42 U.S.C. § 17337: United States-Israel energy…

Summary

The Secretary of Energy must create a grant program under the February 1, 1996 U.S.–Israel energy cooperation agreement to support research, development, and commercialization of certain energy and water technologies. The grants can cover things like solar, biomass, wind, geothermal, wave and tidal power, energy efficiency, advanced batteries, natural gas (including conventional and unconventional), and improvements to water technologies such as desalination and wastewater treatment. The program must follow the rules in sections 16352 and 16353 of the law. Projects are eligible if they meet the Secretary’s priorities and are joint U.S.–Israel efforts. Partners can be U.S. and Israeli businesses, colleges, nonprofit groups, National Laboratories, or the two governments. Applicants must follow application rules set by the Secretary, who will get advice from a three-member board: one federal representative and two members nominated by the U.S.–Israel Binational Science Foundation and the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation. The Secretary may accept and use outside contributions without extra appropriation or year limit. Grant recipients must report within 180 days after a project ends on how funds were used and how successful the work was. Grants must be for unclassified projects only. The Secretary may also enter cooperative international agreements (paying no more than 50 percent of costs) and may create a joint U.S.–Israel Energy Center in the United States. The grant program and its advisory board end on September 30, 2024. The law notes that stronger U.S.–Israel cooperation on energy, water, security, and technology is in both countries’ national interests.

Title 42, §17337

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Findings

Congress finds that—

(1)it is in the highest national security interests of the United States to develop covered energy sources;

(2)the State of Israel is a steadfast ally of the United States;

(3)the special relationship between the United States and Israel is manifested in a variety of cooperative scientific research and development programs, such as—

(A)the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation; and

(B)the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation;

(4)those programs have made possible—

(A)many scientific, technological, and commercial breakthroughs in the fields of life sciences, medicine, bioengineering, agriculture, biotechnology, communications, and others; and

(B)significant contributions to the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency through the established programs of the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation and the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation;

(5)on February 1, 1996, the Secretary of Energy (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) and the Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure signed an agreement to establish a framework for collaboration between the United States and Israel in energy research and development activities;

(6)Israeli scientists and engineers are at the forefront of research and development in the field of covered energy sources;

(7)enhanced cooperation between the United States and Israel for the purpose of research and development of covered energy sources would be in the national interests of both countries;

(8)United States-Israel energy cooperation and the development of natural resources by Israel are in the strategic interest of the United States;

(9)Israel is a strategic partner of the United States in water technology;

(10)the United States can play a role in assisting Israel with regional safety and security issues;

(11)the National Science Foundation of the United States, to the extent consistent with the National Science Foundation’s mission, should collaborate with the Israel Science Foundation and the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation;

(12)the United States and Israel should strive to develop more robust academic cooperation in—

(A)energy innovation technology and engineering;

(B)water science;

(C)technology transfer; and

(D)analysis of emerging geopolitical implications, crises and threats from foreign natural resource and energy acquisitions, and the development of domestic resources as a response;

(13)the United States supports the goals of the Alternative Fuels Administration of Israel with respect to expanding the use of alternative fuels;

(14)the United States strongly urges open dialogue and continued mechanisms for regular engagement and encourages further cooperation between applicable departments, agencies, ministries, institutions of higher education, and the private sector of the United States and Israel on energy security issues, including—

(A)identifying policy priorities associated with the development of natural resources of Israel;

(B)discussing and sharing best practices to secure cyber energy infrastructure and other energy security matters;

(C)leveraging natural gas to positively impact regional stability;

(D)issues relating to the energy-water nexus, including improving energy efficiency and the overall performance of water technologies through research and development in water desalination, wastewater treatment and reclamation, water treatment in gas and oil production processes, and other water treatment refiners;

(E)technical and environmental management of deep-water exploration and production;

(F)emergency response and coastal protection and restoration;

(G)academic outreach and engagement;

(H)private sector and business development engagement;

(I)regulatory consultations;

(J)leveraging alternative transportation fuels and technologies; and

(K)any other areas determined appropriate by the United States and Israel;

(15)the United States—

(A)acknowledges the achievements and importance of the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation and the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation; and

(B)supports continued multiyear funding to ensure the continuity of the programs of the foundations specified in subparagraph (A); and

(16)the United States and Israel have a shared interest in addressing immediate, near-term, and long-term energy, energy poverty, energy independence, and environmental challenges facing the United States and Israel, respectively.

(b)Grant program

(1)Establishment

In implementing the agreement entitled the “Agreement between the Department of Energy of the United States of America and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of Israel Concerning Energy Cooperation”, dated February 1, 1996, the Secretary shall establish a grant program in accordance with the requirements of section 16352 and 16353 of this title to support research, development, and commercialization of covered energy.

