42 USC 17116 - Industrial research and assessment centers

Collapse to view only § 17116. Industrial research and assessment centers

§ 17111. Future of industry program
§ 17112. Energy efficiency for data center buildings
§ 17113. Industrial emissions reduction technology development program
§ 17113a. Low-emissions steel manufacturing research program
§ 17113b. Advanced industrial facilities deployment program
§ 17114. Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee
§ 17115. Technical assistance program to implement industrial emissions reduction
§ 17115a. Development of national smart manufacturing plan
§ 17116. Industrial research and assessment centers

§ 17111. Future of industry program

(a) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) Eligible entityThe term “eligible entity” means—

(A) an energy-intensive industry;

(B) a national trade association representing an energy-intensive industry; or

(2) Energy-intensive industryThe term “energy-intensive industry” means an industry that uses significant quantities of energy as part of its primary economic activities, including—

(A) information technology, including data centers containing electrical equipment used in processing, storing, and transmitting digital information;

(B) consumer product manufacturing;

(D) materials manufacturers, including—

(i) aluminum;

(ii) chemicals;

(iii) forest and paper products;

(iv) metal casting;

(v) glass;

(vi) petroleum refining;

(vii) mining; and

(viii) steel;

(E) water and wastewater treatment facilities, including systems that treat municipal, industrial, and agricultural waste; and

(F) other energy-intensive industries, as determined by the Secretary.

(3) Feedstock

(4) Partnership

(5) Program

(b) Establishment of program

(1) In generalAs part of the program, the Secretary shall establish energy efficiency partnerships between the Secretary and eligible entities to conduct research on, develop, and demonstrate new processes, technologies, and operating practices and techniques to significantly improve the energy efficiency of equipment and processes used by energy-intensive industries, including the conduct of activities to—

(A) increase the energy efficiency of industrial processes and facilities;

(B) research, develop, and demonstrate advanced technologies capable of energy intensity reductions and increased environmental performance; and

(2) Eligible activitiesPartnership activities eligible for funding under this subsection include—

(A) feedstock and recycling research, development, and demonstration activities to identify and promote—

(i) opportunities for meeting industry feedstock requirements with more energy efficient and flexible sources of feedstock or energy supply;

(ii) strategies to develop and deploy technologies that improve the quality and quantity of feedstocks recovered from process and waste streams; and

(iii) other methods using recycling, reuse, and improved industrial materials;

(B) research to develop and demonstrate technologies and processes that utilize alternative energy sources to supply heat, power, and new feedstocks for energy-intensive industries;

(C) research to achieve energy efficiency in steam, power, control system, and process heat technologies, and in other manufacturing processes; and

(D) industrial and commercial energy efficiency and sustainability assessments to—

(i) assist individual industrial and commercial sectors in developing tools, techniques, and methodologies to assess—(I) the unique processes and facilities of the sectors;(II) the energy utilization requirements of the sectors; and(III) the application of new, more energy efficient technologies; and

(ii) conduct energy savings assessments;

(E) the incorporation of technologies and innovations that would significantly improve the energy efficiency and utilization of energy-intensive commercial applications; and

(F) any other activities that the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(3) Proposals

(A) In general

(B) Review

(4) Cost-sharing requirement

(d) Grants

(e) Authorization of appropriations

(1) In generalThere are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section—

(A) $184,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;

(B) $190,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;

(D) $202,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;

(E) $208,000,000 for fiscal year 2012; and

(F) such sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2013 and each fiscal year thereafter.

(2) Partnership activities

(3) Coordination and nonduplication

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, § 452, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1634; Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title V, § 40521(a)(1), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1062.)

§ 17112. Energy efficiency for data center buildings

(a) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) Data centerThe term “data center” means any facility that primarily contains electronic equipment used to process, store, and transmit digital information, which may be—

(A) a free-standing structure; or

(B) a facility within a larger structure, that uses environmental control equipment to maintain the proper conditions for the operation of electronic equipment.

