Library / Laws / 113th / hr / H.R. 787 / Introduced in House
I
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 787
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 15, 2013
Mr. Murphy of
Pennsylvania introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural
Resources, and in addition to the Committees on the
Judiciary,
Energy and Commerce,
Rules,
the Budget, and
Transportation and
Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To greatly enhance America’s path toward energy
independence and economic and national security, to rebuild our Nation’s aging
roads, bridges, locks, and dams, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title; table of
contents
(a)
Short
title
This Act may be cited as the Infrastructure Jobs and Energy Independence
Act.
(b)
Table of
contents
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Title I—Offshore Leasing and Other Energy Provisions
Subtitle A—Offshore Leasing
Sec. 101. Leasing program considered approved.
Sec. 102. Lease sales.
Sec. 103. Seaward boundaries of States.
Sec. 104. Military operations.
Sec. 105. Coordination with Adjacent States.
Sec. 106. Gulf of Mexico oil and gas.
Sec. 107. Sharing of revenues.
Sec. 108. Inventory of offshore energy resources.
Sec. 109. Prohibitions on surface occupancy and other
appropriate environmental safeguards.
Subtitle B—Expedited Judicial Review
Sec. 121. Definitions.
Sec. 122. Exclusive jurisdiction over causes and claims
relating to covered oil and natural gas activities.
Sec. 123. Time for filing petition; standing.
Sec. 124. Timetable.
Sec. 125. Limitation on scope of review and relief.
Sec. 126. Presidential waiver.
Sec. 127. Legal fees.
Sec. 128. Exclusion.
Subtitle C—Other Energy Provisions
Sec. 131. Policies regarding buying and building
American.
Title II—Modifying the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and Funding
Conservation and Energy Research and Development
Sec. 201. Findings.
Sec. 202. Definitions.
Sec. 203. Objectives.
Sec. 204. Modification of the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve.
I
Offshore Leasing
and Other Energy Provisions
A
Offshore
Leasing
101.
Leasing program
considered approved
(a)
In
general
The Draft Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas
Leasing Program 2010–2015 issued by the Secretary of the Interior (referred to
in this section as the Secretary) under section 18 of the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344) is considered to have been
approved by the Secretary as a final oil and gas leasing program under that
section, and is considered to be in full compliance with and in accordance with
all requirements of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.
(b)
Final
environmental impact statement
The Secretary is considered to
have issued a final environmental impact statement for the program described in
subsection (a) in accordance with all requirements under section 102(2)(C) of
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)).
(c)
Correction of
dates
The Secretary of the
Interior shall update the dates and deadlines proscribed in the program
described in subsection (a) to reflect the time that has passed between the
date the program was issued and the date of enactment of this Act.
102.
Lease
sales
(a)
Outer
continental shelf
(1)
In
general
Except as provided in paragraph (2), not later than 30
days after the date of enactment of this Act and every 270 days thereafter, the
Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this section as the
Secretary) shall conduct a lease sale in each outer Continental
Shelf planning area for which the Secretary determines that there is a
commercial interest in purchasing Federal oil and gas leases for production on
the outer Continental Shelf.
(2)
Subsequent
determinations and sales
If the Secretary determines that there
is not a commercial interest in purchasing Federal oil and gas leases for
production on the outer Continental Shelf in a planning area under this
subsection, not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the
determination and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall—
(A) determine whether
there is a commercial interest in purchasing Federal oil and gas leases for
production on the outer Continental Shelf in the planning area; and
(B) if the Secretary
determines that there is a commercial interest described in subparagraph (A),
conduct a lease sale in the planning area.
(b)
Renewable energy
and mariculture
The Secretary may conduct commercial lease sales
of resources owned by the United States—
(1) to produce
renewable energy (as defined in section 203(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005
(42 U.S.C. 15852(b))); or
(2) to cultivate
marine organisms in the natural habitat of the organisms.
103.
Seaward
boundaries of States
(a)
Seaward
boundaries
Section 4 of the Submerged Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1312)
is amended by striking three geographical miles each place it
appears and inserting 9 nautical miles.
(b)
Conforming
amendments
Section 2 of the Submerged Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1301)
is amended—
(1) in subsection
(a)(2), by striking three geographical miles and inserting
9 nautical miles; and
(2) in subsection
(b)—
(A) by striking
three geographical miles and inserting 9 nautical
miles; and
(B) by striking
three marine leagues and inserting 9 nautical
miles.
