§ 17337 — United States-israel Energy Cooperation

(a) 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. (1) 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 sections 16352 and 16353 of this title to support research, development, and commercialization of covered energy. (2) 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) 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) 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 (I) the Federal Government; and (II) the Government of Israel. (4) 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). (A) 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) 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) 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) without further appropriation; and (B) without fiscal year limitation. (7) 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) Grants shall be awarded under this subsection only for projects that are considered to be unclassified by both the United States and Israel. (1) 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) 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) 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) 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) The grant program and the advisory committee established under this section terminate on September 30, 2024.