. FUNDING.
To carry out sections 206 and 207, there are authorized to be appropriated
such sums as may be necessary.
SEC. 209. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR ADVANCED SAFE AND EFFICIENT COAL
MINING TECHNOLOGIES.
(a) The Secretary of Energy shall establish a cooperative research
partnership involving appropriate Federal agencies, coal producers, including
associations, equipment manufacturers, universities with mining engineering
departments, and other relevant entities to develop mining research priorities
identified by the Mining Industry of the Future Program and in the National
Academy of Sciences report on Mining Technologies, establish a process for
joint industry-government research, and expand mining research capabilities at
universities.
(b) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the requirements
of this section, $10,000,000 in fiscal year 2002, $12,000,000 in fiscal year
2003, and $15,000,000 in fiscal year 2004. At least 20 percent of any funds
appropriated shall be dedicated to research carried out at universities.
SEC. 210. RAILROAD EFFICIENCY.
(a) The Secretary shall, in conjunction with the Secretaries of
Transportation and Defense, and the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, establish a public-private research partnership involving
the Federal Government, railroad carriers, locomotive manufacturers, and the
Association of American Railroads. The goal of the initiative shall include
developing and demonstrating locomotive technologies that increase fuel
economy, reduce emissions, improve safety, and lower costs.
(b) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the requirements
of this section $50,000,000 in fiscal year 2002, $60,000,000 in fiscal year
2003, and $70,000,000 in fiscal year 2004.
TITLE III--OIL AND GAS
Subtitle A--Deepwater and Frontier Royalty Relief
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.
This part may be referred to as the `Outer Continental Shelf Deep Water
and Frontier Royalty Relief Act'.
SEC. 302. AMENDMENTS TO THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF LANDS ACT.
(a) Section 8(a)(3) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C.
1337(a)(3)), is amended--
(1) by designating the provisions of paragraph (3) as subparagraph (A)
of such paragraph (3); and
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (A), as so designated, the
following:
`(B) In the Western and Central Planning Areas of the Gulf of Mexico
and the portion of the Eastern Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico
encompassing whole lease blocks lying west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes West
longitude, the Secretary may, in order to--
`(i) promote development or increased production on producing or
non-producing leases; or
`(ii) encourage production of marginal resources on producing or
non-producing leases;
through primary, secondary, or tertiary recovery means, reduce or
eliminate any royalty or net profit share set forth in the lease(s). With
the lessee's consent, the Secretary may make other modifications to the
royalty or net profit share terms of the lease in order to achieve these
purposes.
`(C)(i) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Act other than this
subparagraph, with respect to any lease or unit in existence on the date
of enactment of the Outer Continental Shelf Deep Water Royalty Relief Act
meeting the requirements of this subparagraph, no royalty payments shall
be due on new production, as defined in clause (iv) of this subparagraph,
from any lease or unit located in water depths of 200 meters or greater in
the Western and Central Planning Areas of the Gulf of Mexico, including
that portion of the Eastern Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico
encompassing whole lease blocks lying west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes West
longitude, until such volume of production as determined pursuant to
clause (ii) has been produced by the lessee.
`(ii) Upon submission of a complete application by the lessee, the
Secretary shall determine within 180 days of such application whether new
production from such lease or unit would be economic in the absence of the
relief from the requirement to pay royalties provided for by clause (i) of
this subparagraph. In making such determination, the Secretary shall
consider the increased technological and financial risk of deep water
development and all costs associated with exploring, developing, and
producing from the lease. The lessee shall provide information required
for a complete application to the
Secretary prior to such determination. The Secretary shall clearly define the
information required for a complete application under this section. Such
application may be made on the basis of an individual lease or unit. If the
Secretary determines that such new production would be economic in the absence
of the relief from the requirement to pay royalties provided for by clause (i)
of this subparagraph, the provisions of clause (i) shall not apply to such
production. If the Secretary determines that such new production would not be
economic in the absence of the relief from the requirement to pay royalties
provided for by clause (i), the Secretary must determine the volume of
production from the lease or unit on which no royalties would be due in order to
make such new production economically viable; except that for new production as
defined in clause (iv)(I), in no case will that volume be less than 17.5 million
barrels of oil equivalent in water depths of 200 to 400 meters, 52.5 million
barrels of oil equivalent in 400-800 meters of water, and 87.5 million barrels
of oil equivalent in water depths greater than 800 meters. Redetermination of
the applicability of clause (i) shall be undertaken by the Secretary when
requested by the lessee prior to the commencement of the new production and upon
significant change in the factors upon which the original determination was
made. The Secretary shall make such redetermination within 120 days of
submission of a complete application. The Secretary may extend the time period
for making any determination or redetermination under this clause for 30 days,
or longer if agreed to by the applicant, if circumstances so warrant. The lessee
shall be notified in writing of any determination or redetermination and the
reasons for the assumptions used for such determination. Any determination or
redetermination under this clause shall be a final agency action. The
Secretary's determination or redetermination shall be subject to judicial review
under section 10(a) of the Administrative Procedures Act (5 U.S.C. 702), only
for actions filed within 30 days of the Secretary's determination or
redetermination.
`(iii) In the event that the Secretary fails to make the determination
or redetermination called for in clause (ii) upon application by the
lessee within the time period, together with any extension thereof,
provided for by clause (ii), no royalty payments shall be due on new
production as follows:
`(I) for new production, as defined in clause (iv)(I) of this
subparagraph, no royalty shall be due on such production according to
the schedule of minimum volumes specified in clause (ii) of this
subparagraph.
`(II) For new production, as defined in clause (iv)(II) of this
subparagraph, no royalty shall be due on such production for one year
following the start of such production.
`(iv) For purposes of this subparagraph, the term `new production'
is--
`(I) any production from a lease from which no royalties are due on
production, other than test production, prior to the date of enactment
of the Outer Continental Shelf Deep Water Royalty Relief Act;
or
`(II) any production resulting from lease development activities
pursuant to a Development Operations Coordination Document, or
supplement thereto that would expand production significantly beyond the
level anticipated in the Development Operations Coordination Document,
approved by the Secretary after the date of enactment of the Outer
Continental Shelf Deep Water Royalty Relief Act.
`(v) During the production of volumes determined pursuant to clause
(ii) or (iii) of this subparagraph, in any year during which the
arithmetic average of the closing prices on the New York Mercantile
Exchange for light sweet crude oil exceeds $28.00 per barrel, any
production of oil will be subject to royalties at the lease stipulated
royalty rate. Any production subject to this clause shall be counted
toward the production volume determined pursuant to clause (ii) or (iii).
Estimated royalty payments will be made if such average of the closing
prices for the previous year exceeds $28.00. After the end of the calendar
year, when the new average price can be calculated, lessees will pay any
royalties due, with interest but without penalty, or can apply for a
refund, with interest, of any overpayment.
`(vi) During the production of volumes determined pursuant to clause
(ii) or (iii) of this subparagraph, in any year during which the
arithmetic average of the closing prices on the New York Mercantile
Exchange for natural gas exceeds $3.50 per million British thermal units,
any production of natural gas will be subject to royalties at the lease
stipulated royalty rate. Any production subject to this clause shall be
counted toward the production volume determined pursuant to clause (ii) or
(iii). Estimated royalty payments will be made if such average of the
closing prices for the previous year exceeds $3.50. After the end of the
calendar year, when the new average price can be calculated, lessees will
pay any royalties due, with interest but without penalty, or can apply for
a refund, with interest, of any overpayment.