(c)
Effect of
amendments
(1)
In
general
Subject to paragraphs (2) through (4), the amendments
made by this section shall not affect Federal oil and gas mineral rights and
should not affect the States’ current authority within existing State
boundaries.
(2)
Existing
leases
The amendments made by this section shall not affect any
Federal oil and gas lease in effect on the date of enactment of this
Act.
(3)
Taxation
(A)
In
general
A State may exercise all of the sovereign powers of
taxation of the State within the entire extent of the seaward boundaries of the
State (as extended by the amendments made by this section).
(B)
Limitation
Nothing
in this paragraph affects the authority of a State to tax any Federal oil and
gas lease in effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
104.
Military
operations
The Secretary shall
consult with the Secretary of Defense regarding military operations needs in
the Outer Continental Shelf. The Secretary shall work with the Secretary of
Defense to resolve any conflicts that might arise between such operations and
leasing under this section. If the Secretaries are unable to resolve all such
conflicts, any unresolved issues shall be referred by the Secretaries to the
President in a timely fashion for immediate resolution.
105.
Coordination
with Adjacent States
Section
19 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1345) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)
in the first sentence by inserting , for any tract located within the
Adjacent State’s Adjacent Zone, after government;
and
(2) by adding the
following:
(f)
(1) Prior to issuing a
permit or approval for the construction of a pipeline to transport crude oil,
natural gas or associated liquids production withdrawn from oil and gas leases
on the outer Continental Shelf, a Federal agency must seek the concurrence of
the Adjacent State if the pipeline is to transit the Adjacent State’s Adjacent
Zone between the outer Continental Shelf and landfall. No State may prohibit
construction of such a pipeline within its Adjacent Zone or its State waters.
However, an Adjacent State may require routing of such a pipeline to one of two
alternate landfall locations in the Adjacent State, designated by the Adjacent
State, located within 60 miles on either side of a proposed landfall
location.
(2) In this subsection:
(A) The term Adjacent State
means, with respect to any program, plan, lease sale, leased tract or other
activity, proposed, conducted, or approved pursuant to the provisions of this
Act, any State the laws of which are declared, pursuant to section 4(a)(2), to
be the law of the United States for the portion of the outer Continental Shelf
on which such program, plan, lease sale, leased tract, or activity appertains
or is, or is proposed to be, conducted. For purposes of this subparagraph, the
term State includes the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American
Samoa, Guam, and the other territories of the United States.
(B) The term Adjacent Zone
means, with respect to any program, plan, lease sale, leased tract, or other
activity, proposed, conducted, or approved pursuant to the provisions of this
Act, the portion of the outer Continental Shelf for which the laws of a
particular Adjacent State are declared, pursuant to section 4(a)(2), to be the
law of the United
States.
.
106.
Gulf of Mexico
oil and gas
(a)
Repeal
Section
104 of division C of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (Public Law
109–432; 120 Stat. 3003) is repealed.
(b)
Leasing plan for
the Eastern Gulf of Mexico
Pursuant to sections 101 and 102 of
this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall issue a final leasing plan for
the Eastern Gulf of Mexico within 180 days after the date of enactment of this
Act for all areas where there exists commercial interest in purchasing Federal
oil and gas leases for production.
107.
Sharing of
revenues
(a)
In
general
Section 8(g) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43
U.S.C. 1337(g)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)
by striking Notwithstanding and inserting Except as
provided in paragraph (6), and notwithstanding;
(2) by redesignating
paragraphs (6) and (7) as paragraphs (8) and (9); and
(3) by inserting after
paragraph (5) the following:
(6)
Bonus bids and
royalties under qualified leases
(A)
New
leases
Of amounts received by the United States as bonus bids,
royalties, rentals, and other sums collected under any new qualified lease on
submerged lands made available for leasing under this Act by the enactment of
the Infrastructure Jobs and Energy
Independence Act—
(i) 30
percent shall be paid to the States that are producing States with respect to
those submerged lands that are located within the seaward boundaries of such a
State established under section 4(a)(2)(A);
(ii) 10 percent shall be deposited in the
general fund of the Treasury used solely for paying off the national debt;
and
(iii) 60 percent shall
be deposited in the Infrastructure Renewal Reserve established by paragraph
(7).
