1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2019”.
Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2019
A BILL
To establish a grant program for wind energy research, development, and demonstration, and for other purposes.
2. Definitions
In this Act:
Eligible entity— The term “eligible entity” means—
an institution of higher education;
a National Laboratory;
a Federal research agency;
a State research agency;
a nonprofit research organization;
an industrial entity; and
a consortium of two or more entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (F).
Institution of higher education— The term “institution of higher education” has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
National Laboratory— The term “National Laboratory” has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
Program— The term “program” means the program established under section 3(a).
Secretary— The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Energy.
Supersized turbine— The term “supersized turbine” means a 12-megawatt or greater wind turbine that typically has a tower height greater than 140 meters and blades greater than 75 meters.
3. Wind energy technology program
Establishment—
In general— The Secretary shall establish a program to conduct research, development, testing, evaluation, demonstration, and commercialization of wind energy technologies in accordance with this section.
Purposes— The purposes of the program are the following:
To improve the energy efficiency, cost effectiveness, reliability, resilience, security, integration, manufacturability, and recyclability of wind energy technologies.
To optimize the performance and operation of wind energy components, turbines, and systems, including through the development of new materials, hardware, and software.
To optimize the design and adaptability of wind energy technologies to the broadest practical range of geographic, atmospheric, offshore, and other site conditions, including—
at varying hub heights; and
through the use of computer modeling.
To support the integration of wind energy technologies with—
the electric grid, including transmission, distribution, microgrids, and distributed energy systems; and
other energy technologies and systems, such as—
other generation sources;
demand response technologies;
energy storage technologies; and
hybrid systems.
To reduce the cost and risk across the lifespan of wind energy technologies, including—
manufacturing, permitting, construction, operations, maintenance, and recycling; and
through the development of solutions to transportation barriers to wind components.
To reduce and mitigate any potential negative impacts of wind energy technologies on—
human communities;
military operations;
aviation;
radar; and
wildlife and wildlife habitats.
To address barriers to the commercialization and export of wind energy technologies.
To support the domestic wind industry, workforce, and supply chain.
Targets— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish targets for the program relating to near-term (up to 2 years), mid-term (up to 7 years), and long-term (up to 15 years) challenges to the advancement of wind energy technologies, including onshore and offshore technologies.
Activities—
Types of activities— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall carry out research, development, demonstration, and commercialization activities, including—
awarding grants and awards, on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis;
performing precompetitive research and development;
establishing or maintaining demonstration facilities and projects, including through stewardship of existing facilities such as the National Wind Test Center;
providing technical assistance;
entering into contracts and cooperative agreements;
providing small business vouchers;
conducting education and outreach activities;
conducting workforce training activities; and
conducting analyses, studies, and reports.
Subject areas— The Secretary shall carry out research, development, testing, evaluation, demonstration, and commercialization activities in the following subject areas:
Wind power plant performance, operations, and security.
New materials and designs relating to all hardware, software, and components of wind energy technologies, including alternatives to minerals and other commodities from foreign sources that are determined to be vulnerable to disruption.
Advanced wind energy manufacturing technologies and practices, including materials, processes, and design.
Offshore wind-specific projects and plants, including—
the deep water floating systems, materials, components, and operation of offshore facilities; and
the monitoring and analysis of site and environmental considerations unique to offshore sites.
Integration of wind energy technologies with—
the electric grid, including transmission, distribution, microgrids, and distributed energy systems; and
other energy technologies, including—
other generation sources;
demand response technologies; and
energy storage technologies.
Methods to improve the lifetime, maintenance, recycling, and reuse of wind energy components and systems.
Wind power forecasting and atmospheric measurement systems, including for turbines and plant systems of varying height.
Hybrid wind energy systems that incorporate diverse—
generation sources;
loads; and
storage technologies.
Reducing, including through education and outreach activities, market barriers to the adoption of wind energy technologies, such as impacts on, or challenges relating to—
distributed wind technologies, including the development of best practices, models, and voluntary streamlined processes for local permitting of distributed wind energy systems to reduce costs;
airspace;
military uses;
radar;
local communities;
wildlife and wildlife habitats; and
any other appropriate matter, as determined by the Secretary.
Advanced physics-based and data analysis computational tools, in coordination with the high-performance computing programs of the Department of Energy.
Transformational technologies for harnessing wind energy.
Other research areas that advance the purposes of the program, as determined by the Secretary.
Prioritization— In carrying out activities under the program, the Secretary shall give priority to projects that—
are located in geographically diverse regions of the United States;
support the development or demonstration of projects—
in collaboration with tribal energy development organizations, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian community-based organizations, or territories or freely associated states; or
in economically distressed areas;
can be replicated in a variety of regions and climates;
include business commercialization plans that have the potential for—
domestic manufacturing and production of wind energy technologies; or
exports of wind energy technologies; and
satisfy any other priority that the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
Coordination— To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall coordinate activities under the program with other relevant programs and capabilities of the Department of Energy and other Federal research programs.
Wind technician training grant program— The Secretary may award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to purchase large pieces of wind component equipment, such as nacelles, towers, and blades, for use in training wind technician students in onshore or offshore wind applications.
Wages— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors on projects funded by grants under this section shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on projects of a similar character in the locality, as determined by the Secretary of Labor, in accordance with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code.
Authorization of appropriations— There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the program—
$103,692,000 for fiscal year 2020;
$108,876,600 for fiscal year 2021;
$114,320,430 for fiscal year 2022;
$120,036,452 for fiscal year 2023; and
$126,038,274 for fiscal year 2024.
4. Conforming amendments
Section 4 of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technology Competitiveness Act of 1989 (42 U.S.C. 12003) is amended—
in the section heading, by striking “wind, photovoltaics, and solar thermal” and inserting “photovoltaics, solar thermal, and other technology”;
in subsection (a)—
in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “wind, photovoltaics, and solar thermal energy” and inserting “photovoltaics, solar thermal, and other energy technology”;
by striking paragraph (1); and
by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as paragraphs (1) through (4), respectively; and
in subsection (c), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “the Wind Energy Research Program,”.
Section 931(a)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16231(a)(2)) is amended—
by striking subparagraph (B); and
by redesignating subparagraphs (C) through (E) as subparagraphs (B) through (D), respectively.
Section 636 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17215) is amended by striking “section 931(a)(2)(E)(i)” and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting “subparagraph (D)(i) of section 931(a)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16231(a)(2)).”.