In this issue:
NIST DIRECTOR TESTIFIES ON PROPOSED MANUFACTURING INNOVATION NETWORK; NEW MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY CLUSTER FUNDING ANNOUNCED
The House Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation recently held a hearing to examine the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) proposed National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NMMI), which was announced by President Obama early this year as part of the fiscal year 2013 budget request. The $1.0 billion NMMI would be made up of approximately 15 Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation (IMIs) around the country, which are envisioned as places to bring together industry, universities and community colleges, and federal agencies to accelerate innovation in manufacturing-related technologies.
In his testimony, NIST Director Dr. Patrick Gallagher outlined the rational for creating such a network, noting that, “To reap the economic benefits of our ability to innovate, our Nation’s manufacturing sector must be able to renew itself by adopting new technologies and developing new markets. The Nation’s manufacturers must respond quickly and effectively to an ever changing mix of requirements, risks, and opportunities, such as emerging technologies and markets.”
The NMMI is based off of a proposal developed by an inter-agency study coordinated by the National Science and Technology Council’s (NSTC) Committee on Technology. The NSTC developed a ‘National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing’ that outlines a number of proposals aimed at closing gaps in manufacturing technology development, particularly the gap between R&D activities and the deployment of technological innovations in domestic manufacturing production. A cornerstone of the NSTC plan is to develop new partnerships among diverse stakeholders, varying by location and objective, to support increased private sector investment in both manufacturing technology development and advanced manufacturing
production capacity.
NIST has an outstanding request for information (RFI) on the NMMI proposal, and is conducting a series of workshops across the country to gain insight from academia, industry, and other public sector agencies on the structure and design of the proposed institutes.
For an archived webcast of the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation’s hearing, as well as to review the full witness testimony for Dr. Gallagher, please visit: http://science.house.gov/hearing/technology-and-innovation-subcommittee-hearing-assembling-facts-examining-proposed-national
The NSTC’s ‘National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing’ is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/iam_advancedmanufacturing_strategicplan_2012.pdf
The NIST RFI is available at: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/05/04/2012-10809/request-for-information-on-proposed-new-program-national-network-for-manufacturing-innovation-nnmi#h-4 The comment period is open until October 25, 2012.
In related news, the Administration announced a $26 million federal funding opportunity for the multiagency Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge on May 24. NIST’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program is one of several agency programs participating in the challenge, which will provide funding for regional partnerships dedicated to developing industry clusters in support of advanced manufacturing. Industry clusters emerge as a result of private enterprises taking advantage of a region’s assets and strengths in the business environment, and are often supported by economic development organizations, workforce development boards, business incubators or accelerators, chambers of commerce and university-based consortia.
The 2011 challenge provided $37 million for the advancement of 20 high-growth, regional industry clusters. This year’s challenge will provide funding to approximately 12 regional partnerships. The grants are competitive, and the funding should encourage private investment in the regions from a number of sources such as foundations, financial institutions, corporations and other private-sector partners.
An informational webinar about the Advanced Manufacturing Jobs Accelerator will be available for viewing at http://manufacturing.gov/accelerator/index.html in the near future.
For more information about this funding announcement, please visit: http://manufacturing.gov/accelerator/docs/advanced-manufacturing-ffo.pdf
Paul Fakes handles public policy-related research and development issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
fakesp@asme.org
SENATE APPROVES THREE ENERGY-RELATED NOMINEES
On May 24th, the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent approved three Obama Administration energy-related nominees for positions at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Adam Sieminski was approved as EIA Administrator. He had previously served as the chief energy economist for Deutsche Bank since 2005. Before his work at Deutsche Bank, Sieminski served as Vice President and Senior Oil Analyst for NatWest Securities from 1995 until 1998, and Vice President and Oil Analyst for Washington Analysis Corporation from 1973 until 1995. In 2006, then Secretary of Energy Sam Bodman appointed Mr. Sieminski to the National Petroleum Council, where he still serves as a Member.
The Senate also confirmed Tony Clark, a North Dakota Republican, as a FERC commissioner through June 2016. John Norris, an Iowa Democrat, was approved to serve a second five-year term as FERC commissioner though June 2017.
Since January 2001, Clark had served as a Public Service Commissioner for the state of North Dakota and is now the senior member and Chairman of the North Dakota Public Service Commission (NDPSC). Prior to his election, he was North Dakota’s Labor Commissioner, serving in the cabinet of former Governor Ed Schafer. Clark is a former state legislator, representing District 44 (Fargo) in the state House of Representatives from 1994-97.
Norris is a lawyer by training, and most recently served as Chief of Staff to Secretary Tom Vilsack of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Prior to joining the USDA, he served as the Chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) from 2005 to 2009. During his tenure as IUB Chairman, Commissioner Norris served on the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Electricity Committee and was Co-Chair of the 2009 National Electricity Delivery Forum.