`(vii) The prices referred to in clauses (v) and (vi) of this
subparagraph shall be changed during any calendar year after 1994 by the
percentage, if any, by which the implicit price deflator for the gross
domestic product changed during the preceding calendar year.'.
(b) Section 8(a)(1)(D) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C.
1337(a)(1)(D)) is amended by striking the word `area;' and inserting in lieu
thereof the word `area,' and the following new text:
`except in the Arctic areas of Alaska, where the Secretary is
authorized to set the net profit share at 16 and 2/3 percent. For purposes
of this section, `Arctic areas' means the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea
Planning Areas of Alaska.'
(c) Section 8(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C.
1337(a)) is amended by adding a new paragraph (10) at the end thereof:
`(10) After an oil and gas lease is granted pursuant to any of the
bidding systems of paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Secretary shall
reduce any future royalty or rental obligation of the lessee on any lease
issued by the Secretary (and proposed by the lessee for such reduction) by
an amount equal to--
`(A) 10 percent of the qualified costs of exploratory wells drilled or
geophysical work performed on any lease issued by the Secretary, whichever
is greater, pursuant to this Act in Arctic areas of Alaska; and
`(B) an additional 10 percent of the qualified costs of any such
exploratory wells which are located ten or more miles from another well
drilled for oil and gas.
For purposes of this Act,
`qualified costs' shall mean the costs allocated to the exploratory well or
geophysical work in support of an exploration program pursuant to 26 U.S.C. as
amended; `exploratory well' shall mean either an exploratory well as defined by
the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in 17 C.F.R.
210.4-10(a)(10), as amended, or a well three or more miles from any oil or gas
well or a pipeline which transports oil or gas to a market or terminal;
`geophysical work' shall mean all geophysical data gathering methods used in
hydrocarbon exploration and includes seismic, gravity, magnetic, and
electromagnetic measurements; and all distances shall be measured in horizontal
distance. When a measurement beginning or ending point is a well, the
measurement point shall be the bottom hole location of that well.'
SEC. 303. NEW LEASES.
Section 8(a)(1) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, as amended (43
U.S.C. 1337(a)(1)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraph (H) as subparagraph (I);
(2) by striking `or' at the end of subparagraph (G); and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (G) the following new
subparagraph:
`(H) cash bonus bid with royalty at no less than 12 and 1/2 per centum
fixed by the Secretary in amount or value of production saved, removed, or
sold, and with suspension of royalties for a period, volume, or value of
production determined by the Secretary, which suspensions may vary based
on the price of production from the lease; or'.
SEC. 304. LEASE SALES.
For all tracts located in water depths of 200 meters or greater in the
Western and Central Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico, including that
portion of the Eastern Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico encompassing whole
lease blocks lying west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes West longitude, any lease
sale within five years of the date of enactment of this part, shall use the
bidding system authorized in section 8(a)(1)(H) of the Outer Continental Shelf
Lands Act, as amended by this part, except that the suspension of royalties
shall be set at a volume of not less than the following--
(1) 17.5 million barrels of oil equivalent for leases in water depths of
200 to 400 meters;
(2) 52.5 million barrels of oil equivalent for leases in 400 to 800
meters of water; and
(3) 87.5 million barrels of oil equivalent for leases in water depths
greater than 800 meters.
SEC. 305. REGULATIONS.
The Secretary shall promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary
to implement the provisions of this part within 180 days after the enactment
of this Act.
SEC. 306. SAVINGS CLAUSE.
Nothing in this part shall be construed to affect any offshore
pre-leasing, leasing, or development moratorium, including any moratorium
applicable to the Eastern Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico located off the
Gulf Coast of Florida.
Subtitle B--Oil and Gas Royalties in Kind
SEC. 310. PROGRAM ON OIL AND GAS ROYALTIES IN KIND.
(a) APPLICABILITY OF SECTION- Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the provisions of this section shall apply to all royalty in kind accepted by
the Secretary of the Interior under any Federal oil or gas lease or permit
under section 36 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 192) or section 27 of
the Outer Continental Shelf Lands (43 U.S.C. 1353) or any other mineral
leasing law from the date of enactment of this Act through September 30,
2006.
(b) TERMS AND CONDITIONS- All royalty accruing to the United States under
any Federal oil or gas lease or permit under the Mineral Leasing Act (30
U.S.C. 181 et seq.) or the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331
et seq.) or any other mineral leasing law on demand of the Secretary of the
Interior shall be paid in oil or gas. If the Secretary of the Interior elects
to accept the royalty in kind:
(1) Delivery by, or on behalf of, the lessee of the royalty amount and
quality due at the lease satisfies the lessee's royalty obligation for the
amount delivered, except that transportation and processing reimbursements
paid to, or deductions claimed by, the lessee shall be subject to review and
audit.
(2) Royalty production shall be placed in marketable condition at no
cost to the United States.
(3) The Secretary of the Interior may--
(A) sell or otherwise dispose of any royalty oil or gas taken in kind
for not less than fair market value; and
(B) transport or process any oil or gas royalty taken in
kind.
(4) The Secretary of the Interior may, notwithstanding section 3302 of
title 31, United States Code, retain and use a portion of the revenues from
the sale of oil and gas royalties taken in kind that otherwise would be
deposited to miscellaneous receipts, without regard to fiscal year
limitation, or may use royalty production, to pay the cost of--
(A) transporting the oil or gas,
(B) processing the gas, or
(C) disposing of the oil or gas.
(5) The Secretary may not use revenues from the sale of oil and gas
royalties taken in kind to pay for personnel, travel or other administrative
costs of the Federal Government.
(c) REIMBURSEMENT OF COST- If the lessee, pursuant to an agreement with
the United States or as provided in the lease, processes the gas or delivers
the royalty oil or gas at a point not on or adjacent to the lease area, the
Secretary of the Interior shall reimburse the lessee for the reasonable costs
of transportation (not including gathering) from the lease to the point of
delivery or for processing costs, or, at the discretion of the Secretary of
the Interior, allow the lessee to deduct such transportation or processing
costs in reporting and paying royalties in value for other Federal oil and gas
leases.
(d) BENEFIT TO THE UNITED STATES- The Secretary shall administer any
program taking royalty oil or gas in kind only if the Secretary determines
that the program is providing benefits to the United States greater than or
equal to those which would be realized under a comparable royalty in value
program.
(e) REPORT TO CONGRESS- For every fiscal year, beginning in 2002 through
2006, in which the United States takes oil or gas royalties within any States
or from the Outer Continental Shelf in kind, excluding royalties taken in kind
and sold to refineries under subsection (h) of this section, the Secretary of
the Interior shall provide a report to Congress describing--
(1) the methodology or methodologies used by the Secretary to determine
compliance with subsection (d), including performance standards for
comparing to amounts likely to have been received had royalties been taken
in value;
(2) an explanation of the evaluation that led the Secretary to take
royalties in kind from a lease or group of leases, including the expected
revenue effect of taking royalties in kind;
(3) actual amounts realized from taking royalties in kind, and costs and
savings associated with taking royalties in kind; and
(4) an evaluation of other relevant public benefits or detriments
associated with taking royalties in kind.
