text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Marine Renewable Energy Research and 
  Development Act of 2007''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress finds the following:
              (1) The United States has a critical national interest in 
          developing clean, domestic, renewable sources of energy in 
          order to reduce environmental impacts of energy production, 
          increase national security, improve public health, and bolster 
          economic stability.
              (2) Marine renewable energy technologies are a nonemitting 
          source of power production.
              (3) Marine renewable energy may serve as an alternative to 
          fossil fuels and create thousands of new jobs within the United 
          States.
              (4) Europe has already successfully delivered electricity 
          to the grid through the deployment of wave and tidal energy 
          devices off the coast of Scotland.
              (5) Recent studies from the Electric Power Research 
          Institute, in conjunction with the Department of Energy's 
          National Renewable Energy Laboratory, have identified an 
          abundance of viable sites within the United States with ample 
          wave and tidal resources to be harnessed by marine power 
          technologies.
              (6) Sustained and expanded research, development, 
          demonstration, and commercial application programs are needed 
          to locate and characterize marine renewable energy resources, 
          and to develop the technologies that will enable their 
          widespread commercial development.
              (7) Federal support is critical to reduce the financial 
          risk associated with developing new marine renewable energy 
          technologies, thereby encouraging the private sector investment 
          necessary to make marine renewable energy resources 
          commercially viable as a source of electric power and for other 
          applications.
  
  SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
  
      For purposes of this Act--
              (1) Marine renewable energy.--The term ``Marine Renewable 
          Energy'' means energy derived from one or more of the following 
          sources:
                      (A) Waves.
                      (B) Tidal flows.
                      (C) Ocean currents.
                      (D) Ocean thermal energy conversion.
              (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
          of Energy.
  
  SEC. 4. MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
  
      (a) In General.--The Secretary, in conjunction with other 
  appropriate agencies, shall support programs of research, development, 
  demonstration, and commercial application to expand marine renewable 
  energy production, including programs to--
              (1) study and compare existing marine renewable energy 
          extraction technologies;
              (2) research, develop, and demonstrate advanced marine 
          renewable energy systems and technologies;
              (3) reduce the manufacturing and operation costs of marine 
          renewable energy technologies;
              (4) investigate efficient and reliable integration with the 
          utility grid and intermittency issues;
              (5) advance wave forecasting technologies;
              (6) conduct experimental and numerical modeling for 
          optimization of marine energy conversion devices and arrays;
              (7) increase the reliability and survivability of marine 
          renewable energy technologies, including development of 
          corrosive-resistant materials;
              (8) study, in conjunction with the Assistant Administrator 
          for Research and Development of the Environmental Protection 
          Agency, the Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and 
          Atmosphere, and other Federal agencies as appropriate, the 
          environmental impacts of marine renewable energy technologies 
          and ways to address adverse impacts, and provide public 
          information concerning technologies and other means available 
          for monitoring and determining environmental impacts;
              (9) establish protocols, in conjunction with the National 
          Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for how the ocean 
          community may best interact with marine renewable energy 
          devices;
              (10) develop power measurement standards for marine 
          renewable energy;
              (11) develop identification standards for marine renewable 
          energy devices;
              (12) address standards development, demonstration, and 
          technology transfer for advanced systems engineering and system 
          integration methods to identify critical interfaces; and
              (13) utilize marine resources in the Gulf of Mexico, the 
          Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean.
      (b) Siting Criteria.--The Secretary, in conjunction with other 
  appropriate Federal agencies, shall develop, prior to installation of 
  any technologies under this section, siting criteria for marine 
  renewable energy generation demonstration and commercial application 
  projects funded under this Act.
  
  SEC. 5. NATIONAL MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND 
                DEMONSTRATION CENTERS.
  
      (a) Centers.--The Secretary, acting through the National Renewable 
  Energy Laboratory, shall award grants to institutions of higher 
  education (or consortia thereof) for the establishment of 1 or more 
  National Marine Renewable Energy Research, Development, and 
  Demonstration Centers. In selecting locations for Centers, the 
  Secretary shall consider sites that meet one of the following criteria:
              (1) Hosts an existing marine renewable energy research and 
          development program in coordination with a public university 
          engineering program.
              (2) Has proven expertise to support environmental and 
          policy-related issues associated with harnessing of energy in 
          the marine environment.
              (3) Has access to and utilizes the marine resources in the 
          Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, or the Pacific Ocean.
  The Secretary may give special consideration to historically black 
  colleges and universities and land grant universities that also meet 
  one of these criteria. In establishing criteria for the selection of 
  Centers, the Secretary shall coordinate with the Undersecretary of 
  Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on the criteria related to advancing 
  wave forecasting technologies, studying the compatibility with the 
  environment of marine renewable energy technologies and systems, and 
  establishing protocols for how the ocean community best interacts with 
  marine renewable energy devices and parks.
      (b) Purposes.--The Centers shall advance research, development, 
  demonstration, and commercial application of marine renewable energy 
  through a number of initiatives including for the purposes described in 
  section 4(1) through (13), and shall serve as an information 
  clearinghouse for the marine renewable energy industry, collecting and 
  disseminating information on best practices in all areas related to 
  developing and managing enhanced marine renewable energy systems 
  resources.
      (c) Demonstration of Need.--When applying for a grant under this 
  section, an applicant shall include a description of why Federal 
  support is necessary for the Center, including evidence that the 
  research of the Center will not be conducted in the absence of Federal 
  support.
  
  SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAWS.
  
      Nothing in this Act shall be construed as waiving the applicability 
  of any requirement under any environmental or other Federal or State 
  law.
  
  SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
  out this Act $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 
  2012, except that no funds shall be appropriated under this section for 
  activities that are receiving funds under section 931(a)(2)(E)(i) of 
  the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16231(a)(2)(E)(i)).
target: Marine Renewable Energy Research and Development Act of 2007 - Instructs the Secretary of Energy to support research and demonstration programs to expand marine renewable energy production, including: (1) study and comparison of existing marine renewable energy extraction technologies; (2) investigation of utility grid and intermittency issues; (3) increased survivability of marine renewable energy extraction technologies, including development of corrosive-resistant materials; (4) a study of environmental impacts of such technologies and ways to address adverse impacts; and (5) establishment of protocols, in conjunction with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), for how the ocean community may best interact with marine renewable energy devices.
  
  Directs the Secretary to develop siting criteria for marine renewable energy generation projects prior to installation of such technologies.
  
  Directs the Secretary to award grants to institutions of higher education (or consortia of them) to establish National Marine Renewable Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Centers to serve as information clearinghouses for the marine renewable energy industry, collecting and disseminating information on best practices related to developing and managing enhanced marine renewable energy systems resources.
  
  Authorizes the Secretary to give special consideration to historically black colleges and universities and land grant universities that meet prescribed criteria.
  
  
  
  Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012, excluding certain ocean energy programs already receiving funds under the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
feat_title: To establish research, development, demonstration, and commercial application programs for marine renewable energy technologies.