US Codex
Bill
Notes

S. 2660 — what changed

Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2019

From Introduced in Senate to Reported in Senate. 2 sections amended between Introduced in Senate and Reported in Senate.

Sec. 3 Wind energy technology program

(a)
Establishment—
(1)
changed In general— The Secretary shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall award grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to eligible entities to conduct research, development, testing, evaluation, demonstration, and evaluation commercialization of wind energy technologies in accordance with this section.
(2)
Purposes— The purposes of the program are the following:
(A)
changed To improve the energy efficiency, cost effectiveness, reliability, resilience, security, integration, manufacturability, and capacity recyclability of wind energy generation.technologies.
(B)
changed To optimize the design performance and control operation of wind energy systems for components, turbines, and systems, including through the broadest practical range development of atmospheric conditions.new materials, hardware, and software.
(C)
changed To reduce optimize the cost and risk of permitting, construction, operation, design and maintenance adaptability of wind energy systems, including using technologies to reduce environmental and community impacts, improve grid integration, the broadest practical range of geographic, atmospheric, offshore, and reduce regulatory barriers.other site conditions, including—
(i)
added at varying hub heights; and
(ii)
added through the use of computer modeling.
(D)
changed To improve materials, engineering, and manufacturing processes for turbines, including supersized turbines.support the integration of wind energy technologies with—
(i)
added the electric grid, including transmission, distribution, microgrids, and distributed energy systems; and
(ii)
added other energy technologies and systems, such as—
(I)
added other generation sources;
(II)
added demand response technologies;
(III)
added energy storage technologies; and
(IV)
added hybrid systems.
(E)
changed To optimize wind plant performance and integration within hybrid energy systems to enhance reduce the cost efficiency and electric grid stability and resilience.risk across the lifespan of wind energy technologies, including—
(i)
added manufacturing, permitting, construction, operations, maintenance, and recycling; and
(ii)
added through the development of solutions to transportation barriers to wind components.
(F)
added To reduce and mitigate any potential negative impacts of wind energy technologies on—
(i)
added human communities;
(ii)
added military operations;
(iii)
added aviation;
(iv)
added radar; and
(v)
added wildlife and wildlife habitats.
(G)
added To address barriers to the commercialization and export of wind energy technologies.
(H)
added To support the domestic wind industry, workforce, and supply chain.
(3)
changed Coordination—Targets— To Not later than 180 days after the maximum extent practicable, date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall coordinate activities under establish targets for the program with other relevant programs relating to near-term (up to 2 years), mid-term (up to 7 years), and capabilities of long-term (up to 15 years) challenges to the Department advancement of Energy wind energy technologies, including onshore and other Federal research programs.offshore technologies.
(b)
added Activities—
(1)
added Types of activities— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall carry out research, development, demonstration, and commercialization activities, including—
(A)
added awarding grants and awards, on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis;
(B)
added performing precompetitive research and development;
(C)
added establishing or maintaining demonstration facilities and projects, including through stewardship of existing facilities such as the National Wind Test Center;
(D)
added providing technical assistance;
(E)
added entering into contracts and cooperative agreements;
(F)
added providing small business vouchers;
(G)
added conducting education and outreach activities;
(H)
added conducting workforce training activities; and
(I)
added conducting analyses, studies, and reports.
(b)
removed Grant subject areas— In addition to awarding the grants described in subsections (c) through (e), the Secretary shall award grants under the program to eligible entities to carry out research, development, testing, and evaluation in the following subject areas:
(2)
changed Subject areas— Wind power plant performance The Secretary shall carry out research, development, testing, evaluation, demonstration, and operations, including—commercialization activities in the following subject areas:
(A)
removed wind flows and turbine-to-turbine interactions;
(A)
changed energy conversion potential;Wind power plant performance, operations, and security.
(B)
changed turbine New materials and designs relating to all hardware, software, and components of wind plant control paradigms;energy technologies, including alternatives to minerals and other commodities from foreign sources that are determined to be vulnerable to disruption.
(C)
