119-hr752

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 752 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 752

To provide for methane emission detection and mitigation, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 28, 2025

 Mr. Casten introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To provide for methane emission detection and mitigation, and for other 
 purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Methane Emissions Mitigation 
Research and Development Act''.

SEC. 2. METHANE EMISSION DETECTION AND MITIGATION.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle F of title IX of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16291 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:

``

SEC. 969E. METHANE LEAK DETECTION AND MITIGATION.

 ``

    (a) Technical Assistance.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
 Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
 Secretary of Commerce, and the heads of other appropriate 
 Federal agencies, shall carry out a program of methane 
 emissions detection and mitigation research, development, and 
 demonstration for technologies and methods that significantly 
 detect, quantify, and mitigate methane emissions. In carrying 
 out the program, the Secretary shall--
 ``
        (A) enter into cooperative agreements with State 
 or local governments, institutions of higher education, 
 or for-profit entities to provide technical assistance 
 to--
 ``
            (i) prevent or respond to methane 
 releases, including prediction, detection, 
 mitigation, quantification, and identification 
 of leaks, vents, and other outflows throughout 
 the natural gas infrastructure (including 
 natural gas storage, pipelines, and natural gas 
 production sites); and
 ``
            (ii) protect public health in the event 
 of a major methane release;
 ``
        (B) in coordination with representatives from 
 private sector entities, State and local governments, 
 and institutions of higher education, establish a 
 publicly accessible resource for best practices in the 
 design, construction, maintenance, performance, 
 monitoring, and incident response for--
 ``
            (i) pipeline systems, including 
 compressor stations;
 ``
            (ii) production wells;
 ``
            (iii) storage facilities; and
 ``
            (iv) other vulnerable infrastructure;
 ``
            (C) in coordination with representatives from 
 private sector entities, State and local governments, 
 and institutions of higher education, establish a 
 publicly accessible resource for best practices in 
 evaluation and incorporation of emission reduction 
 technologies, including--
 ``
            (i) metrics for performance evaluation; 
 and
 ``
            (ii) principles for selection and 
 integration of emission reduction technologies 
 that are best suited for the project or entity 
 concerned;
 ``
            (D) support research of technologies to more 
 accurately quantify emissions, including--
 ``
            (i) the ability to accurately 
 characterize and measure methane emissions 
 through various atmospheric conditions such as 
 wind, rain, fog, and dust;
 ``
            (ii) improvements to data analytics and 
 machine learning platforms;
 ``
            (iii) the ability to characterize 
 temporal patterns in emissions, such as through 
 continuous monitoring or multitiered system 
 practices;
 ``
            (iv) improvements to high-resolution 
 spectroscopic databases of methane;
 ``
            (v) the ability to remotely detect carbon 
 and ethane isotopes to facilitate attribution 
 of sources of methane emissions; and
 ``
            (vi) improvements to Lidar detection 
 technologies;
 ``
        (E) identify high-risk characteristics of 
 pipelines, wells, storage facilities, and materials, 
 geologic risk factors, or other key factors that 
 increase the likelihood or intensity of methane 
 emissions leaks;
 ``
        (F) identify methane mitigation methods and 
 technologies in coal mines; and
 ``
        (G) in collaboration with private sector entities 
 and institutions of higher education, quantify and map 
 significant geologic methane seeps and other sources of 
 natural emissions across the United States.
 ``

    (2) Considerations.--In carrying out the program under 
 this section, the Secretary shall consider the following:
 ``
        (A) Historical data of methane emissions.
 ``
        (B) Public health consequences.
 ``
            (C) Public safety.
 ``
            (D) Novel materials and designs for pipelines, 
 compressor stations, components, and wells (including 
 casing, cement, and wellhead).
 ``
        (E) Regional geologic traits.
 ``
        (F) Induced and natural seismicity.
 ``

    (b) Methane Leak Detection Consortium.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
 the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish 
 and operate a Methane Emissions Measurement and Mitigation 
 Research Consortium (in this section referred to as the 
 `Consortium') for the purpose of supporting, to the maximum 
 extent practicable, data sharing, research prioritization, and 
 researching cooperative leak detection and repair strategies 
 pertaining to methane emissions detection, quantification, and 
 mitigation.
 ``

    (2) Membership.--The members of the Consortium shall be 
 representatives from the National Institute of Standards and 
 Technology, other relevant Federal agencies, National 
 Laboratories, oil and gas operators and industry groups, 
 vendors of methane detection and quantification technologies, 
 institutions of higher education, community organizations, 
 relevant nongovernmental organizations, and other entities.
 ``

    (3) Responsibilities.--The Consortium shall develop and 
 implement a multiyear plan that--
 ``
        (A) identifies technical goals and milestones for 
 the Consortium; and
 ``
        (B) facilitates data sharing for the purposes 
 of--
 ``
            (i) bettering the understanding of 
 methane emissions from the oil and gas sector;
 ``
            (ii) improving emissions detection, 
 measurement, and mitigation capabilities, 
 including assessing multi-tiered atmospheric 
 measurements; and
 ``
            (iii) improving the understanding of 
 methane quantification data analytics and 
 machine learning platforms, including for 
 calibration of measurements.
 ``