(f) DEDUCTION OF EXPENSES- (1) Prior to making disbursements under section
35 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 191) or section 8(g) of the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act (30 U.S.C. 1337(g)) or other applicable provision
of law, of revenues derived from the sale of royalty production taken in kind
from a lease, the Secretary of the Interior shall deduct amounts paid or
deducted under paragraphs (b)(3) and (c), and shall deposit such amounts to
miscellaneous receipts.
(2) If the Secretary of the Interior allows the lessee to deduct
transportation or processing costs under paragraph (c), the Secretary of the
Interior may not reduce any payments to recipients of revenues derived from
any other Federal oil and gas lease as a consequence of that deduction.
(g) CONSULTATION WITH STATES- The Secretary of the Interior will consult
with a State prior to conducting a royalty in kind program within the State
and may delegate management of any portion of the Federal royalty in kind
program to such State except as otherwise prohibited by Federal law. The
Secretary shall also consult annually with any State from which Federal
royalty oil or gas is being taken in kind to ensure to the maximum extent
practicable that the royalty in kind program provides revenues to the State
greater than or equal to those which would be realized under a comparable
royalty in value program.
(h) PROVISIONS FOR SMALL REFINERIES- (1) If the Secretary of the Interior
determines that sufficient supplies of crude oil are not available in the open
market to refineries not having their own source of supply for crude oil, the
Secretary may grant preference to such refineries in the sale of any royalty
oil accruing or reserved to the United States under Federal oil and gas leases
issued under any mineral leasing law, for processing or use in such refineries
at private sale at not less than fair market value.
(2) In selling oil under this subsection, the Secretary of the Interior
may at his discretion prorate such oil among such refineries in the area in
which the oil is produced.
(i) DISPOSITION TO FEDERAL AGENCIES- (1) Any royalty oil or gas taken in
kind from onshore oil and gas leases may be sold at not less than the fair
market value to any department or agency of the United States.
(2) Any royalty oil or gas taken in kind from Federal oil and gas leases
on the Outer Continental Shelf may be disposed of under 43 U.S.C.
1353(a)(3).
Subtitle C--Use of Royalty in Kind Oil To Fill the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve
SEC. 320. USE OF ROYALTY IN KIND OIL TO FILL THE STRATEGIC PETROLEUM
RESERVE.
The Secretary of the Interior shall enter into an agreement with the
Secretary of Energy to transfer title to the Federal share of crude oil
production from Federal lands for use at the discretion of the Secretary of
Energy in filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve during periods of crude oil
market stability. The Secretary of Energy may also use the Federal share of
crude oil produced from Federal lands for other disposal within the Federal
Government, as he may determine, to carry out the energy policy of the United
States.
Subtitle D--Improvements to Federal Oil and Gas Lease
Management
SEC. 330. SHORT TITLE.
This Part may be cited as the `Federal Oil and Gas Lease Management
Improvement Act of 2000'.
SEC. 331. DEFINITIONS.
(1) APPLICATION FOR A PERMIT TO DRILL- The term `application for a
permit to drill' means a drilling plan including design, mechanical, and
engineering aspects for drilling a well.
(A) IN GENERAL- The term `Federal land' means all land and interests
in land owned by the United States that are subject to the mineral leasing
laws, including mineral resources or mineral estates reserved to the
United States in the conveyance of a surface or non-mineral
estate.
(B) EXCLUSION- The term `Federal land' does not include--
(i) Indian land (as defined in section 3 of the Federal Oil and Gas
Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1702)); or
(ii) submerged land on the Outer Continental Shelf (as defined in
section 2 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C.
1331)).
(3) OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION AUTHORITY- The term `oil and gas
conservation authority' means the agency or agencies in each State
responsible for regulating for conservation purposes operations to explore
for and produce oil and natural gas.
(4) PROJECT- The term `project' means an activity by a lessee, an
operator, or an operating rights owner to explore for, develop, produce, or
transport oil or gas resources.
(5) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means--
(A) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to land under the
administrative jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior;
and
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to land under the
administrative jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture.
(6) SURFACE USE PLAN OF OPERATIONS- The term `surface use plan of
operations' means a plan for surface use, disturbance, and
reclamation.
SEC. 332. NO PROPERTY RIGHT.
Nothing in this Part gives a State a property right or interest in any
Federal lease or land.
SEC 333. TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY.
(a) NOTIFICATION- Not before the date that is 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, a State may notify the Secretary of its intent to
accept authority for regulation of operations, as described in subparagraphs
(A) through (K) of subsection (b)(2), under oil and gas leases on Federal land
within the State.
(b) TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY--
(1) IN GENERAL- Effective 180 days after the Secretary receives the
State's notice, authority for the regulation of oil and gas leasing
operations is transferred from the Secretary to the State.
(2) AUTHORITY INCLUDED- The authority transferred under paragraph (1)
includes--
(A) processing and approving applications for permits to drill,
subject to surface use agreements and other terms and conditions
determined by the Secretary;
(B) production operations;
(G) conversion of a producing well to a water well;
(H) well abandonment procedures;
(J) enforcement activities; and
(c) RETAINED AUTHORITY- The Secretary shall--
(1) retain authority over the issuance of leases and the approval of
surface use plans of operations and project-level environmental analyses;
and
(2) spend appropriated funds to ensure that timely decisions are made
respecting oil and gas leasing, taking into consideration multiple uses of
Federal land, socioeconomic and environmental impacts, and the results of
consultations with State and local government officials.
SEC. 334. ACTIVITY FOLLOWING TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY.
(a) FEDERAL AGENCIES- Following the transfer of authority, no Federal
agency shall exercise the authority formerly held by the Secretary as to oil
and gas lease operations and related operations on Federal land.
(1) IN GENERAL- Following the transfer of authority, each State shall
enforce its own oil and gas conservation laws and requirements pertaining to
transferred oil and gas lease operations and related operations with due
regard to the national interest in the expedited, environmentally sound
development of oil and gas resources in a manner consistent with oil and gas
conservation principles.
(2) APPEALS- Following a transfer of authority under section 333, an
appeal of any decision made by a State oil and gas conservation authority
shall be made in accordance with State administrative procedures.
(c) PENDING ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS- The Secretary may continue to enforce any
pending actions respecting acts committed before the date on which authority
is transferred to a State under section 333 until those proceedings are
concluded.
(d) PENDING APPLICATIONS-
(1) TRANSFER TO STATE- All applications respecting oil and gas lease
operations and related operations on Federal land pending before the
Secretary on the date on which authority is transferred under section 333
shall be immediately transferred to the oil and gas conservation authority
of the State in which the lease is located.
(2) ACTION BY THE STATE- The oil and gas conservation authority shall
act on the application in accordance with State laws (including regulations)
and requirements.
SEC. 335. COMPENSATION FOR COSTS.
(a) IN GENERAL- Subject to the availability of appropriations, the
Secretary shall compensate any State for costs incurred to carry out the
authorities transferred under section 333.
(b) PAYMENT SCHEDULE- Payments shall be made not less frequently than
every quarter.
(c) COST BREAKDOWN REPORT- Each State seeking compensation shall report to
the Secretary a cost breakdown for the authorities transferred.
SEC. 336. APPLICATIONS.
(a) LIMITATION ON COST RECOVERY- Notwithstanding sections 304 and 504 of
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1734, 1764) and
section 9701 of Title 31, United States Code, the Secretary shall not recover
the Secretary's costs with respect to applications and other documents
relating to oil and gas leases.
