,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #dhg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #ad1      
#bjai,mr4 ,whitehouse 7for himself and  
,mr4 ,king7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,energy and        
,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
require the ,secretary of ,energy to    
establish a natural gas demand response 
pilot program1 and for other purposes4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,energy ,infrastructure ,demand 
,response ,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,natural  
gas demand response pilot program  7a7  
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,commission ,the term ,commission means 
the ,federal ,energy ,regulatory        
,commission4  7#b7 ,pilot program ,the  
term pilot program means the natural gas
 demand response pilot program          
established under subsection 7b77#a74   
7#c7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary    
means the ,secretary of ,energy4  7b7   
,establishment  7#a7 ,in general ,not   

later than #aej days after the date of  
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary1 
in consultation with the ,commission1   
shall establish a natural gas demand    
response pilot program to use the latest
 demand response technology from the    
energy sector for natural gas--  7,a7 to
 reduce the cost of energy for          
consumers2  7,b7 to reduce market price 
volatility2  7,c7 to increase           
reliability of the energy system2 and   
7,d7 to achieve reductions in air       
emissions and other benefits4  7#b7     
,eligible entities  7,a7 ,in general    
,except as provided in subparagraph     
7,b71 to be eligible to participate in  
the pilot program1 an entity shall be-- 
7i7 a gas utility1 including a local    
distribution company2  7ii7 a ,state    
public utilities commission2  7iii7 an  
electric utility1 including a local     
distribution company2  7iv7 a           
municipality2  7v7 a large industrial   
consumer1 large commercial consumer1 or 
retail marketer of natural gas2 or  7vi7

 a third-party energy efficiency program
 administrator4  7,b7 ,limitations ,an  
entity described in any of clauses 7ii7 
through 7v7 of subparagraph 7,a7 shall  
not be eligible to participate in the   
pilot program if the ,state law to which
 the entity is subject specifically     
precludes the participation of the      
entity in a natural gas demand response 
pilot program4  7#c7 ,requirement ,the  
,secretary shall carry out the pilot    
program under different scenarios1      
including in a region that is           
experiencing fuel shortages or natural  
gas infrastructure constraints that     
cause the cost of energy to increase for
 consumers4  7#d7 ,data collection  7,a7
 ,in general ,in carrying out the pilot 
program1 the ,secretary shall collect   
data1 including data on1 with respect to
 the regions in which the pilot program 
is carried out--  7i7 the reduction in  
natural gas usage2  7ii7 decreases in   
the frequency and severity of natural   
gas infrastructure constraints2 and     

7iii7 changes in energy costs and       
reliability4  7,b7 ,report ,the         
,secretary shall submit to the          
,committee on ,energy and ,natural      
,resources of the ,senate and the       
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of  
the ,house of ,representatives a report 
describing--  7i7 how to improve data   
collection2  7ii7 the metrics that      
should be used to quantify natural gas  
demand response usage2 and  7iii7       
opportunities to improve the measurement
 and verification of changes in natural 
gas consumption resulting from natural  
gas demand response measures1 including 
opportunities to collect data that could
 be used to estimate the quantity of    
natural gas that could be shifted       
through the implementation of natural   
gas demand response measures4  7c7      
,applications2 certification  7#a7 ,in  
general ,on establishment of the pilot  
program under subsection 7b77#a71 the   
,secretary shall submit to all relevant 
eligible entities notice that the       

,secretary is accepting applications for
 the pilot program4  7#b7 ,submission of
 applications  7,a7 ,in general ,not    
later than #bjj days after the date of  
enactment of this ,act1 each eligible   
entity desiring certification to        
participate in the pilot program shall  
submit to the ,secretary an application 
containing such information as the      
,secretary may require4  7,b7 ,authority
 to require certain information ,the    
,secretary may require as part of the   
application under subparagraph 7,a7     
information on-- 7i7 the current energy 
prices and energy supply issues in the  
region in which the eligible entity is  
located2 and  7ii7 how implementation of
 the pilot program in the region in     
which the eligible entity is located can
 alleviate the current energy prices and
 energy supply issues in the region4    
7#c7 ,certification ,not later than #bej
 days after the date of enactment of    
this ,act1 the ,secretary shall notify  
each eligible entity that applied for   

certification under paragraph 7#b77;,a7 
of whether the eligible entity is       
certified to participate in the pilot   
program4  7d7 ,termination ,the pilot   
program shall terminate on the date that
 is #e years after the date on which the
 pilot program is established under     
subsection 7b77#a74  7e7 ,authorization 
of appropriations ,there is authorized  
to be appropriated to carry out the     
pilot program #aj1jjj1jjj4