(B)
Leased tract
that lies partially within the seaward boundaries of a state
In
the case of a leased tract that lies partially within the seaward boundaries of
a State, the amounts of bonus bids and royalties from such tract that are
subject to subparagraph (A)(ii) with respect to such State shall be a
percentage of the total amounts of bonus bids and royalties from such tract
that is equivalent to the total percentage of surface acreage of the tract that
lies within such seaward boundaries.
(C)
Use of payments
to states
Amounts paid to a State under subparagraph (A)(ii)
shall be used by the State for one or more of the following:
(i) Education.
(ii) Transportation.
(iii) Coastal
restoration, environmental restoration, and beach replenishment.
(iv) Energy
infrastructure.
(v) Renewable energy
development.
(vi) Energy efficiency
and conservation.
(vii) Any other
purpose determined by State law.
(D)
Definitions
In
this paragraph:
(i)
Adjacent
state
The term Adjacent State means, with respect
to any program, plan, lease sale, leased tract or other activity, proposed,
conducted, or approved pursuant to the provisions of this Act, any State the
laws of which are declared, pursuant to section 4(a)(2), to be the law of the
United States for the portion of the outer Continental Shelf on which such
program, plan, lease sale, leased tract, or activity appertains or is, or is
proposed to be, conducted.
(ii)
Adjacent
zone
The term Adjacent Zone means, with respect to
any program, plan, lease sale, leased tract, or other activity, proposed,
conducted, or approved pursuant to the provisions of this Act, the portion of
the outer Continental Shelf for which the laws of a particular Adjacent State
are declared, pursuant to section 4(a)(2), to be the law of the United
States.
(iii)
Producing
state
The term producing State means an Adjacent
State having an Adjacent Zone containing leased tracts from which are derived
bonus bids and royalties under a lease under this Act.
(iv)
State
The
term State includes Puerto Rico and the other territories of the
United States.
(v)
Qualified
lease
The term qualified lease means a natural gas
or oil lease made available under this Act granted after the date of the
enactment of the Infrastructure Jobs and
Energy Independence Act, for an area that is available for
leasing as a result of enactment of section 101 of that Act.
(E)
Application
This
paragraph shall apply to bonus bids and royalties received by the United States
under qualified leases after implementation of sections 105 and 106 of the
Infrastructure Jobs and Energy Independence
Act.
(F)
Existing
revenues
All revenues including revenues, including bonus bids,
royalties, rentals, and other sums, collected from leases issued under this Act
prior to the enactment Infrastructure Jobs
and Energy Independence Act, shall not be affected by the
provisions of that Act.
(7)
Establishment of
reserve accounts
(A)
In
general
For budgetary purposes, there is established as a
separate account to receive deposits under paragraph (6)(A)—
(i) the Infrastructure
Renewal Reserve which shall be applied to offset the costs of—
(I) Federal-aid
highway and highway safety construction programs carried out by the Secretary
of Transportation;
(II) public
transportation programs carried out by the Secretary of Transportation;
(III) water resources
development construction projects carried out by the Secretary of the Army
(acting through the Chief of Engineers); and
(IV) legislation
enacted after the date of the enactment of the
Infrastructure Jobs and Energy Independence
Act for purposes of investment in transportation infrastructure;
and
(ii) the Clean Water
Reserve, to first, offset the cost of construction programs under the Clean
Water Act or the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act that provide
assistance, such as grants, matching grants, and no- and low-interest loans, to
State, county, and local governments to rebuild and modernize clean water and
sewage infrastructure.
(B)
Deposit of
balance from SPR Petroleum Account
In addition to deposits under paragraph
(6)(A), the Secretary shall transfer to the Infrastructure Renewal Reserve the
balance of funds in the SPR Petroleum Account on the date of enactment of this
Act in excess of $10,000,000.
(C)
Procedure for
adjustments
(i)
Budget committee
chairman
After the reporting of a bill or joint resolution, or
the offering of an amendment thereto or the submission of a conference report
thereon, providing funding for the purposes set forth in clause (i) or (ii) of
subparagraph (A) in excess of the sum of amount of the deposits under paragraph
(6)(A) for those purposes for fiscal year 2013 and funds deposited under
subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the chairman of the Committee on the Budget
of the applicable House of Congress shall make the adjustments set forth in
clause (ii) for the amount of new budget authority and outlays in that measure
and the outlays flowing from that budget authority.
