[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9957 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9957
To direct the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study of the feasibility
of establishing a refined fuel storage reserve in the Western United
States.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 11, 2024
Mr. Curtis (for himself, Ms. Maloy, Mr. Moore of Utah, and Mr. Owens)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce
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A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study of the feasibility
of establishing a refined fuel storage reserve in the Western United
States.
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 ``Western Refined Fuel Reserve Act of
2024''.
SEC. 2. WESTERN REFINED FUEL STORAGE RESERVE STUDY.
(a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with
the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Administrator of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, and other stakeholders, shall complete a
study, subject to subsection (b), to guide the establishment of a
Western refined fuel storage reserve in--
(1) one of the Western States;
(2) a salt cavern formation; and
(3) to the maximum extent practicable, a centralized
location among the Western States with immediate and reliable
connectivity to existing rail and highway infrastructure.
(b) Contents.--The study under subsection (a) shall include--
(1) an examination of--
(A) potential locations that a Western refined fuel
storage reserve may be established, taking into
consideration the unique geography of the West;
(B) specific infrastructure requirements for the
establishment and operation of a Western refined fuel
storage reserve, taking into consideration the lack of
pipeline infrastructure and connectivity between
refinery hubs and major cities within the Western
States;
(C) the vulnerability of the refined fuel supply
chains to natural or manmade disasters that result in
an extended disruption of refinery operations within
the Western States;
(D) the economic feasibility of establishing,
operating, and maintaining a Western refined fuel
storage reserve;
(E) existing salt cavern formations in Western
States that are actively hosting or could host a
refined fuel storage reserve; and
(F) the quantity and scale of existing refined fuel
storage reserves containing petroleum products within
the Western States; and
(2) the identification of potential additional benefits to
the energy security or emergency preparedness of the United
States by establishing a Western refined fuel storage reserve,
including--
(A) economic benefits of any identified potential
Western refined fuel storage reserve site; and
(B) emergency response advantages of an identified
refined fuel storage reserve.
(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 60 days after the date on
which the Secretary of Energy completes the study under subsection (a),
the Secretary of Energy shall, in consultation with the Secretary of
Homeland Security and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, submit to Congress a report, based on the results of
such study--
(1) recommending, with respect to authorizing and funding
the establishment of a Western refined fuel storage reserve as
a part of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve system--
(A) regulatory requirements for the potential
establishment of such refined fuel storage reserve;
(B) a location for established such refined fuel
storage reserve;
(C) the utilization of existing private sector
facilities, if applicable, for the establishment of
such refined fuel storage reserve;
(D) how such a refined fuel storage reserve should
be operated, such as what fuels and quantities should
be stored, fuel purchases, conditions triggering fuel
withdrawals, and any other operational recommendations;
and
(E) strategies for partnering with other Federal
agencies, States, and local governments to provide fuel
storage for emergency uses in the Western United
States; and
(2) on the projected costs of establishing a Western
refined fuel storage reserve.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Petroleum product.--The term ``petroleum product'' has
the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Energy Policy
and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6202).
(2) Refined fuel storage reserve.--The term ``refined fuel
storage reserve'' means a storage facility that--
(A) is a salt cavern formation; and
(B) stores refined petroleum products.
(3) Storage facility.--The term ``storage facility'' has
the meaning given such term in section 152 of the Energy Policy
and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6232).
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