(b) COMPLETION OF PLANNING DOCUMENTS AND ANALYSES-
(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall complete any resource management
planning documents and analyses not later than 90 days after receiving any
offer, application, or request for which a planning document or analysis is
required to be prepared.
(2) PREPARATION BY APPLICANT OR LESSEE- If the Secretary is unable to
complete the document or analysis within the time prescribed by paragraph
(1), the Secretary shall notify the applicant or lessee of the opportunity
to prepare the required document or analysis for the agency's review and use
in decisionmaking.
(c) REIMBURSEMENT FOR COSTS OF NEPA ANALYSES, DOCUMENTATION, AND STUDIES-
If--
(1) adequate funding to enable the Secretary to timely prepare a
project-level analysis required under the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) with respect to an oil or gas lease is not
appropriated; and
(2) the lessee, operator, or operating rights owner voluntarily pays for
the cost of the required analysis, documentation, or related study;
the Secretary shall reimburse the lessee, operator, or operating rights
owner for its costs through royalty credits attributable to the lease, unit
agreement, or project area.
SEC. 337. TIMELY ISSUANCE OF DECISIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall ensure the timely issuance of Federal
agency decisions respecting oil and gas leasing and operations on Federal
land.
(1) DEADLINE- The Secretary shall accept or reject an offer to lease not
later than 90 days after the filing of the offer.
(2) FAILURE TO MEET DEADLINE- If an offer is not acted upon within that
time, the offer shall be deemed to have been accepted.
(c) APPLICATION FOR PERMIT TO DRILL-
(1) DEADLINE- The Secretary and a State that has accepted a transfer of
authority under section 610 shall approve or disapprove an application for
permit to drill not later than 30 days after receiving a complete
application.
(2) FAILURE TO MEET DEADLINE- If the application is not acted on within
the time prescribed by paragraph (1), the application shall be deemed to
have been approved.
(d) SURFACE USE PLAN OF OPERATIONS- The Secretary shall approve or
disapprove a surface use plan of operations not later than 30 days after
receipt of a complete plan.
(e) ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS-
(1) DEADLINE- From the time that a Federal oil and gas lessee or
operator files a notice of administrative appeals of a decision or order of
an officer or employee of the Department of the Interior or the Forest
Service respecting a Federal oil and gas Federal lease, the Secretary shall
have 2 years in which to issue a final decision in the appeal.
(2) FAILURE TO MEET DEADLINE- If no final decision has been issued
within the time prescribed by paragraph (1), the appeal shall be deemed to
have been granted.
SEC. 338. ELIMINATION OF UNWARRANTED DENIALS AND STAYS.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall ensure that unwarranted denials and
stays of lease issuance and unwarranted restrictions on lease operations are
eliminated from the administration of oil and gas leasing on Federal land.
(b) LAND DESIGNATED FOR MULTIPLE USE-
(1) IN GENERAL- Land designated as available for multiple use under
Bureau of Land Management resource management plans and Forest Service
leasing analyses shall be available for oil and gas leasing without lease
stipulations more stringent than restrictions on surface use and operations
imposed under the laws (including regulations) of the State oil and gas
conservation authority unless the Secretary includes in the decision
approving the management plan or leasing analysis a written explanation why
more stringent stipulations are warranted.
(2) APPEAL- Any decision to require a more stringent stipulation shall
be administratively appealable and, following a final agency decision, shall
be subject to judicial review.
(c) REJECTION OF OFFER TO LEASE-
(1) IN GENERAL- If the Secretary rejects an offer to lease on the ground
that the land is unavailable for leasing, the Secretary shall provide a
written, detailed explanation of the reasons the land is unavailable for
leasing.
(2) PREVIOUS RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DECISION- If the determination of
unavailability is based on a previous resource management decision, the
explanation shall include a careful assessment of whether the reasons
underlying the previous decision are still persuasive.
(3) SEGREGATION OF AVAILABLE LAND FROM UNAVAILABLE LAND- The Secretary
may not reject an offer to lease land available for leasing on the ground
that the offer includes land unavailable for leasing, and the Secretary
shall segregate available land from unavailable land, on the offeror's
request following notice by the Secretary, before acting on the offer to
lease.
(d) DISAPPROVAL OR REQUIRED MODIFICATION OF SURFACE USE PLANS OF
OPERATIONS AND APPLICATION FOR PERMIT TO DRILL- The Secretary shall provide a
written, detailed explanation of the reasons for disapproving or requiring
modifications of any surface use plan of operations or application for permit
to drill.
(e) EFFECTIVENESS OF DECISION- A decision of the Secretary respecting an
oil and gas lease shall be effective pending administrative appeal to the
appropriate office within the Department of the Interior or the Department of
Agriculture unless that office grants a stay in response to a petition
satisfying the criteria for a stay established by section 4.21(b) of title 43,
Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).
SEC. 339. REPORTS.
(a) IN GENERAL- Not later than March 31, 2002, the Secretaries shall
jointly submit to the Congress a report explaining the most efficient means of
eliminating overlapping jurisdiction, duplication of effort, and inconsistent
policymaking and policy implementation as between the Bureau of Land
Management and the Forest Service.
(b) RECOMMENDATIONS- The report shall include recommendations on statutory
changes needed to implement the report's conclusions.
Subtitle E--Royalty Reinvestment in America
SEC. 351. ROYALTY INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL- To encourage exploration and development expenditures on
Federal land and the Outer Continental Shelf for the development of oil and
gas resources when the cash price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil, as
posted on the Dow Jones Commodities Index chart is less than $18 per barrel
for 90 consecutive pricing days or when natural gas prices as delivered at
Henry Hub, Louisiana, are less than $2.30 per million British thermal units
for 90 consecutive days, the Secretary shall allow a credit against the
payment of royalties on Federal oil production and gas production,
respectively, in an amount equal to 20 percent of the capital expenditures
made on exploration and development activities on Federal oil and gas
leases.
(b) NO CREDITING AGAINST ONSHORE FEDERAL ROYALTY OBLIGATIONS- In no case
shall such capital expenditures made on Outer Continental Shelf leases be
credited against onshore Federal royalty obligations.
TITLE IV--NUCLEAR
Subtitle A--Price-Anderson Amendments
SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE.
(b) This Subtitle may be cited as the `Price-Anderson Amendments Act of
2001'.
SEC. 402. INDEMNIFICATION AUTHORITY.
(a) INDEMNIFICATION OF NRC LICENSEES- Section 170c. of the Atomic Energy
Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2210(c)) is amended by striking `August 1, 2002' each
place it appears and inserting `August 1, 2012'.
(b) INDEMNIFICATION OF DOE CONTRACTORS- Section 170 d.(1)(A) of the Atomic
Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2210(d)(1)(A)) is amended by striking `, until
August 1, 2002,'.
(c) INDEMNIFICATION OF NONPROFIT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS- Section 170 k.
of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2210(k)) is amended by striking
`August 1, 2002' each place it appears and inserting `August 1, 2012'.
SEC. 403. MAXIMUM ASSESSMENT.
Section 170 b.(1) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2210(b)(1))
is amended by striking `$10,000,000' and inserting `$20,000,000'.
SEC. 404. DOE LIABILITY LIMIT.