(2) Data center operator

(b) Voluntary national information program

(1) In general

(2) RequirementsThe program described in paragraph (1) shall—

(A) address data center efficiency holistically, reflecting the total energy consumption of data centers as whole systems, including both equipment and facilities;

(B) consider prior work and studies undertaken in this area, including by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy;

(C) consistent with the objectives described in paragraph (1), determine the type of data center and data center equipment and facilities to be covered under the program;

(D) produce specifications, measurements, best practices, and benchmarks that will enable data center operators to make more informed decisions about the energy efficiency and costs of data centers, and that take into account—

(i) the performance and use of servers, data storage devices, and other information technology equipment;

(ii) the efficiency of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, cooling, and power conditioning systems, provided that no modification shall be required of a standard then in effect under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.) for any covered heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, cooling or power-conditioning product;

(iii) energy savings from the adoption of software and data management techniques; and

(iv) other factors proposed by the stakeholders described in subsection (c);

(E) allow for creation of separate specifications, measurements, and benchmarks based on data center size and function, as well as other appropriate characteristics;

(F) advance the design and implementation of efficiency technologies to the maximum extent economically practical;

(G) provide to data center operators in the private sector and the Federal Government information about best practices and purchasing decisions that reduce the energy consumption of data centers; and

(H) publish the information described in subparagraph (G), which may be disseminated through catalogs, trade publications, the Internet, or other mechanisms, that will allow data center operators to assess the energy consumption and potential cost savings of alternative data centers and data center equipment and facilities.

(1) In general

(2) ConsiderationsIn carrying out the collaboration described in paragraph (1), the Secretary and the Administrator shall pay particular attention to organizations that—

(A) have members with expertise in energy efficiency and in the development, operation, and functionality of data centers, information technology equipment, and software, including representatives of hardware manufacturers, data center operators, and facility managers;

(B) obtain and address input from the National Laboratories (as that term is defined in section 15801) of this title, or any institution of higher education, research institution, industry association, company, or public interest group with applicable expertise;

(i) commonly accepted procedures for the development of specifications; and

(ii) accredited standards development processes; or

(D) have a mission to promote energy efficiency for data centers and information technology.

(d) Measurements and specifications

(e) Study

(1) Definition of report

(2) StudyNot later than 4 years after December 27, 2020, the Secretary, in collaboration with the Administrator, shall make available to the public an update to the report that provides—

(A) a comparison and gap analysis of the estimates and projections contained in the report with new data regarding the period from 2015 through 2019;

(B) an analysis considering the impact of information technologies, including virtualization and cloud computing, in the public and private sectors;

(C) an evaluation of the impact of the combination of cloud platforms, mobile devices, social media, and big data on data center energy usage;

(D) an evaluation of water usage in data centers and recommendations for reductions in that water usage; and

(E) updated projections and recommendations for best practices through fiscal year 2025.

(f) Data center energy practitioner program

(1) In general

(2) Evaluations

(g) Open data initiative

(1) In general

(2) Consideration

(h) International specifications and metrics

(i) Data center utilization metric

(j) Protection of proprietary information

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, § 453, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1637; Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title I, § 1003, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2426.)

§ 17113. Industrial emissions reduction technology development program

(a) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) Director

(2) Eligible entityThe term “eligible entity” means—

(A) a scientist or other individual with knowledge and expertise in emissions reduction;

(B) an institution of higher education;

(D) a National Laboratory;

(E) a private entity; and

(F) a partnership or consortium of 2 or more entities described in subparagraphs (B) through (E).

(3) Emissions reduction

(A) In general

(B) Exclusion

(4) Program

(5) Critical material or mineral

(b) Industrial emissions reduction technology development program

(1) In generalNot later than 1 year after December 27, 2020, the Secretary, in consultation with the Director, the heads of relevant Federal agencies, National Laboratories, industry, and institutions of higher education, shall establish a crosscutting industrial emissions reduction technology development program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application to advance innovative technologies that—

(A) increase the technological and economic competitiveness of industry and manufacturing in the United States;

(B) increase the viability and competitiveness of United States industrial technology exports; and

(2) CoordinationIn carrying out the program, the Secretary shall—

(A) coordinate with each relevant office in the Department and any other Federal agency;

(B) coordinate and collaborate with the Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee established under section 17115 of this title; and

1 So in original.

program established under section 17111 of this title.

(3) Leverage of existing resourcesIn carrying out the program, the Secretary shall leverage, to the maximum extent practicable—

(A) existing resources and programs of the Department and other relevant Federal agencies; and

(B) public-private partnerships.