Background information on the three nominees is available at: http://www.energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/democratic-news?ID=50594e21-f712-4e4c-9fef-5bcba146f434
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
rainsr@asme.org
BLENDING IN: SENATE STUDY GROUP FORMS FOR RFS
A memo that was released this week confirms that Senators. James Inhofe (R-OK), and Christopher Coons (D-DE) are teaming up to hold a series of meetings as part of a study group on the national renewable fuel standard for biofuels. The group also plans to explore fraud in the renewable fuel credit-trading market, biofuels' contributions to greenhouse gas emissions reductions, infrastructure challenges in the marketplace and investments in biofuels.
The Blenders’ tax credit for biofuels quietly expired at the end of 2011, due in part to the existence of a national renewable fuel standard that mandated 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022. A report last year by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that stated that the tax credit cost the federal government $5.5 billion also played a role (please see June 20th, 2011 Edition of Capitol Update).
The study group will be officially called the Biofuels Investment and RFS Market Congressional Study Group. It is unclear if the group will be preparing legislation, or seeking to hold briefings on the topic.
Sen. Inhofe is currently the Ranking Member on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) and could become Chairman of EPW should Republicans take control of the Senate after the November election. Meanwhile, Sen. Coons serves on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee (ENR) and has demonstrated a strong interest in energy issues as a focus for his tenure.
Biofuels use was first mandated by provisions contained in the Energy Policy Act (P.L. 109-58) before being expanded under the Energy Independence and Security Act (P.L. 110-140). Neither Sen. Coons nor Sen. Inhofe has shown strong support for corn-based ethanol, which has left the some in the biofuels industry feeling defensive.
For more information on the EPW, please visit: http://epw.senate.gov/public/?CFID=15766532&CFTOKEN=41432959
For more information on ENR, please visit: http://www.energy.senate.gov/public/
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at: rainsr@asme.org
GAO REPORT: NRC NATURAL HAZARD ASSESSMENTS COULD BE MORE RISK-INFORMED
In a recently released report (GAO-12-465), the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) analyze whether licensees of operating reactors should be required to develop probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs) that address natural hazards. Currently, the NRC and companies licensed to operate nuclear power reactors (or licensees) apply probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) to natural hazards at operating U.S. nuclear reactors to a limited extent.
When the 104 operating reactors were originally licensed before 1997, NRC required licensees to assess natural hazards using deterministic analysis, which—informed by historical experience, test results, and expert judgment—considers a specific set of potential accidents and how the consequences of those accidents can be prevented and mitigated. Subsequent to most of these initial licenses being issued, NRC, through policy statements and other documents, has endorsed PRA—a systematic method for assessing what can go wrong, its likelihood, and its consequences, resulting in quantitative estimates of risk—as a means to enhance and extend traditional deterministic analysis.
In 1991, NRC requested that licensees voluntarily examine their reactors’ vulnerability to natural hazards and suggested PRA as one of several possible methods for licensees to use in their examinations. However, most licensees opted to use other methods. According to NRC officials and nuclear power industry representatives—and reflected in data GAO obtained from five licensees that together operate 25 reactors—few licensees are likely to have developed or updated their PRA since the 1990s PRAs that address natural hazards. NRC would have to conduct an analysis to determine whether or not to require licensees to develop PRAs that address natural hazards. According to agency officials, NRC has not conducted such an analysis to date.
The experts in assessing natural hazards and/or nuclear reactor risks that GAO interviewed offered a range of views on (1) the overall adequacy of NRC processes for assessing the threats that natural hazards pose to operating U.S. nuclear power reactors and (2) what, if any, changes to those processes are warranted. Several experts said they believe NRC processes are generally adequate for assessing the threats that natural hazards pose to operating reactors. However, more than half of the experts GAO interviewed suggested expanding the use of PRA for assessing natural hazards as a complement to traditional deterministic analyses to provide a more robust approach. Those experts cited a number of advantages to doing so, including that PRA can help identify vulnerabilities that might otherwise be overlooked by relying on traditional deterministic analyses alone. Several experts also identified challenges to expanding the use of PRA for assessing natural hazards, including the limited number of experts qualified to develop PRAs and the costs of doing so.
The report was requested by Rep. Markey, top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee and senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senator Barbara Boxer, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Upon release of the report, they issued a joint statement which may be read at: http://markey.house.gov/press-release/markey-boxer-release-gao-report-nrc-earthquake-flooding-risk-assessment-not-adequate
The 54-page GAO report is available at: http://gao.gov/assets/600/590431.pdf
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
rainsr@asme.org
REP. JOHNSON INTRODUCES TWO WATER BILLS IN HOUSE
Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Ranking Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology (SST) Committee, has recently introduced two bills related to the energy-water nexus and U.S. water policy.