(a) AGGREGATE LIABILITY LIMIT- Section 170 d. of the Atomic Energy Act of
1954 (42 U.S.C. 2210(d)) is amended by striking subsection (2) and inserting
the following:
`(2) In agreements of indemnification entered into under paragraph (1),
the Secretary--
`(A) may require the contractor to provide and maintain financial
protection of such a type and in such amounts as the Secretary shall
determine to be appropriate to cover public liability arising out of or in
connection with the contractual activity, and
`(B) shall indemnify the persons indemnified against such claims above
the amount of the financial protection required, in the amount of
$10,000,000,000 (subject to adjustment for inflation under subsection t.),
in the aggregate, for all persons indemnified in connection with such
contract and for each nuclear incident, including such legal costs of the
contractor as are approved by the Secretary.'.
(b) CONTRACT AMENDMENTS- Section 170 d. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954
(42 U.S.C. 2210(d)) is further amended by striking paragraph (3) and inserting
the following:
`(3) All agreements of indemnification under which the Department of
Energy (or its predecessor agencies) may be required to indemnify any
person, shall be deemed to be amended, on the date of the enactment of the
Price-Anderson Amendments Act of 2001, to reflect the amount of indemnity
for public liability and any applicable financial protection required of the
contractor under this subsection on such date.'.
SEC. 405. INCIDENTS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.
(a) AMOUNT OF INDEMNIFICATION- Section 170 d.(5) of the Atomic Energy Act
of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2210(d)(5)) is amended by striking `$100,000,000' and
inserting `$500,000,000'.
(b) LIABILITY LIMIT- Section 170e.(4) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42
U.S.C. 2210(e)(4)) is amended by striking `$100,000,000' and inserting
`$500,000,000'.
SEC. 406. REPORTS.
Section 170 p. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2210(p)) is
amended by striking `August 1, 1998' and inserting `August 1, 2008'.
SEC. 407. INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.
Section 170 t. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2210(t)) is
amended--
(1) by renumbering paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
(2) by adding after paragraph (1) the following new paragraph:
`(2) The Secretary shall adjust the amount of indemnification provided
under an agreement of indemnification under subsection d. not less than once
during each 5-year period following the date of the enactment of the
Price-Anderson Amendments Act of 2001, in accordance with the aggregate
percentage change in the Consumer Price Index since--
`(A) such date of enactment, in the case of the first adjustment under
this subsection; or
`(B) the previous adjustment under this subsection.'.
SEC. 408. CIVIL PENALTIES.
(a) REPEAL OF AUTOMATIC REMISSION- Section 234A b.(2) of the Atomic Energy
of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2282a(b)(2)) is amended by striking the last sentence.
(b) LIMITATION FOR NONPROFIT INSTITUTIONS- Section 234A of the Atomic
Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2282a) is further amended by striking subsection
d. and inserting the following:
`d. Notwithstanding subsection a., no contractor, subcontractor, or
supplier considered to be nonprofit under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954
shall be subject to a civil penalty under this section in excess of the amount
of any performance fee paid by the Secretary to such contractor,
subcontractor, or supplier under the contract under which the violation or
violations; occur.'.
SEC. 409. EFFECTIVE DATE.
(a) IN GENERAL- The amendments made by this Subtitle shall become
effective on the date of the enactment of this Subtitle.
(b) INDEMNIFICATION PROVISIONS- The amendments made by sections 703, 704,
and 705 shall not apply to any nuclear incident occurring before the date of
the enactment of this Subtitle.
(c) CIVIL PENALTY PROVISIONS- The amendments made by section 708 to
section 234A of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2282a(b)(2)) shall
not apply to any violation occurring under a contract entered into before the
date of the enactment of this Subtitle.
Subtitle B--Funding From the Department of Energy
SEC. 410. NUCLEAR ENERGY RESEARCH INITIATIVE.
There are authorized to be appropriated $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2002
and such sums as are necessary for each fiscal year thereafter for a Nuclear
Energy Research Initiative to be managed by the Director of the Office of
Nuclear Energy, for grants to be competitively awarded and subject to peer
review for research relating to nuclear energy. The Secretary of Energy shall
submit to the Committee on Science and the Committee on Appropriations in the
House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, an annual report on the
activities of the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative.
SEC. 411. NUCLEAR ENERGY PLANT OPTIMIZATION PROGRAM.
There are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2002
and such sums as are necessary for each fiscal year thereafter for a Nuclear
Energy Plant Optimization Program to be managed by the Director of the Office
of Nuclear Energy, for a joint program with industry cost-shared by at least
50 percent and subject to annual review by the Secretary of Energy's Nuclear
Energy Research
Advisory Council. The Secretary of Energy shall submit to the Committee on
Science and the Committee on Appropriations in the House of Representatives, and
to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate, an annual report on the activities of the Nuclear
Energy Plant Optimization Program.
SEC. 412. NUCLEAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
There are authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2002
and such sums as are necessary for each fiscal year thereafter for a Nuclear
Energy Technology Development Program to be managed by the Director of the
Office of Nuclear Energy, for a roadmap to design and develop a new nuclear
energy facility in the United States and subject to annual review by the
Secretary of Energy's Nuclear Energy Research Advisory Council. The Secretary
of Energy shall submit to the Committee on Science and the Committee on
Appropriations in the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, an
annual report on the activities of the Nuclear Technology Development
Program.
Subtitle C--Grants for Incentive Payments for Capital Improvements To
Increase Efficiency
SEC. 420. NUCLEAR ENERGY PRODUCTION INCENTIVES.
(a) INCENTIVE PAYMENTS- For electric energy generated and sold by an
existing nuclear energy facility during the incentive period, the Secretary of
Energy shall make, subject to the availability of appropriations, incentive
payments to the owner or operator of such facility. The amount of such payment
made to any such owner or operator shall be as determined under subsection (e)
of this section. Payments under this section may only be made upon receipt by
the Secretary of an incentive payment application, which establishes that the
applicant is eligible to receive such payment and which satisfies such other
requirements as the Secretary deems necessary. Such application shall be in
such form, and shall be submitted at such time, as the Secretary shall
establish.
(b) DEFINITIONS- For purposes of this section:
(1) QUALIFIED NUCLEAR ENERGY FACILITY- The term `qualified nuclear
energy facility' means an existing reactor used to generate electricity for
sale.
(2) EXISTING REACTOR- The term `existing reactor' means any nuclear
reactor the construction of which was completed and licensed by the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission before the date of enactment of this section.
(c) INCENTIVE PERIOD- A qualified nuclear energy facility may receive
payments under this section for a period of 15 years (referred to in this
section as the `incentive period.')
(d) AMOUNT OF PAYMENT- (1) Payments made by the Secretary under this
section to the owner or operator of a nuclear energy facility shall be based
on the increased volume of kilowatt hours of electricity generated by the
qualified nuclear energy facility during the incentive period. The amount of
such payment shall be 1 mill for each kilowatt-hour produced in excess of the
total generation produced over the most recent calendar year prior to the
first fiscal year in which payment is sought. Such payment is subject to the
availability of appropriations under subsection (g), except that no facility
may receive more than $2,000,000 in one calendar year.
(2) The amount of the payment made to any person under this section as
provided in paragraph (1) shall be adjusted for inflation for each fiscal year
beginning after calendar year 2001 in the same manner as provided in the
provisions of section 29(d)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, except
that in applying such provisions, the calendar year 2001 shall be substituted
for the calendar year 1979.
(e) SUNSET- No payment may be made under this section to any nuclear
energy facility after the expiration of the period of 20 fiscal years
beginning with fiscal year 2001, and no payment may be made under this section
to any such facility after a payment has been made with respect to such
facility for a period of 15 fiscal years.