(1) industrial production processes, including technologies and processes that—

(A) achieve emissions reduction in high emissions industrial materials production processes, including production processes for iron, steel, steel mill products, alumispan, cement, concrete, glass, pulp, paper, and industrial ceramics;

(B) achieve emissions reduction in medium- and high-temperature heat generation, including—

(i) through electrification of heating processes;

(ii) through renewable heat generation technology;

(iii) through combined heat and power; and

(iv) by switching to alternative fuels, including hydrogen and nuclear energy;

(C) achieve emissions reduction in chemical production processes, including by incorporating, if appropriate and practicable, principles, practices, and methodologies of sustainable chemistry and engineering;

(D) leverage smart manufacturing technologies and principles, digital manufacturing technologies, and advanced data analytics to develop advanced technologies and practices in information, automation, monitoring, computation, sensing, modeling, and networking to—

(i) model and simulate manufacturing production lines;

(ii) monitor and communicate production line status;

(iii) manage and optimize energy productivity and cost throughout production; and

(iv) model, simulate, and optimize the energy efficiency of manufacturing processes;

(E) leverage the principles of sustainable manufacturing to minimize the potential negative environmental impacts of manufacturing while conserving energy and resources, including—

(i) by designing products that enable reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling;

(ii) by minimizing waste from industrial processes, including through the reuse of waste as other resources in other industrial processes for mutual benefit; and

(iii) by increasing resource efficiency; and

(F) increase the energy efficiency of industrial processes;

(2) alternative materials that produce fewer emissions during production and result in fewer emissions during use, including—

(A) high-performance lightweight materials; and

(B) substitutions for critical materials and minerals;

(3) development of net-zero emissions liquid and gaseous fuels;

(4) emissions reduction in shipping, aviation, and long distance transportation;

(5) carbon capture technologies for industrial processes;

(6) other technologies that achieve net-zero emissions in nonpower industrial sectors, as determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the Director; and

(7) high-performance computing to develop advanced materials and manufacturing processes contributing to the focus areas described in paragraphs (1) through (6), including—

(A) modeling, simulation, and optimization of the design of energy efficient and sustainable products; and

(B) the use of digital prototyping and additive manufacturing to enhance product design.

(8) incorporation of sustainable chemistry and engineering principles, practices, and methodologies, as the Secretary determines appropriate; and

(9) other research or technology areas identified in the Strategic Plan authorized in

(d) Grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and demonstration projects

(1) Grants

(2) Contracts and cooperative agreements

(3) Demonstration projects

(4) Application

(5) Cost sharing

(e) Authorization of appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the demonstration projects authorized in subsection (d)(3)—

(1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;

(2) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;

(3) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;

(4) $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; and

(5) $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2025.

(f) Coordination

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, § 454, as added Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title VI, § 6003(a), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2553; amended Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title V, § 40521(a)(2), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1062.)

§ 17113a. Low-emissions steel manufacturing research program

(a) PurposeThe purpose of this section is to encourage the research and development of innovative technologies aimed at—

(1) increasing the technological and economic competitiveness of industry and manufacturing in the United States; and

(2) achieving significant net nonwater greenhouse emissions reductions in the production processes for iron, steel, and steel mill products.

(b) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) Commercially available steelmaking

(2) Critical material

(3) Critical mineral

(4) Eligible entityThe term “eligible entity” means—

(A) an institution of higher education;

(B) an appropriate State or Federal entity, including a federally funded research and development center of the Department;

(D) a private entity;

(E) any other relevant entity the Secretary determines appropriate; and

(F) a partnership or consortium of two or more entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (E).

(5) Institution of higher education

(6) Low-emissions steel manufacturing

(d) RequirementsIn carrying out the program under subsection (c), the Secretary shall—

(1) coordinate this program with the programs and activities authorized in title VI of division Z of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021;

(2) coordinate across all relevant program offices of the Department, including the Office of Science, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Office of Fossil Energy, and the Office of Nuclear Energy;

(3) leverage, to the extent practicable, the research infrastructure of the Department, including scientific computing user facilities, x-ray light sources, neutron scattering facilities, and nanoscale science research centers; and

(4) conduct research, development, and demonstration of low-emissions steel manufacturing technologies that have the potential to increase domestic production and employment in advanced and commercially available steelmaking.