H.R. 5826, entitled the “Coordinating Water Research for a Clean Water Future Act of 2012,” would seek to improve coordination of those efforts by implementing the National Water Research and Development Initiative at the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President in the White House.
H.R. 5827, entitled the “Energy Water Research Integration Act of 2012,” would direct the Secretary of Energy to take water use under greater consideration in the Department's energy research. Specifically, H.R. 5827 requires the Secretary to:
- Seek to advance energy technologies and practices that would minimize freshwater withdrawal and consumption, increase water use efficiency, and
- Utilize nontraditional water sources with efforts to improve water quality.
If enacted, the Secretary would be required to develop a Strategic Plan and create technical milestones to address the energy-water nexus. The Act authorizes $300 million over five years for this research. Additionally, the Act establishes an Energy-Water Architecture Council to help coordinate and promote better energy and water data collection. The Act authorizes $10 million over five years for this activity.
More information on H.R. 5826 or H.R. 5827 can be found at: http://ebj2012.blogspot.com/2012/05/congresswoman-johnson-introduces-clean.html
To review either bill, please visit: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php and search by bill number.
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at: rainsr@asme.org
DOE ANNOUNCES NEW STEPS TO SUPPORT CLEAN ENERGY SMALL BUSINESSES
As part of National Small Business Week, the Department of Energy (DOE) recent announced $11 million in innovative research and technology grants of up to $150,000 to nearly 70 small businesses nationwide. The announcement also highlighted that over the past year, DOE has supported $8 billion in contracts to over 7,000 small businesses.
DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research program is part of broader support for small businesses and startup companies nationwide. These grants to small businesses of up to $150,000 - totaling $11 million – are developing new energy technologies that will help to grow America’s economy, create new jobs around the country and improve American competitiveness around the world. The small businesses selected will then be eligible to compete for a second phase of the program for awards up to $1 million over two years.
The 67 small businesses will work on 75 innovative research projects ranging from designing better wind turbines to fuel cell technology to coal energy research. These small businesses are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
More information about this announcement can be found at: http://energy.gov/articles/us-deputy-energy-secretary-poneman-announces-new-steps-support-clean-energy-small
Additionally, DOE announced the 2011 Small Business Awards, recognizing small businesses, program managers and other partners who have gone above and beyond expectations, demonstrating exceptional performance and creativity towards helping the Department achieve its goals.
A detailed description of the awards is available at http://energy.gov/diversity/downloads/small-business-award-winners-fy-2011
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
rainsr@asme.org
NASA SELECTS FIVE UNIVERSITIES FOR 2013 X-HAB INNOVATION CHALLENGE
Five universities have been selected to participate in the 2013 Exploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Space Grant Foundation. These universities will design habitat systems, concepts and technologies that could be used in future deep space habitats.
The selection is the first milestone in a year-long process for these five teams. Throughout the 2012-2013 academic year, the teams will meet a series of milestones to design, manufacture, assemble and test their systems and concepts in cooperation with the NASA Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Program's Habitation Systems Project team.
The challenge is a university-level participatory exploration effort designed to encourage studies in spaceflight-related disciplines. The challenge encourages multidisciplinary approaches, further outreach efforts and partnering with experts and industry. This design challenge requires undergraduate students to explore NASA's work on development of deep space habitats while also helping the agency gather new ideas to complement its current research and development. NASA selected these five teams from among a group of proposals received in May 2012.
The X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge 2013 teams are:
- California State Polytechnic University, Ponoma: Vertical Habitability Layout and Fabrication Studies;
- Oklahoma State University: Deep Space Habitat, Horizontal Habitability Layout Studies;
- Texas A&M University: Wireless Smart Plug for DC Power;
- University of Alabama in Huntsville: Design and Development of a Microgravity Random Access Stowage and Rack System; and,
- University of Colorado at Boulder: Remote Plant Food Production Capability.
The National Space Grant Foundation will fund design costs, development and delivery of the systems to the AES Habitat Systems team during the summer of 2013.
For information about the competition registration and requirements, visit http://www.spacegrant.org/xhab
Paul Fakes covers public policy-related research and development (R&D) issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
fakesp@asme.org
THE ARTICLES CONTAINED IN CAPITOL UPDATE ARE NOT POSITIONS OF ASME OR ANY OF
ITS SUB-ENTITIES, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY NOTED AS SUCH. THIS PUBLICATION IS DESIGNED
TO INFORM ASME MEMBERS ABOUT ISSUES OF CONCERN BEING DEBATED AND DISCUSSED IN
THE HALLS OF CONGRESS, IN THE STATES, AND IN THE FEDERAL AGENCIES.
EDITOR: Mary James Legatski, ASME Government Relations, 1828 L Street, NW, Suite 810, Washington, DC 20036-5104.