changed turbine and Advanced wind plant security;energy manufacturing technologies and practices, including materials, processes, and design.
(D)
changed turbine components; andOffshore wind-specific projects and plants, including—
(i)
added the deep water floating systems, materials, components, and operation of offshore facilities; and
(ii)
added the monitoring and analysis of site and environmental considerations unique to offshore sites.
(E)
changed integrated hybrid plant systems.Integration of wind energy technologies with—
(i)
added the electric grid, including transmission, distribution, microgrids, and distributed energy systems; and
(ii)
added other energy technologies, including—
(I)
added other generation sources;
(II)
added demand response technologies; and
(III)
added energy storage technologies.
(F)
added Methods to improve the lifetime, maintenance, recycling, and reuse of wind energy components and systems.
(2)
removed New materials and designs relating to blades, rotors, towers, and drivetrains, including—
(A)
removed higher tip speed rotor designs;
(B)
removed low-noise rotor designs;
(C)
removed advanced drivetrain and generator concepts;
(D)
removed modular construction and onsite or near-site manufacturing and assembly techniques, including the use of additive manufacturing;
(E)
removed sustainable and recyclable materials, including thermoplastics, and manufacturing systems;
(F)
removed supersized turbine design and installation approaches; and
(G)
removed lightweight materials.
(3)
removed Offshore wind-specific projects, including—
(A)
removed fixed and floating substructure concepts;
(B)
removed projects to assess and mitigate the impacts of hurricane wind flow, freshwater ice, and other conditions specific to the United States;
(C)
removed innovative operations and maintenance strategies;
(D)
removed analysis of offshore meteorological, geological, and oceanographic data collection;
(E)
removed offshore infrastructure monitoring; and
(F)
removed analysis of corrosion and fatigue for the purpose of extending the design life of offshore wind turbine substructures.
(4)
removed Recycling and reuse of wind energy components.
(G)
renumbered was (3)(7) Wind power forecasting and atmospheric measurement systems, including for turbines and plant systems of varying height.
(H)
added Hybrid wind energy systems that incorporate diverse—
(i)
added generation sources;
(ii)
added loads; and
(iii)
added storage technologies.
(I)
added Reducing, including through education and outreach activities, market barriers to the adoption of wind energy technologies, such as impacts on, or challenges relating to—
(i)
added 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;
(ii)
added airspace;
(iii)
added military uses;
(iv)
added radar;
(v)
added local communities;
(vi)
added wildlife and wildlife habitats; and
(vii)
added any other appropriate matter, as determined by the Secretary.
(J)
added Advanced physics-based and data analysis computational tools, in coordination with the high-performance computing programs of the Department of Energy.
(K)
added Transformational technologies for harnessing wind energy.
(L)
added Other research areas that advance the purposes of the program, as determined by the Secretary.
(3)
added Prioritization— In carrying out activities under the program, the Secretary shall give priority to projects that—
(A)
added are located in geographically diverse regions of the United States;
(B)
added support the development or demonstration of projects—
(i)
added in collaboration with tribal energy development organizations, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian community-based organizations, or territories or freely associated states; or
(ii)
added in economically distressed areas;
(C)
added can be replicated in a variety of regions and climates;
(D)
added include business commercialization plans that have the potential for—
(i)
added domestic manufacturing and production of wind energy technologies; or
(ii)
added exports of wind energy technologies; and
(E)
added satisfy any other priority that the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(4)
added 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.
(c)
added 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.
(6)
removed Distributed wind-specific projects, including—
(A)
removed cost-effective turbine designs, components, and manufacturing; and
(B)
removed microgrid applications.
(7)
removed Advanced transportation mechanisms for wind turbine components.
(8)
removed Transformational technologies for harnessing wind energy, including airborne wind energy concepts.
(9)
removed Methods to extend the operational lifetime of onshore and offshore wind turbines and systems.
(10)
removed Other research areas, as determined by the Secretary.
(c)
removed Wind energy technology validation and market transformation grants—
(1)
removed Demonstration projects— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to carry out demonstration projects that demonstrate and validate new wind energy technologies that have the potential to be cost-competitive for land-based, offshore, and distributed applications.
(2)