(ii)
Matters to be
adjusted
The adjustments referred to in clause (i) are to be made
to—
(I) the discretionary
spending limits, if any, set forth in the appropriate concurrent resolution on
the budget;
(II) the allocations
made pursuant to the appropriate concurrent resolution on the budget pursuant
to section 302(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974; and
(III) the budget
aggregates contained in the appropriate concurrent resolution on the budget as
required by section 301(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
(iii)
Amounts of
adjustments
The adjustments referred to in clauses (i) and (ii)
shall not exceed the receipts estimated by the Congressional Budget Office that
are attributable to this Act for the fiscal year in which the adjustments are
made.
(8)
Maintenance of
effort by States
The Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of
Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Energy, and any other Federal
official with authority to implement legislation referred to in paragraph
(6)(A) shall ensure that financial assistance provided to a State under that
legislation for any purpose with amounts made available under this subsection
or in any legislation with respect to which paragraph (7) applies supplement,
and do not replace, the amounts expended by the State for that purpose before
the date of the enactment of the
Infrastructure Jobs and Energy Independence Act.
(9)
Distributions
for Federal-aid highway or highway safety construction program
To the extent practicable, amounts made
available for a Federal-aid highway or highway safety construction program, the
costs of which are offset by application of the Infrastructure Renewal Reserve,
shall be distributed using the apportionment formula that applies to that
program.
.
(b)
Establishment of
State Seaward Boundaries
Section 4(a)(2)(A) of the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1333(a)(2)(A)) is amended in the first
sentence by striking , and the President and all that follows
through the end of the sentence and inserting the following: . Such
extended lines are deemed to be as indicated on the maps for each Outer
Continental Shelf region entitled Alaska OCS Region State Adjacent Zone
and OCS Planning Areas, Pacific OCS Region State Adjacent Zones
and OCS Planning Areas, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region State Adjacent
Zones and OCS Planning Areas, and Atlantic OCS Region State
Adjacent Zones and OCS Planning Areas, all of which are dated September
2005 and on file in the Office of the Director, Minerals Management Service.
The preceding sentence shall not apply with respect to the treatment under
section 105 of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (title I of
division C of Public Law 109–432) of qualified outer Continental Shelf revenues
deposited and disbursed under subsection (a)(2) of that
section..
108.
Inventory of
offshore energy resources
(a)
In
general
The Secretary of the Interior (in this section referred
to as the Secretary) shall promptly prepare an inventory of
offshore energy resources of the United States, including through conduct of
geological and geophysical explorations by private industry in all of the
United States outer Continental Shelf areas of the Atlantic Ocean and the
Pacific Ocean under part 251 of title 30, Code of Federal Regulations (or
successor regulations).
(b)
Environmental
studies
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall complete any environmental studies necessary to
gather information essential to an accurate inventory, including geological and
geophysical explorations under part 251 of title 30, Code of Federal
Regulations (or successor regulations).
(c)
Effect on oil
and gas leasing
No inventory that is conducted under this section
or any other Federal law (including regulations) shall restrict, limit, delay,
or otherwise adversely affect—
(1) the development of
any Outer Continental Shelf leasing program under section 18 of the Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344); or
(2) any leasing,
exploration, development, or production of any Federal offshore oil and gas
leases.
(d)
Funding
(1)
In
general
The Secretary of the Treasury shall make a one-time
transfer to the Secretary, without further appropriation and from royalties
collected by the United States in conjunction with the production of oil and
gas, of such sums as are necessary for the Secretary to carry out this
section.
(2)
Limitation
The
amount transferred under paragraph (1) shall not exceed $50,000,000.
109.
Prohibitions on
surface occupancy and other appropriate environmental safeguards
(a)
Regulations
(1)
In
general
(A)
environmental
safeguards
The Secretary of the Interior shall promulgate
regulations that establish appropriate environmental safeguards for the
exploration and production of oil and natural gas on the outer Continental
Shelf.