    (4) Reporting.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Secretary shall report on 
 the Consortium's activities to the appropriate 
 congressional committees.
 ``
        (B) Initial report.--Not later than 18 months 
 after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
 Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
 committees a report summarizing the activities, 
 findings, and progress of the program under this 
 section. The report shall include the following:
 ``
            (i) A review of LDAR technologies 
 available to the oil and gas sector for the 
 purpose of methane emissions measurement and 
 mitigation.
 ``
            (ii) A summary of research gaps and 
 priorities related to methane emissions 
 detection, measurement, and mitigation 
 capabilities.
 ``
            (iii) A description of the data sharing 
 and cooperative activities that have been 
 initiated pursuant to paragraph

    (3)
        (B) .
 ``
            (C) Annual report.--Not later than 1 year after 
 the date on which the report under subparagraph
        (B) is 
 submitted and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
 submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
 report summarizing the activities, findings, and 
 progress of the program under this section. The report 
 shall include the following:
 ``
            (i) An updated review of LDAR 
 technologies available to oil and gas operators 
 for the purpose of methane emissions 
 measurement and mitigation.
 ``
            (ii) A description of the state of 
 methane emissions detection and measurement 
 capabilities.
 ``
            (iii) A summary of research priorities 
 relating to methane emissions detection, 
 measurement, and mitigation.
 ``
            (iv) An update on the data sharing and 
 cooperative activities undertaken by members of 
 the Consortium.
 ``

    (5) Sunset; termination.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Secretary may provide 
 support to the Consortium for a period of not more than 
 ten years, subject to the availability of 
 appropriations.
 ``
        (B) Merit review.--Not later than 5 years after 
 the date on which the Consortium is established, the 
 Secretary shall conduct a review to determine whether 
 the Consortium has achieved the technical goals and 
 milestones identified under paragraph

    (3)
        (A) .
 ``

    (6) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``
        (A) Appropriate congressional committees.--The 
 term `appropriate congressional committees' means the 
 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
 House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy 
 and Natural Resources of the Senate.
 ``
        (B) LDAR.--The term `LDAR' means a technology, 
 program, or activity that is intended to monitor, 
 detect, measure, or repair methane leaks.
 ``
            (C) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the 
 Secretary of Energy.
 ``

    (7) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out 
 this section the following:
 ``
        (A) $36,000,000 for fiscal year 2026.
 ``
        (B) $38,000,000 for fiscal year 2027.
 ``
            (C) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2028.
 ``
            (D) $42,000,000 for fiscal year 2029.
 ``
        (E) $44,000,000 for fiscal year 2030.''.

    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in 

section 1

    (b) of 
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 is amended by adding at the end of the 
items relating to subtitle F of title IX of such Act the following new 
item:

``

Sec. 969E. Methane leak detection and mitigation.''.
            (c) National Facilities for Testing and Intercalibration Program 
Relating to Methane.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
 the enactment of this Act and subject to the availability of 
 appropriations, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with 
 the Secretary of Energy and the Administrator of the 
 Environmental Protection Agency, shall establish a program 
 through the National Institute of Standards and Technology's 
 Center for Greenhouse Gas Measurements, Standards, and 
 Information established pursuant to 

section 10222 of the 
 Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act 
 (Public Law 117-167; 42 U.S.C. 18932) that establishes national 
 facilities to advance methane detection, quantification, and 
 relevant standards and supporting methods for testing and 
 intercalibration of methane measurements and the publication 
 and maintenance of standards for such measurements.

    (2) Responsibilities.--The facilities established under 
 paragraph

    (1) shall facilitate detection and quantification of 
 carbon, carbon isotopes, methane, ethane, and gases associated 
 with such sources, provide high-resolution spectroscopic 
 reference data advancing accuracy of remote sensing 
 technologies, develop methods relating methane concentration 
 observations to the associated emission fluxes, and facilitate 
 the rapid performance testing of existing and new technologies 
 for the measurement of methane emissions, including testing 
 conditions with a wide range of the following:
        (A) Sizes and extents of emission sources.
        (B) Geographic diversity.
            (C) Temporal characteristics.
            (D) Diversity of atmospheric conditions, such as 
 wind, rain, fog, clouds, and dust.
        (E) Diversity of observing platforms.
        (F) Quantification of atmospheric emission plumes.

    (3) Annual report.--Not later than 2 years after the date 
 of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the 
 Secretary of Commerce shall submit to Congress a report 
 summarizing the activities, findings, and progress of the 
 program established under paragraph

    (1) .

    (4) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
 to be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce to carry out 
 this section the following:
        (A) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2026.
        (B) $17,000,000 for fiscal year 2027.
            (C) $19,000,000 for fiscal year 2028.
            (D) $21,000,000 for fiscal year 2029.
        (E) $23,000,000 for fiscal year 2030 and each 
 fiscal year thereafter.
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