(e) Strategic plan

(1) In general

(2) ContentsThe strategic plan submitted under paragraph (1) shall—

(A) identify programs at the Department related to low-emissions steel manufacturing that support the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities described in this section, and the demonstration projects under subsection (h);

(B) establish technological and programmatic goals to achieve the requirements of subsection (d); and

(3) Updates to plan

(f) Focus areasIn carrying out the program established in subsection (c), the Secretary shall focus on—

(1) medium- and high-temperature heat generation technologies used for low-emissions steel manufacturing, which may include—

(A) alternative fuels, including hydrogen and biomass;

(B) alternative reducing agents, including hydrogen;

(D) electrification of heating processes, including through electrolysis; and

(E) other heat generation sources;

(2) carbon capture technologies for advanced and commercially available steelmaking processes, which may include—

(A) combustion and chemical looping technologies;

(B) use of slag to reduce carbon dioxide emissions;

(D) post-combustion technologies;

(3) smart manufacturing technologies and principles, digital manufacturing technologies, and advanced data analytics to develop advanced technologies and practices in information, automation, monitoring, computation, sensing, modeling, and networking to—

(A) model and simulate manufacturing production lines;

(B) monitor and communicate production line status; and

(4) technologies and practices that minimize energy and natural resource consumption, which may include—

(A) designing products that enable reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling;

(B) minimizing waste from advanced and commercially available steelmaking processes, including through the reuse of waste as resources in other industrial processes for mutual benefit;

(D) increasing the energy efficiency of advanced and commercially available steelmaking processes;

(5) alternative materials and technologies that produce fewer emissions during production and result in fewer emissions during use, which may include—

(A) innovative raw materials;

(B) high-performance lightweight materials;

(D) other technologies that achieve significant carbon emission reductions in low-emissions steel manufacturing, as determined by the Secretary; and

(6) high-performance computing to develop advanced materials and manufacturing processes contributing to the focus areas described in paragraphs (1) through (5), including—

(A) modeling, simulation, and optimization of the design of energy efficient and sustainable products; and

(B) the use of digital prototyping and additive manufacturing to enhance product design.

(g) Testing and validation

(h) Demonstration

(1) EstablishmentNot later than 180 days after August 9, 2022, the Secretary, in carrying out the program established in subsection (c), and in collaboration with industry partners, institutions of higher education, and the National Laboratories, shall support an initiative for the demonstration of low-emissions steel manufacturing, as identified by the Secretary, that uses either—

(A) a single technology; or

(B) a combination of multiple technologies.

(2) Selection requirementsUnder the initiative established under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall select eligible entities to carry out demonstration projects and to the maximum extent practicable—

(A) encourage regional diversity among eligible entities, including participation by rural States;

(B) encourage technological diversity among eligible entities; and

(i) expand on the existing technology demonstration programs of the Department; and

(ii) prioritize projects that leverage matching funds from non-Federal sources.

(3) ReportsThe Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate—

(A) not less frequently than once every two years for the duration of the demonstration initiative under this subsection, a report describing the performance of the initiative; and

(B) if the initiative established under this subsection is terminated, an assessment of the success of, and education provided by, the measures carried out by recipients of financial assistance under the initiative.

(i) Additional coordination

(1) Manufacturing U.S.A.In carrying out this section the Secretary shall consider—

(A) leveraging the resources of relevant existing Manufacturing USA Institutes described in section 278s(d) of title 15;

(B) integrating program activities into a relevant existing Manufacturing USA Institute; or

(2) Other Federal agencies

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, § 454A, as added Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title VI, § 10751(a), Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1722.)

§ 17113b. Advanced industrial facilities deployment program

(a) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations

(b) Financial assistance

The Secretary shall use funds appropriated by subsection (a) to provide financial assistance, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to carry out projects for—

(1) the purchase and installation, or implementation, of advanced industrial technology at an eligible facility;

(2) retrofits, upgrades to, or operational improvements at an eligible facility to install or implement advanced industrial technology; or

(3) engineering studies and other work needed to prepare an eligible facility for activities described in paragraph (1) or (2).

(d) Priority

In providing financial assistance under subsection (b), the Secretary shall give priority consideration to projects on the basis of, as determined by the Secretary—

(1) the expected greenhouse gas emissions reductions to be achieved by carrying out the project;

(2) the extent to which the project would provide the greatest benefit for the greatest number of people within the area in which the eligible facility is located; and

(3) whether the eligible entity participates or would participate in a partnership with purchasers of the output of the eligible facility.

(e) Cost share

(f) Administrative costs

(g) Definitions

In this section:

(1) Advanced industrial technology

(2) Eligible entity

(3) Eligible facility

(4) Financial assistance

(Pub. L. 117–169, title V, § 50161, Aug. 16, 2022, 136 Stat. 2049.)