(B)
Safety
protocols
All operations, including under any permit issued
pursuant to an application for a permit to drill or an application for a permit
to sidetrack, that has been approved by the Minerals Management Service or the
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, for purposes of
outer Continental Shelf energy exploration or development and production, shall
be carried out in accordance with the safety protocols contained in part 250 of
title 30, Code of Federal Regulations.
(2)
Requirements
The
regulations shall include provisions ensuring that—
(A) no surface
facility shall be installed for the purpose of production of oil or gas
resources in any area that is within 10 miles from the shore of any coastal
State, in any area of the outer Continental Shelf that has not previously been
made available for oil and gas leasing;
(B) only temporary
surface facilities are installed for areas that are located—
(i) beyond 10 miles
from the shore from the shore of any coastal State, in any area of the Outer
Continental Shelf that has not previously been made available for oil and gas
leasing; and
(ii) not
more than 20 miles from the shore;
(C) the impact of
offshore production facilities on coastal vistas is otherwise mitigated;
and
(D) onshore facilities
that are able to draw upon the resources of the outer Continental Shelf within
10 miles of shore are allowed.
(b)
Conforming
amendment
Section 105 of the Department of the Interior,
Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (Public Law 109–54;
119 Stat. 521) (as amended by section 103(d) of the Gulf of Mexico Energy
Security Act of 2006 (43 U.S.C. 1331 note; Public Law 109–432)) is amended by
inserting and any other area that the Secretary of the Interior may
offer for leasing, preleasing, or any related activity under section 104 of
that Act after 2006).
B
Expedited Judicial
Review
121.
Definitions
In this subtitle:
(1)
Authorizing
leasing statute
The term authorizing leasing
statute means the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et
seq.), the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), the Mineral Leasing Act
for Acquired Lands (30 U.S.C. 351 et seq.), and any other law of the United
States directing or authorizing the leasing of Federal lands for oil and gas
production or transmission.
(2)
Covered oil and
natural gas activity
The term covered oil and natural gas
activity means—
(A) the leasing of any
lands pursuant to an authorizing leasing statute for the exploration,
development, production, processing, or transmission of oil, natural gas, or
associated hydrocarbons, including actions or decisions relating to the
selection of which lands may or shall be made available for such leasing;
and
(B) any activity taken
or proposed to be taken pursuant or in relation to such leases, including their
suspension, and any environmental analyses relating to such activity.
122.
Exclusive
jurisdiction over causes and claims relating to covered oil and natural gas
activities
Notwithstanding any
other provision of law, any Federal action approving any covered oil and
natural gas activity shall be subject to judicial review only—
(1) in the United
States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; and
(2) after the person
filing a petition seeking such judicial review has exhausted all available
administrative remedies with respect to such Federal action.
123.
Time for filing
petition; standing
(a)
In
general
All petitions referred to in section 122 must be filed
within 30 days after the latter of the challenged Federal action or the
exhaustion of all available administrative remedies with respect to such
Federal action. A claim or challenge shall be barred unless it is filed within
the time specified.
(b)
Standing
No
person whose legal rights will not be directly and adversely affected by the
challenged action, and who is not within the zone of interest protected by each
Act under which the challenge is brought, shall have standing to file any
petition referred to in section 122.
124.
Timetable
The United States Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia Circuit shall complete all judicial review, including
rendering a judgment, before the end of the 120-day period beginning on the
date on which a petition referred to in section 122 is filed, unless all
parties to such proceeding agree to an extension of such period.
125.
Limitation on
scope of review and relief
(a)
Administrative
findings and conclusions
In any judicial review referred to in
section 122, any administrative findings and conclusions relating to the
challenged Federal action shall be presumed to be correct unless shown
otherwise by clear and convincing evidence contained in the administrative
record.
(b)
Limitation on
prospective relief
In any judicial review referred to in section
122, the Court shall not grant or approve any prospective relief unless the
court finds that such relief is narrowly drawn, extends no further than
necessary to correct the violation of a Federal law requirement, and is the
least intrusive means necessary to correct the violation concerned.
126.
Presidential
waiver
Notwithstanding any
other provision of law, the President may waive any legal requirement relating
to the approval of any covered oil and natural gas activity if the President
determines in the President’s sole discretion that such activity is important
to the national interest and outweighs such legal requirement.
127.