(2)Types of energy

In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary may make grants to promote—

(A)solar energy;

(B)biomass energy;

(C)energy efficiency;

(D)wind energy;

(E)geothermal energy;

(F)wave and tidal energy;

(G)advanced battery technology;

(H)natural gas energy, including conventional and unconventional natural gas technologies and other associated technologies, and natural gas projects conducted by or in conjunction with the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation and the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation; and

(I)improvement of energy efficiency and the overall performance of water technologies through research and development in water desalination, wastewater treatment and reclamation, and other water treatment refiners.

(3)Eligible applicants

An applicant shall be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection if the project of the applicant—

(A)addresses a requirement in the area of improved covered energy sources, as determined by the Secretary; and

(B)is a joint venture between—

(i)(I)a for-profit business entity, academic institution, National Laboratory (as defined in section 15801 of this title), or nonprofit entity in the United States; and

(II)a for-profit business entity, academic institution, or nonprofit entity in Israel; or

(ii)(I)the Federal Government; and

(II)the Government of Israel.

(4)Applications

To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, an applicant shall submit to the Secretary an application for the grant in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary, in consultation with the advisory board established under paragraph (5).

(5)Advisory board

(A)Establishment

The Secretary shall establish an advisory board—

(i)to monitor the method by which grants are awarded under this subsection; and

(ii)to provide to the Secretary periodic performance reviews of actions taken to carry out this subsection.

(B)Composition

The advisory board established under subparagraph (A) shall be composed of 3 members, to be appointed by the Secretary, of whom—

(i)1 shall be a representative of the Federal Government;

(ii)1 shall be selected from a list of nominees provided by the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation; and

(iii)1 shall be selected from a list of nominees provided by the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation.

(6)Contributed funds

Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, the Secretary may accept, retain, and use funds contributed by any person, government entity, or organization for purposes of carrying out this subsection— (A)

(B)without fiscal year limitation.

(7)Report

Not later than 180 days after the date of completion of a project for which a grant is provided under this subsection, the grant recipient shall submit to the Secretary a report that contains—

(A)a description of the method by which the recipient used the grant funds; and

(B)an evaluation of the level of success of each project funded by the grant.

(8)Classification

Grants shall be awarded under this subsection only for projects that are considered to be unclassified by both the United States and Israel.

(c)International partnerships

(1)In general

The Secretary, subject to the availability of appropriations, may enter into cooperative agreements supporting and enhancing dialogue and planning involving international partnerships between the Department, including National Laboratories of the Department, and the Government of Israel and its ministries, offices, and institutions.

(2)Federal share

The Secretary may not pay more than 50 percent of Federal share of the costs of implementing cooperative agreements entered into pursuant to paragraph (1).

(3)Annual reports

If the Secretary enters into agreements authorized by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit an annual report to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives that describes—

(A)actions taken to implement such agreements; and

(B)any projects undertaken pursuant to such agreements.

(d)United States-Israel Energy Center

The Secretary may establish a joint United States-Israel Energy Center in the United States leveraging the experience, knowledge, and expertise of institutions of higher education and entities in the private sector, among others, in offshore energy development to further dialogue and collaboration to develop more robust academic cooperation in energy innovation technology and engineering, water science, technology transfer, and analysis of emerging geopolitical implications, crises and threats from foreign natural resource and energy acquisitions, and the development of domestic resources as a response.

(e)Termination

The grant program and the advisory committee established under this section terminate on September 30, 2024.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2014—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 113–296, § 12(a)(1), substituted “covered” for “renewable”. Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 113–296, § 12(a)(2), substituted “possible—” for “possible”, designated remaining existing provisions as subpar. (A), and added subpar. (B). Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 113–296, § 12(a)(3)(A), substituted “covered” for “renewable”. Subsec. (a)(7). Pub. L. 113–296, § 12(a)(4)(A), substituted “covered” for “renewable”. Subsec. (a)(8) to (16). Pub. L. 113–296, § 12(a)(3)(B), (4)(B), (5), added pars. (8) to (16). Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 113–296, § 12(b)(1), substituted “covered energy” for “renewable energy or energy efficiency”. Subsec. (b)(2)(H), (I). Pub. L. 113–296, § 12(b)(2), added subpars. (H) and (I). Subsec. (b)(3)(A). Pub. L. 113–296, § 12(b)(3), substituted “covered” for “energy efficiency or renewable”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 113–296, § 12(c)(1)(C), added subsec. (c). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (e). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 113–296, § 12(c)(1)(A), (C), added subsec. (d) and struck out former subsec. (d) which related to authorization of appropriations. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 113–296, § 12(c)(1)(B), (D), redesignated subsec. (c) as (e) and substituted “

September 30, 2024” for “the date that is 7 years after

December 19, 2007”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on the date that is 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as a note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress.

§17337 United States-israel Energy Cooperation