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the purposes of this section
$50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001 through 2015.
SEC. 421. NUCLEAR ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT.
(a) INCENTIVE PAYMENTS- The Secretary of Energy shall make incentive
payments to the owners or operators of qualified nuclear energy facilities to
be used to make capital improvements in the facilities that are directly
related to improving the electrical output efficiency of such facilities by at
least 1 percent.
(b) LIMITATIONS- (1) Incentive payments under this section shall not
exceed 10 percent of the costs of the capital improvement concerned and not
more than one payment may be made with respect to improvements at a single
facility.
(2) No payment in excess of $1,000,000 may be made with respect to
improvements at a single facility.
(3) Payments may be made by the Department or used by a facility to offset
the costs of NRC permitting fees for a capital improvement.
(4) Payments made by the Department to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
for permitting an improvement that can impact multiple facilities are not
subject to the limitation in (b)(2).
(c) AUTHORIZATION- There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this section not more than $20,000,000 in each fiscal year after the fiscal
year 2001.
TITLE V--ARCTIC COASTAL PLAIN DOMESTIC ENERGY SECURITY ACT OF
2001
SEC. 501. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the `Arctic Coastal Plain Domestic Energy
Security Act of 2001'.
SEC. 502. DEFINITIONS.
When used in this title the term--
(1) `1002 Area' means that area identified as `Coastal Plain' in the map
entitled `Arctic National Wildlife Refuge', dated August 1980, as referenced
in section 1002(b) of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of
1980 (16 U.S.C. 3142(b)(1)) comprising approximately 1,549,000 acres;
and
(2) `Secretary', except as otherwise provided, means the Secretary of
the Interior or the Secretary's designee.
SEC. 503. LEASING PROGRAM FOR LANDS WITHIN THE ANWR 1002 AREA.
(a) AUTHORIZATION- The Congress hereby authorizes and directs the
Secretary, acting through the Bureau of Land Management in consultation with
the Fish and Wildlife Service and other appropriate Federal offices and
agencies, to take such actions as are necessary to establish and implement a
competitive oil and gas leasing program that will result in an environmentally
sound program for the exploration, development, and production of the oil and
gas resources of the 1002 Area and to administer the provisions of this title
through regulations, lease terms, conditions, restrictions, prohibitions,
stipulations and other provisions that ensure the oil and gas exploration,
development, and production activities on the 1002 Area will result in no
significant adverse effect on fish and wildlife, their habitat, subsistence
resources, and the environment, and shall require the application of the best
commercially available technology for oil and gas exploration, development,
and production, on all new exploration, development, and production
operations, and whenever practicable, on existing operations, and in a manner
to ensure the receipt of fair market value by the public for the mineral
resources to be leased.
(b) REPEAL- The prohibitions and limitations contained in section 1003 of
the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 3143)
are hereby repealed.
(c) COMPATIBILITY- Congress hereby determines that the oil and gas leasing
program and activities authorized by this section in the 1002 Area are
compatible with the purposes for which the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was
established, and that no further findings or decisions are required to
implement this determination.
(d) SOLE AUTHORITY- This title shall be the sole authority for leasing on
the 1002 Area: Provided, That nothing in this title shall be deemed
to expand or limit State and local regulatory authority.
(e) FEDERAL LAND- The 1002 Area shall be considered `Federal land' for the
purposes of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982.
(f) SPECIAL AREAS- The Secretary, after consultation with the State of
Alaska, City of Kaktovik, and the North Slope Borough, is authorized to
designate up to a total of 45,000 acres of the 1002 Area as Special Areas and
close such areas to leasing if the Secretary determines that these Special
Areas are of such unique character and interest so as to require special
management and regulatory protection. The Secretary may, however, permit
leasing of all or portions of any Special Areas within the 1002 Area by
setting lease terms that limit or condition surface use and occupancy by
lessees of such lands but permit the use of horizontal drilling technology
from sites on leases located outside the designated Special Areas.
(g) LIMITATION ON CLOSED AREAS- The Secretary's sole authority to close
lands within the 1002 Area to oil and gas leasing and to exploration,
development, and production is that set forth in this title.
(h) CONVEYANCE- In order to maximize Federal revenues by removing clouds
on title of lands and clarifying land ownership patterns within the 1002 Area,
the Secretary, notwithstanding the provisions of section 1302(h)(2) of the
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 3192(h)(2)), is
authorized and directed to convey (1) to the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation the
surface estate of the lands described in paragraph 2 of Public Land Order
6959, to the extent necessary to fulfill the Corporation's entitlement under
section 12 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1611), and
(2) to the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation the subsurface estate beneath
such surface estate pursuant to the August 9, 1983, agreement between the
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and the United States of America.
SEC. 504. RULES AND REGULATIONS.
(a) PROMULGATION- The Secretary shall prescribe such rules and regulations
as may be necessary to carry out the purposes and provisions of this title,
including rules and regulations relating to protection of the fish and
wildlife, their habitat, subsistence resources, and the environment of the
1002 Area. Such rules and regulations shall be promulgated no later than
fourteen months after the date of enactment of this title and shall, as of
their effective date, apply to all operations conducted under a lease issued
or maintained under the provisions of this title and all operations on the
1002 Area related to the leasing, exploration, development and production of
oil and gas.
(b) REVISION OF REGULATIONS- The Secretary shall periodically review and,
if appropriate, revise the rules and regulations issued under subsection (a)
of this section to reflect any significant biological, environmental, or
engineering data which come to the Secretary's attention.
SEC. 505. ADEQUACY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR'S LEGISLATIVE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.
The `Final Legislative Environmental Impact Statement' (April 1987)
prepared pursuant to section 1002 of the Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 3142) and section 102(2)(C) of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)) is hereby
found by the Congress to be adequate to satisfy the legal and procedural
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 with respect to
actions authorized to be taken by the Secretary to develop and promulgate the
regulations for the establishment of the leasing program authorized by this
title, to conduct the first lease sale and any subsequent lease sale
authorized by this title, and to grant rights-of-way and easements to carry
out the purposes of this title.
SEC. 506. LEASE SALES.
(a) LEASE SALES- Lands may be leased pursuant to the provisions of this
title to any person qualified to obtain a lease for deposits of oil and gas
under the Mineral Leasing Act, as amended (30 U.S.C. 181).
(b) PROCEDURES- The Secretary shall, by regulation, establish procedures
for--
(1) receipt and consideration of sealed nominations for any area in the
1002 Area for inclusion in, or exclusion (as provided in subsection (c))
from, a lease sale; and
(2) public notice of and comment on designation of areas to be included
in, or excluded from, a lease sale.
(c) Lease Sales on 1002 Area- The Secretary shall, by regulation, provide
for lease sales of lands on the 1002 Area. When lease sales are to be held,
they shall occur after the nomination process provided for in subsection (b)
of this section. For the first lease sale, the Secretary shall offer for lease
those acres receiving the greatest number of nominations, but no less than
200,000 acres and no more than 300,000 acres shall be offered. If the total
acreage nominated is less than 200,000 acres, the Secretary shall include in
such sale any other acreage which he believes has the highest resource
potential, but in no event shall more than 300,000 acres be offered in such
sale. With respect to
subsequent lease sales, the Secretary shall offer for lease no less than
200,000 acres of the 1002 Area. The initial lease sale shall be held within 20
months of the date of enactment of this title. The second lease sale shall be
held no later than 24 months after the initial sale, with additional sales
conducted no later than 12 months thereafter so long as sufficient interest in
development exists to warrant, in the Secretary's judgment, the conduct of such
sales.