§ 17114. Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee

(a) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) Committee

(2) Director

(3) Emissions reduction

(4) Program

(b) Establishment

(1) Appointment

(2) RepresentationMembers appointed pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include—

(A) not less than 1 representative of each relevant Federal agency, as determined by the Secretary;

(B) the Chair of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, if that position is filled;

(D) not less than 3 representatives of the research community, which shall include academia and National Laboratories;

(E) not less than 2 representatives of nongovernmental organizations;

(F)1

1 So in original. There are two subpars. (F).

not less than 6 representatives of small- and large-scale industry, the collective expertise of which shall cover every focus area described in section 17113(c) of this title; and 2

2 So in original. The word “and” probably should not appear.

(F)1 not less than 1 representative of a State government; and

(G) any other individuals the Secretary, in coordination with the Director, determines to be necessary to ensure that the Committee is comprised of a diverse group of representatives of industry, academia, independent researchers, and public and private entities.

(3) Chair

(d) Duties

(1) In generalThe Committee shall—

(A) in consultation with the Secretary and the Director, propose missions and goals for the program, which shall be consistent with the purposes of the program described in section 17113(b)(1) of this title; and

(B) advise the Secretary with respect to the program—

(i) by identifying and evaluating any technologies being developed by the private sector relating to the focus areas described in section 17113(c) of this title;

(ii) by identifying technology gaps in the private sector or other Federal agencies in those focus areas, and making recommendations to address those gaps;

(iii) by surveying and analyzing factors that prevent the adoption of emissions reduction technologies by the private sector; and

(iv) by recommending technology screening criteria for technology developed under the program to encourage adoption of the technology by the private sector; and

(2) Strategic plan

(A) Purpose

(B) ContentsThe strategic plan developed under paragraph (1)(C) shall—

(i) specify near-term and long-term qualitative and quantitative objectives relating to each focus area described in section 17113(c) of this title, including research, development, demonstration, and commercial application objectives;

(ii) leverage existing roadmaps relevant to the program in section 17113(b)(1) of this title and the focus areas in section 17113(c) of this title;

(iii) specify the anticipated timeframe for achieving the objectives specified under clause (i);

(iv) include plans for developing emissions reduction technologies that are globally cost-competitive, including, as applicable, in developing economies;

(v) identify the appropriate role for investment by the Federal Government, in coordination with the private sector, to achieve the objectives specified under clause (i);

(vi) identify the public and private costs of achieving the objectives specified under clause (i); and

(vii) estimate the economic and employment impact in the United States of achieving those objectives.

(e) Meetings

(1) Frequency

(2) Initial meeting

(f) Committee report

(1) In general

(2) ContentsThe report under paragraph (1) shall include—

(A) a description of any technology innovation opportunities identified by the Committee;

(B) a description of any technology gaps identified by the Committee under subsection (d)(1)(B)(ii);

(D) an evaluation of the progress of the program and the research, development, and demonstration activities funded under the program;

(E) any recommended changes to the focus areas of the program described in section 17113(c) of this title;

(F) a description of the manner in which the Committee has carried out the duties described in subsection (d)(1) and any relevant findings as a result of carrying out those duties;

(G) if necessary, an update to the strategic plan developed by the Committee under subsection (d)(1)(C);

(H) the progress made in achieving the goals set out in that strategic plan;

(I) a review of the management, coordination, and industry utility of the program;

(J) an assessment of the extent to which progress has been made under the program in developing commercial, cost-competitive technologies in each focus area described in section 17113(c) of this title; and

(K) an assessment of the effectiveness of the program in coordinating efforts within the Department and with other Federal agencies to achieve the purposes of the program.

(g) Report to Congress

(h) Applicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, § 455, as added Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title VI, § 6004(a), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2556.)

§ 17115. Technical assistance program to implement industrial emissions reduction

(a) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) Eligible entityThe term “eligible entity” means—

(A) a State;

(B) a unit of local government;

(D) a relevant State or local office, including an energy office;

(E) a tribal organization (as defined in section 3765 of title 38);

(F) an institution of higher education; and 1

1 So in original.

(G) a private entity; and

(H) a trade association or technical society.