Legal
fees
Any person filing a
petition referred to in section 122 who is not a prevailing party shall pay to
the prevailing parties (including intervening parties), other than the United
States, fees and other expenses incurred by that party in connection with the
judicial review, unless the Court finds that the position of the person was
substantially justified or that special circumstances make an award
unjust.
128.
Exclusion
Section 122 shall not apply to disputes
between the parties to a lease issued pursuant to an authorizing leasing
statute regarding the obligations of such lease or the alleged breach
thereof.
C
Other Energy
Provisions
131.
Policies
regarding buying and building American
(a)
Intent of
Congress
It is the intent of the Congress that this Act, among
other things, result in a healthy and growing American industrial,
manufacturing, transportation, and service sector employing the vast talents of
America’s workforce to assist in the development of energy from domestic
sources. Moreover, the Congress intends to monitor the deployment of personnel
and material onshore and offshore to encourage the development of American
technology and manufacturing to enable United States workers to benefit from
this Act by good jobs and careers, as well as the establishment of important
industrial facilities to support expanded access to American resources.
(b)
Safeguard for
extraordinary ability
Section 30(a) of the Outer Continental
Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1356(a)) is amended in the matter preceding
paragraph (1) by striking regulations which and inserting
regulations that shall be supplemental and complimentary with and under
no circumstances a substitution for the provisions of the Constitution and laws
of the United States extended to the subsoil and seabed of the outer
Continental Shelf pursuant to section 4 of this Act, except insofar as such
laws would otherwise apply to individuals who have extraordinary ability in the
sciences, arts, education, or business, which has been demonstrated by
sustained national or international acclaim, and that.
(c)
Work
standards
All construction, repair, or alteration of public
buildings and public works of the Government and buildings or works financed or
otherwise assisted in whole or in part under this Act by a loan, loan
guarantee, grant, annual contribution, credit enhancement, or any other form of
Federal assistance authorized under this Act shall be performed in accordance
with the standards applicable to comparable activity under any other provision
of law, without regard to the form or type of Federal assistance provided
thereunder.
II
Modifying the
Strategic Petroleum Reserve and Funding Conservation and Energy Research and
Development
201.
Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Strategic
Petroleum Reserve (SPR) was created by Congress in 1975, to protect the Nation
from any future oil supply disruptions. When the program was established,
United States refiners were capable of handling light crude and medium crude
and the makeup of the SPR matched this capacity. This is not the case
today.
(2) A
GAO analysis found that nearly half of the refineries considered vulnerable to
supply disruptions are not compatible with the types of oil currently stored in
the SPR and would be unable to maintain normal refining capacity if forced to
rely on SPR oil as currently constituted, thereby reducing the effectiveness of
the SPR in the event of a supply disruption. GAO concluded that the SPR should
be comprised of at least 10 percent heavy crude.
(3) This Act
implements the GAO recommendation and dedicates funds received from the
transactions to existing energy conservation, research, and assistance
programs.
202.
Definitions
In this title—
(1) the term
light grade petroleum means crude oil with an API gravity of 35
degrees or higher;
(2) the term
heavy grade petroleum means crude oil with an API gravity of 26
degrees or lower; and
(3) the term
Secretary means the Secretary of Energy.
203.
Objectives
The objectives of this title are as
follows:
(1) To modernize the
composition of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to reflect the current
processing capabilities of refineries in the United States.
(2) To provide
increased funding to accelerate conservation, energy research and development,
and assistance through existing programs.
204.
Modification of
the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Notwithstanding section 161 of the Energy
Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6241), the Secretary shall publish a
plan not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act to—
(1) exchange as soon
as possible light grade petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, in an
amount equal to 10 percent of the total number of barrels of crude oil in the
Reserve as of the date of enactment of this Act, for an equivalent volume of
heavy grade petroleum plus any additional cash bonus bids received that reflect
the difference in the market value between light grade petroleum and heavy
grade petroleum and the timing of deliveries of the heavy grade petroleum;
(2) from the gross
proceeds of the cash bonus bids, deposit the amount necessary to pay for the
direct administrative and operational costs of the exchange into the SPR
Petroleum Account established under section 167 of the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6247); and
(3) deposit 90 percent of the remaining net
proceeds from the exchange into the Infrastructure Renewal Reserve established
in section 107.