SEC. 507. GRANT OF LEASES BY THE SECRETARY.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary is authorized to grant to the highest
responsible qualified bidder by sealed competitive cash bonus bid any lands to
be leased on the 1002 Area upon payment by the lessee of such bonus as may be
accepted by the Secretary and of such royalty as may be fixed in the lease,
which shall be not less than 12 1/2 per centum in amount or value of the
production removed or sold from the lease.
(b) ANTITRUST REVIEW- Following each notice of a proposed lease sale and
before the acceptance of bids and the issuance of leases based on such bids,
the Secretary shall allow the Attorney General, in consultation with the
Federal Trade Commission, thirty days to perform an antitrust review of the
results of such lease sale on the likely effects the issuance of such leases
would have on competition and the Attorney General shall advise the Secretary
with respect to such review, including any recommendation for the
nonacceptance of any bid or the imposition of terms or conditions on any
lease, as may be appropriate to prevent any situation inconsistent with the
antitrust laws.
(c) SUBSEQUENT TRANSFERS- No lease issued under this title may be sold,
exchanged, assigned, sublet, or otherwise transferred except with the approval
of the Secretary. Prior to any such approval the Secretary shall consult with,
and give due consideration to the views of, the Attorney General.
(d) IMMUNITY- Nothing in this title shall be deemed to convey to any
person, association, corporation, or other business organization immunity from
civil or criminal liability, or to create defenses to actions, under any
antitrust law.
(e) DEFINITIONS- As used in this section, the term--
(1) `antitrust review' shall be deemed an `antitrust investigation' for
the purposes of the Antitrust Civil Process Act (15 U.S.C. 1311); and
(2) `antitrust laws' means those Acts set forth in section 1 of the
Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. 12) as amended.
SEC. 508. LEASE TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
An oil or gas lease issued pursuant to this title shall--
(1) be for a tract consisting of a compact area not to exceed 5,760
acres, or nine surveyed or protracted sections which shall be as compact in
form as possible;
(2) be for an initial period of ten years and shall be extended for so
long thereafter as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities from the
lease or unit area to which the lease is committed or for so long as
drilling or reworking operations, as approved by the Secretary, are
conducted on the lease or unit area;
(3) require the payment of royalty as provided for in section 507 of
this title;
(4) require that exploration activities pursuant to any lease issued or
maintained under this title shall be conducted in accordance with an
exploration plan or a revision of such plan approved by the Secretary;
(5) require that all development and production pursuant to a lease
issued or maintained pursuant to this title shall be conducted in accordance
with development and production plans approved by the Secretary;
(6) require posting of bond as required by section 509 of this
title;
(7) provide that the Secretary may close, on a seasonal basis, portions
of the 1002 Area to exploratory drilling activities as necessary to protect
caribou calving areas and other species of fish and wildlife;
(8) contain such provisions relating to rental and other fees as the
Secretary may prescribe at the time of offering the area for lease;
(9) provide that the Secretary may direct or assent to the suspension of
operations and production under any lease granted under the terms of this
title in the interest of conservation of the resource or where there is no
available system to transport the resource. If such a suspension is directed
or assented to by the Secretary, any payment of rental prescribed by such
lease shall be suspended during such period of suspension of operations and
production, and the term of the lease shall be extended by adding any such
suspension period thereto;
(10) provide that whenever the owner of a nonproducing lease fails to
comply with any of the provisions of this Act, or of any applicable
provision of Federal or State environmental law, or of the lease, or of any
regulation issued under this title, such lease may be canceled by the
Secretary if such default continues for more than thirty days after mailing
of notice by registered letter to the lease owner at the lease owner's post
office address of record;
(11) provide that whenever the owner of any producing lease fails to
comply with any of the provisions of this title, or of any applicable
provision of Federal or State environmental law, or of the lease, or of any
regulation issued under this title, such lease may be forfeited and canceled
by any appropriate proceeding brought by the Secretary in any United States
district court having jurisdiction under the provisions of this title;
(12) provide that cancellation of a lease under this title shall in no
way release the owner of the lease from the obligation to provide for
reclamation of the lease site;
(13) allow the lessee, at the discretion of the Secretary, to make
written relinquishment of all rights under any lease issued pursuant to this
title. The Secretary shall accept such relinquishment by the lessee of any
lease issued under this title where there has not been surface disturbance
on the lands covered by the lease;
(14) provide that for the purpose of conserving the natural resources of
any oil or gas pool, field, or like area, or any part thereof, and in order
to avoid the unnecessary duplication of facilities, to protect the
environment of the 1002 Area, and to protect correlative rights, the
Secretary shall require that, to the greatest extent practicable, lessees
unite with each other in collectively adopting and operating under a
cooperative or unit plan of development for operation of such pool, field,
or like area, or any part thereof, and the Secretary is also authorized and
directed to enter into such agreements as are necessary or appropriate for
the protection of the United States against drainage;
(15) require that the holder of a lease or lands within the 1002 Area
shall be fully responsible and liable for the reclamation of those lands
within and any other Federal lands adversely affected in connection with
exploration, development, production or transportation activities on a lease
within the 1002 Area by the holder of a lease or as a result of activities
conducted on the lease by any of the leaseholder's subcontractors or
agents;
(16) provide that the holder of a lease may not delegate or convey, by
contract or otherwise, the reclamation responsibility and liability to
another party without the express written approval of the Secretary;
(17) provide that the standard of reclamation for lands required to be
reclaimed under this title be, as nearly as practicable, a condition capable
of supporting the uses which the lands were capable of supporting prior to
any exploration, development, or production activities, or upon application
by the lessee, to a higher or better use as approved by the Secretary;
(18) contain the terms and conditions relating to protection of fish and
wildlife, their habitat, and the environment, as required by section 503(a)
of this title;
(19) provide that the holder of a lease, its agents, and contractors use
best efforts to provide a fair share, as determined by the level of
obligation previously agreed to in the 1974 agreement implementing Section
29 of the Federal Agreement and Grant of Right of Way for the Operation of
the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, of employment and contracting for Alaska Natives
and Alaska Native Corporations from throughout the State;
(20) require project agreements to the extent feasible that will ensure
productivity and consistency recognizing a national interest in both labor
stability and the ability of construction labor and management to meet the
particular needs and conditions of projects to be developed under leases
issued pursuant to this Act; and
(21) contain such other provisions as the Secretary determines necessary
to ensure compliance with the provisions of this title and the regulations
issued under this title.
SEC. 509. BONDING REQUIREMENTS TO ENSURE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF LESSEE
AND AVOID FEDERAL LIABILITY.
(a) REQUIREMENT- The Secretary shall, by rule or regulation, establish
such standards as may be necessary to ensure that an adequate bond, surety, or
other financial arrangement will be established prior to the commencement of
surface disturbing activities on any lease, to ensure the complete and timely
reclamation of the lease tract, and the restoration of any lands or surface
waters adversely affected by lease operations after the abandonment or
cessation of oil and gas operations on the lease. Such bond, surety, or
financial arrangement is in addition to, and not in lieu, of any bond, surety,
or financial arrangement required by any other regulatory authority or
required by any other provision of law.