(2) Emissions reduction

(3) Program

(b) Establishment

(1) In general

(2) Application process

(3) Factors for considerationIn selecting eligible entities for technical assistance under the program, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable—

(A) give priority to—

(i) activities carried out with technical assistance under the program that have the greatest potential for achieving emissions reduction in nonpower industrial sectors;

(ii) activities carried out in a State in which there are active or inactive industrial facilities that may be used or retrofitted to carry out activities under the focus areas described in section 17113(c) of this title; and

(iii) activities carried out in an economically distressed area (as described in section 3161(a) of this title); and

(B) ensure that—

(i) there is geographic diversity among the eligible entities selected; and

(ii) the activities carried out with technical assistance under the program reflect a majority of the focus areas described in section 17113(c) of this title.

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, § 456, as added Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title VI, § 6005(a), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2559.)

§ 17115a. Development of national smart manufacturing plan

(a) In general

(b) Content

(1) In generalThe plan developed under subsection (a) shall identify areas in which agency actions by the Secretary and other heads of relevant Federal agencies would—

(A) facilitate quicker development, deployment, and adoption of smart manufacturing technologies and processes;

(B) result in greater energy efficiency and lower environmental impacts for all American manufacturers; and

(2) InclusionsAgency actions identified under paragraph (1) shall include—

(A) an assessment of previous and current actions of the Department relating to smart manufacturing;

(B) the establishment of voluntary interconnection protocols and performance standards;

(C) the use of smart manufacturing to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions in supply chains across multiple companies;

(D) actions to increase cybersecurity in smart manufacturing infrastructure;

(E) deployment of existing research results;

(F) the leveraging of existing high-performance computing infrastructure; and

(G) consideration of the impact of smart manufacturing on existing manufacturing jobs and future manufacturing jobs.

(d) Report

(e) DefinitionIn this section, the term “smart manufacturing” means advanced technologies in information, automation, monitoring, computation, sensing, modeling, artificial intelligence, analytics, and networking that—

(1) digitally—

(A) simulate manufacturing production lines;

(B) operate computer-controlled manufacturing equipment;

(D) manage and optimize energy productivity and cost throughout production;

(2) model, simulate, and optimize the energy efficiency of a factory building;

(3) monitor and optimize building energy performance;

(4) model, simulate, and optimize the design of energy efficient and sustainable products, including the use of digital prototyping and additive manufacturing to enhance product design;

(5) connect manufactured products in networks to monitor and optimize the performance of the networks, including automated network operations; and

(6) digitally connect the supply chain network.

(Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title VI, § 6006, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2560.)

§ 17116. Industrial research and assessment centers

(a) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) Covered projectThe term “covered project” means a project—

(A) that has been recommended in an energy assessment described in paragraph (2)(A) conducted for an eligible entity; and

(B) with respect to which the plant site of that eligible entity—

(i) improves—(I) energy efficiency;(II) material efficiency;(III) cybersecurity; or(IV) productivity; or

(ii) reduces—(I) waste production;(II) greenhouse gas emissions; or(III) nongreenhouse gas pollution.

(2) Eligible entityThe term “eligible entity” means a small- or medium-sized manufacturer that has had an energy assessment completed by—

(A) an industrial research and assessment center;

(B) a Department of Energy Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership jointly with an industrial research and assessment center; or

(C) a third-party assessor that provides an assessment equivalent to an assessment described in subparagraph (A) or (B), as determined by the Secretary.

(3) Energy service providerThe term “energy service provider” means—

(A) any business providing technology or services to improve the energy efficiency, water efficiency, power factor, or load management of a manufacturing site or other industrial process in an energy-intensive industry (as defined in section 17111(a) of this title); and

(B) any utility operating under a utility energy service project.

(4) Industrial research and assessment centerThe term “industrial research and assessment center” means—

(A) an institution of higher education-based industrial research and assessment center that is funded by the Secretary under subsection (b); and

(B) an industrial research and assessment center at a trade school, community college, or union training program that is funded by the Secretary under subsection (f).

(5) Program

(6) Small- or medium-sized manufacturerThe term “small- or medium-sized manufacturer” means a manufacturing firm—

(A) the gross annual sales of which are less than $100,000,000;

(B) that has fewer than 500 employees at the plant site of the manufacturing firm; and

(b) Institution of higher education-based industrial research and assessment centers

(1) In general

(2) PurposeThe purpose of each institution of higher education-based industrial research and assessment center shall be—

(A) to provide in-depth assessments of small- and medium-sized manufacturer plant sites to evaluate the facilities, services, and manufacturing operations of the plant sites;

(B) to identify opportunities for optimizing energy efficiency and environmental performance, including implementation of—

(i) smart manufacturing;

(ii) energy management systems;