removed Facility for hybrid energy system research grants— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to establish a facility or support an existing facility in conducting research and demonstration projects for wind turbines and plants in hybrid energy systems that incorporate diverse generation sources, loads, and storage technologies.
(3)
removed Offshore research facility grants—
(A)
removed In general— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to establish a facility to conduct research, development, and demonstration projects, in coordination with the oceanic and atmospheric science communities, for ocean and atmospheric resource characterization relevant to offshore wind energy development.
(B)
removed Facility requirements— A facility established using a grant under subparagraph (A) shall be an offshore facility used to evaluate, test, and advance atmospheric, oceanic, biologic, and geologic monitoring technologies that improve offshore wind energy development, including the generation of benchmark data sets for testing offshore wind energy technologies and informing how those technologies may be financed, insured, and regulated.
(4)
removed Offshore support structure testing facility grants— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to establish a facility to conduct research, development, and demonstration projects for large-scale and full-scale offshore wind energy support structure components and systems, with an emphasis on innovative structures, including floating substructures.
(5)
removed Applications— An eligible entity seeking a grant under this subsection shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including, in the case of an application for a grant under paragraph (1), a certification that the proposed demonstration project shall be—
(A)
removed conducted in collaboration with industry and, as appropriate, with institutions of higher education and other Federal research programs; and
(B)
removed of sufficient size and geographic diversity to measure wind energy system performance under the full productive range of wind conditions in the United States.
(d)
removed Wind energy incubator grants— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to support innovative technologies that are not significantly represented in—
(1)
removed the portfolio of wind energy research activities carried out by the Secretary as of the date of enactment of this Act; or
(2)
removed technology roadmaps used by the Department of Energy as of that date.
(e)
removed Mitigating regulatory and market barrier grants—
(1)
removed In general— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to research, develop, test, and evaluate ways to reduce regulatory and market barriers to the widespread adoption of wind power, including—
(A)
removed grid transmission and integration challenges; and
(B)
removed permitting issues associated with the potential impacts of wind power systems on wildlife, radar systems, local communities, military operations, and airspace.
(2)
removed Wildlife impact mitigation— Of the grants awarded under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure that a substantial portion include the development, testing, and evaluation of wildlife impact mitigation technologies or strategies to reduce the potential impacts of wind energy facilities on—
(A)
removed bald and golden eagles;
(B)
removed bat species;
(C)
removed marine wildlife; and
(D)
removed other impacted species.
(f)
removed Education and outreach— In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall support education and outreach activities to disseminate information and promote public understanding of wind technologies and the wind energy workforce, including the Collegiate Wind Competition.
(g)(d)
renumbered was (8) 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.
(h)
renumbered was (9) Authorization of appropriations— There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the program—
(1)
renumbered was (9)(3) $103,692,000 for fiscal year 2020;
(2)
renumbered was (9)(4) $108,876,600 for fiscal year 2021;
(3)
renumbered was (9)(5) $114,320,430 for fiscal year 2022;
(4)
renumbered was (9)(6) $120,036,452 for fiscal year 2023; and
(5)
renumbered was (9)(7) $126,038,274 for fiscal year 2024.

Sec. 4 Conforming amendments

(a)
Section 4 of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technology Competitiveness Act of 1989 (42 U.S.C. 12003) is amended—
(1)
added in the section heading, by striking “wind, photovoltaics, and solar thermal” and inserting “photovoltaics, solar thermal, and other technology”;
(2)
renumbered was (2)(2) in subsection (a)—
(A)
added in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “wind, photovoltaics, and solar thermal energy” and inserting “photovoltaics, solar thermal, and other energy technology”;
(B)
renumbered was (2)(2)(2) by striking paragraph (1); and
(C)
renumbered was (2)(2)(3) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as paragraphs (1) through (4), respectively; and
(3)
renumbered was (2)(3) in subsection (c), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “the Wind Energy Research Program,”.
(b)
Section 931(a)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16231(a)(2)) is amended—
(1)
by striking subparagraph (B); and
(2)
by redesignating subparagraphs (C) through (E) as subparagraphs (B) through (D), respectively.
(c)
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)).”.