(b) AMOUNT- The bond, surety, or financial arrangement shall be in an
amount--
(1) to be determined by the Secretary to provide for reclamation of the
lease site in accordance with an approved or revised exploration or
development and production plan; plus
(2) set by the Secretary consistent with the type of operations
proposed, to provide the means for rapid and effective cleanup, and to
minimize damages resulting from an oil spill, the escape of gas, refuse,
domestic wastewater, hazardous or toxic substances, or fire caused by oil
and gas activities.
(c) ADJUSTMENT- In the event that an approved exploration or development
and production plan is revised, the Secretary may adjust the amount of the
bond, surety, or other financial arrangement to conform to such modified
plan.
(d) DURATION- The responsibility and liability of the lessee and its
surety under the bond, surety, or other financial arrangement shall continue
until such time as the Secretary determines that there has been compliance
with the terms and conditions of the lease and all applicable law.
(e) TERMINATION- Within sixty days after determining that there has been
compliance with the terms and conditions of the lease and all applicable laws,
the Secretary, after consultation with affected Federal and State agencies,
shall notify the lessee that the period of liability under the bond, surety,
or other financial arrangement has been terminated.
SEC. 510. OIL AND GAS INFORMATION.
(a) IN GENERAL- (1) Any lessee or permittee conducting any exploration
for, or development or production of, oil or gas pursuant to this title shall
provide the Secretary access to all data and information from any lease
granted pursuant to this title (including processed and analyzed) obtained
from such activity and shall provide copies of such data and information as
the Secretary may request. Such data and information shall be provided in
accordance with regulations which the Secretary shall prescribe.
(2) If processed and analyzed information provided pursuant to paragraph
(1) is provided in good faith by the lessee or permittee, such lessee or
permittee shall not be responsible for any consequence of the use or of
reliance upon such processed and analyzed information.
(3) Whenever any data or information is provided to the Secretary,
pursuant to paragraph (1)--
(A) by a lessee or permittee, in the form and manner of processing which
is utilized by such lessee or permittee in the normal conduct of business,
the Secretary shall pay the reasonable cost of reproducing such data and
information; or
(B) by a lessee or permittee, in such other form and manner of
processing as the Secretary may request, the Secretary shall pay the
reasonable cost of processing and reproducing such data and
information.
(b) REGULATIONS- The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to--
(1) assure that the confidentiality of privileged or proprietary
information received by the Secretary under this section will be maintained;
and
(2) set forth the time periods and conditions which shall be applicable
to the release of such information.
SEC. 511. EXPEDITED JUDICIAL REVIEW.
(a) Any complaint seeking judicial review of any provision in this title,
or any other action of the Secretary under this title may be filed in any
appropriate district court of the United States, and such complaint must be
filed within ninety days from the date of the action being challenged, or
after such date if such complaint is based solely on grounds arising after
such ninetieth day, in which case the complaint must be filed within ninety
days after the complainant knew or reasonably should have known of the grounds
for the complaint: Provided, That any complaint seeking judicial
review of an action of the Secretary in promulgating any regulation
under this title may be filed only in the United States Court of Appeals for
the District of Columbia.
(b) Actions of the Secretary with respect to which review could have been
obtained under this section shall not be subject to judicial review in any
civil or criminal proceeding for enforcement.
SEC. 512. RIGHTS-OF-WAY ACROSS THE 1002 AREA.
Notwithstanding Title XI of the Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 3161 et seq.), the Secretary is authorized
and directed to grant, in accordance with the provisions of sections 28(c)
through (t) and (v) through (y) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C.
185), rights-of-way and easements across the 1002 Area for the transportation
of oil and gas under such terms and conditions as may be necessary so as not
to result in a significant adverse effect on the fish and wildlife,
subsistence resources, their habitat, and the environment of the 1002 Area.
Such terms and conditions shall include requirements that facilities be sited
or modified so as to avoid unnecessary duplication of roads and pipelines. The
regulations issued as required by section 504 of this title shall include
provisions granting rights-of-way and easements across the 1002 Area.
SEC. 513. ENFORCEMENT OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS TO ENSURE
COMPLIANCE WITH TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF LEASE.
(a) RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SECRETARY- The Secretary shall diligently
enforce all regulations, lease terms, conditions, restrictions, prohibitions,
and stipulations promulgated pursuant to this title.
(b) RESPONSIBILITY OF HOLDERS OF LEASE- It shall be the responsibility of
any holder of a lease under this title to--
(1) maintain all operations within such lease area in compliance with
regulations intended to protect persons and property on, and fish and
wildlife, their habitat, subsistence resources, and the environment of, the
1002 Area; and
(2) allow prompt access at the site of any operations subject to
regulation under this title to any appropriate Federal or State inspector,
and to provide such documents and records which are pertinent to
occupational or public health, safety, or environmental protection, as may
be requested.
(c) ON-SITE INSPECTION- The Secretary shall promulgate regulations to
provide for--
(1) scheduled onsite inspection by the Secretary, at least twice a year,
of each facility on the 1002 Area which is subject to any environmental or
safety regulation promulgated pursuant to this title or conditions contained
in any lease issued pursuant to this title to assure compliance with such
environmental or safety regulations or conditions; and
(2) periodic onsite inspection by the Secretary at least once a year
without advance notice to the operator of such facility to assure compliance
with all environmental or safety regulations.
SEC. 514. NEW REVENUES.
(a) DEPOSIT INTO TREASURY- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all
revenues received by the Federal Government from competitive bids, sales,
bonuses, royalties, rents, fees, or interest derived from the leasing of oil
and gas within the 1002 Area shall be deposited into the Treasury of the
United States, solely as provided in this section. The Secretary of the
Treasury shall pay to the State of Alaska the same percentage of such revenues
as is set forth under the heading `EXPLORATION OF NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE
IN ALASKA' in Public Law 96-514 (94 Stat. 2957, 2964) semiannually to the
State of Alaska, on March 30 and September 30 of each year and shall deposit
the balance of all such revenues as miscellaneous receipts in the Treasury.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of the Treasury
shall monitor the total revenue deposited into the Treasury as miscellaneous
receipts from oil and gas leases issued under the authority of this subtitle
and shall deposit amounts received as bonus bids into a special fund
established in the Treasury of the United States known as the Renewable Energy
Research and Development Fund (in this section referred to as the `Renewable
Energy Fund').
(b) USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY FUND- Of the amounts in the Renewable Energy
Fund, an amount equal to ten percent of the total deposits shall be made
available to the Secretary of Energy, without further appropriation, at the
beginning of each fiscal year in which amounts are available, and may be
expended by the Secretary of Energy for research and development of renewable
domestic energy resources of wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and
hydroelectric. Such amounts shall remain available until expended and shall be
in addition to funds appropriated in the preceding fiscal year to the
Secretary of Energy for renewable energy research, development and
demonstration programs authorized by section 103 of the Energy Reorganization
Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5813). The Secretary of Energy shall develop procedures
for the use of the Renewable Energy Fund that ensure accountability and
demonstrated results. Beginning the first full fiscal year after deposits are
made into the Renewable Energy Fund, the Secretary of Energy shall submit an
annual report to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United
States Senate and the appropriate committees of the United States House of
Representatives detailing the use of any expenditures.
TITLE VI--ENERGY EFFICIENCY, CONSERVATION, AND ASSISTANCE TO LOW-INCOME
FAMILIES
SEC. 601. EXTENSION OF LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- Section 2602(b) of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621), is amended by striking `such sums
a