(iii) sustainable manufacturing;

(iv) information technology advancements for supply chain analysis, logistics, system monitoring, industrial and manufacturing processes, and other purposes; and

(v) waste management systems;

(C) to promote applications of emerging concepts and technologies in small- and medium-sized manufacturers (including water and wastewater treatment facilities and federally owned manufacturing facilities);

(D) to promote research and development for the use of alternative energy sources to supply heat, power, and new feedstocks for energy-intensive industries;

(E) to coordinate with appropriate Federal and State research offices;

(F) to provide a clearinghouse for industrial process and energy efficiency technical assistance resources; and

(G) to coordinate with State-accredited technical training centers and community colleges, while ensuring appropriate services to all regions of the United States.

(c) CoordinationTo increase the value and capabilities of the industrial research and assessment centers, the centers shall—

(1) coordinate with Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers of the National Institute of Standards and Technology;

(2) coordinate with the Federal Energy Management Program and the Building Technologies Office of the Department of Energy to provide building assessment services to manufacturers;

(3) increase partnerships with the National Laboratories of the Department of Energy to leverage the expertise, technologies, and research and development capabilities of the National Laboratories for national industrial and manufacturing needs;

(4) increase partnerships with energy service providers and technology providers to leverage private sector expertise and accelerate deployment of new and existing technologies and processes for energy efficiency, power factor, and load management;

(5) identify opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other air emissions; and

(6) promote sustainable manufacturing practices for small- and medium-sized manufacturers.

(d) OutreachThe Secretary shall provide funding for—

(1) outreach activities by the industrial research and assessment centers to inform small- and medium-sized manufacturers of the information, technologies, and services available; and

(2) coordination activities by each industrial research and assessment center to leverage efforts with—

(A) Federal, State, and Tribal efforts;

(B) the efforts of utilities and energy service providers;

(D) the efforts of other industrial research and assessment centers.

(e) Centers of Excellence

(1) Establishment

(2) DutiesA Center of Excellence shall coordinate with and advise the industrial research and assessment centers located in the region of the Center of Excellence, including—

(A) by mentoring new directors and staff of the industrial research and assessment centers with respect to—

(i) the availability of resources; and

(ii) best practices for carrying out assessments, including through the participation of the staff of the Center of Excellence in assessments carried out by new industrial research and assessment centers;

(B) by providing training to staff and students at the industrial research and assessment centers on new technologies, practices, and tools to expand the scope and impact of the assessments carried out by the centers;

(C) by assisting the industrial research and assessment centers with specialized technical opportunities, including by providing a clearinghouse of available expertise and tools to assist the centers and clients of the centers in assessing and implementing those opportunities;

(D) by identifying and coordinating with regional, State, local, Tribal, and utility energy efficiency programs for the purpose of facilitating efforts by industrial research and assessment centers to connect industrial facilities receiving assessments from those centers with regional, State, local, and utility energy efficiency programs that could aid the industrial facilities in implementing any recommendations resulting from the assessments;

(E) by facilitating coordination between the industrial research and assessment centers and other Federal programs described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (c); and

(F) by coordinating the outreach activities of the industrial research and assessment centers under subsection (d)(1).

(3) Funding

(f) Expansion of industrial research and assessment centers

(1) In general

(2) Purpose

(A) In general

(B) Consideration of capabilities

(g) Workforce training

(1) Internships

(2) ApprenticeshipsThe Secretary shall pay the Federal share of associated apprenticeship programs under which—

(A) students work with or for industries, manufacturers, and energy service providers to implement the recommendations of industrial research and assessment centers; and

(B) employees of facilities that have received an assessment from an industrial research and assessment center work with or for an industrial research and assessment center to gain knowledge on engineering practices and processes to improve productivity and energy savings.

(3) Federal share

(h) Small business loans

(i) Implementation grants

(1) In general

(2) Application

(3) PriorityIn awarding grants under the Program, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that—

(A) have had an energy assessment completed by an industrial research and assessment center; and

(B) propose to carry out a covered project with a greater potential for—

(i) energy efficiency gains; or

(ii) greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

(4) Grant amount

(A) Maximum amount

(B) Federal share

(j) Authorization of appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for the period of fiscal years 2022 through 2026—

(1) $150,000,000 to carry out subsections (a) through (h); and

(2) $400,000,000 to carry out subsection (i).

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, § 457, as added Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title V, § 40521(b), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1062.)