Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability Act of 2014” or the “NEWS Act of 2014”.
Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability Act of 2014
A BILL
To establish an interagency coordination committee or subcommittee with the leadership of the Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior, focused on the nexus between energy and water production, use, and efficiency, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Definitions
In this Act:
Director— The term Director means the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Energy-water nexus— The term energy-water nexus means the link between—
energy efficiency and the quantity of water needed to produce fuels and energy; and
the quantity of energy needed to transport, reclaim, and treat water.
NSTC— The term NSTC means the National Science and Technology Council.
Committee or Subcommittee— The term Committee or Subcommittee means the Committee on Energy-Water Nexus for Sustainability or the Subcommittee on Energy-Water Nexus for Sustainability, whichever is established by section 3(a).
Sec. 3 Interagency Coordination Committee
Establishment— The Director shall establish either a committee or a subcommittee under the NSTC, to be known as either the Committee on Energy-Water Nexus for Sustainability or the Subcommittee on Energy-Water Nexus for Sustainability, to carry out the duties described in subsection (c).
Administration—
Chairs— The Secretary of Energy and Secretary of the Interior shall serve as co-chairs of the Committee or Subcommittee.
Membership; staffing— Membership and staffing shall be determined by the NSTC.
Duties— The Committee or Subcommittee shall—
serve as a forum for developing common Federal goals and plans on energy-water nexus issues;
promote coordination of the activities of all Federal departments and agencies on energy-water nexus issues, including the activities of—
the Department of Energy;
the Department of the Interior;
the Corps of Engineers;
the Department of Agriculture;
the Department of Defense;
the Department of State;
the Environmental Protection Agency;
the Council on Environmental Quality;
the National Institute of Standards and Technology;
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
the National Science Foundation;
the Office of Management and Budget;
the Office of Science and Technology Policy; and
such other Federal departments and agencies as the Director or the Committee or Subcommittee consider appropriate; and
coordinate and develop capabilities for data collection, categorization, and dissemination of data from and to other Federal departments and agencies; and
engage in information exchange between Federal departments and agencies—
to identify and document Federal and non-Federal programs and funding opportunities that support basic and applied research, development, and demonstration proposals to advance the state of energy-water nexus related science and technologies;
if practicable, to leverage existing programs by encouraging joint solicitations, block grants, and matching programs with non-Federal entities; and
to identify opportunities for public-private partnerships, innovative financing mechanisms, and grant challenges.
Review; termination— At the end of the 10-year period beginning on the date on which the Committee or Subcommittee is established, the Director—
shall review the activities of the Committee or Subcommittee and determine the relevance and effectiveness of the Committee or Subcommittee; and
based on the determination made under paragraph (1), may terminate the Committee or Subcommittee.
Sec. 4 Crosscut budget
Not later than 30 days after the President submits the budget of the United States Government under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report that contains—
an interagency budget crosscut report that—
displays the budget proposed, including any interagency or intraagency transfer, for each of the Federal agencies that carry out energy-water nexus projects for the upcoming fiscal year, separately showing funding requested under both preexisting authorities and under the new authorities granted by this Act; and
identifies all expenditures since 2011 by the Federal and State governments on energy-water nexus projects;
a detailed accounting of all funds received and obligated by all Federal agencies and State agencies responsible for implementing energy-water nexus projects during the previous fiscal year;
a budget for the proposed energy-water nexus projects (including a description of the project, authorization level, and project status) to be carried out in the upcoming fiscal year with the Federal portion of funds for energy-water nexus programs; and
a listing of all energy-water nexus projects to be undertaken in the upcoming fiscal year with the Federal portion of funds for those projects.