42 U.S.C. § 17113a: Low-emissions steel manufacturing research program

increasing the technological and economic competitiveness of industry and manufacturing in the United States; and achieving significant net nonwater greenhouse emissions reductions in the production processes for iron, steel, and steel mill products. The term “commercially available steelmaking” means the current production method of iron, steel, and steel mill products. The term “critical material” has the meaning given such term in section 1606 of title 30 . The term “critical mineral” has the meaning given such term in section 1606 of title 30 . an institution of higher education; an appropriate State or Federal entity, including a federally funded research and development center of the Department; a nonprofit research institution; a private entity; any other relevant entity the Secretary determines appropriate; and a partnership or consortium of two or more entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (E). The term “institution of higher education” has the meaning given the term in section 1001 of title 20 . The term “low-emissions steel manufacturing” means advanced or commercially available steelmaking with the reduction, to the maximum extent practicable, of net nonwater greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere from the production of iron, steel, and steel mill products. Not later than 180 days after August 9, 2022 , the Secretary shall establish a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of advanced tools, technologies, and methods for low-emissions steel manufacturing. coordinate this program with the programs and activities authorized in title VI of division Z of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021; coordinate across all relevant program offices of the Department, including the Office of Science, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Office of Fossil Energy, and the Office of Nuclear Energy; leverage, to the extent practicable, the research infrastructure of the Department, including scientific computing user facilities, x-ray light sources, neutron scattering facilities, and nanoscale science research centers; and conduct research, development, and demonstration of low-emissions steel manufacturing technologies that have the potential to increase domestic production and employment in advanced and commercially available steelmaking. Not later than 180 days after August 9, 2022 , the Secretary shall develop a 5-year strategic plan identifying research, development, demonstration, and commercial application goals for the program established in subsection (c). The Secretary shall submit this plan to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. identify programs at the Department related to low-emissions steel manufacturing that support the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities described in this section, and the demonstration projects under subsection (h); establish technological and programmatic goals to achieve the requirements of subsection (d); and include timelines for the accomplishment of goals developed under the plan. Not less than once every two years, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate an updated version of the plan under paragraph (1). alternative fuels, including hydrogen and biomass; alternative reducing agents, including hydrogen; renewable heat generation technology, including solar and geothermal; electrification of heating processes, including through electrolysis; and other heat generation sources; combustion and chemical looping technologies; use of slag to reduce carbon dioxide emissions; pre-combustion technologies; and post-combustion technologies; model and simulate manufacturing production lines; monitor and communicate production line status; and model, simulate, and optimize the energy efficiency of manufacturing processes; designing products that enable reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling; minimizing waste from advanced and commercially available steelmaking processes, including through the reuse of waste as resources in other industrial processes for mutual benefit; increasing resource efficiency; and increasing the energy efficiency of advanced and commercially available steelmaking processes; innovative raw materials; high-performance lightweight materials; substitutions for critical materials and critical minerals; and other technologies that achieve significant carbon emission reductions in low-emissions steel manufacturing, as determined by the Secretary; and modeling, simulation, and optimization of the design of energy efficient and sustainable products; and the use of digital prototyping and additive manufacturing to enhance product design. The Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall support the development of standardized testing and technical validation of advanced and commercially available steelmaking and low-emissions steel manufacturing through collaboration with one or more National Laboratories, and one or more eligible entities. a single technology; or a combination of multiple technologies. encourage regional diversity among eligible entities, including participation by rural States; encourage technological diversity among eligible entities; and expand on the existing technology demonstration programs of the Department; and prioritize projects that leverage matching funds from non-Federal sources. not less frequently than once every two years for the duration of the demonstration initiative under this subsection, a report describing the performance of the initiative; and if the initiative established under this subsection is terminated, an assessment of the success of, and education provided by, the measures carried out by recipients of financial assistance under the initiative. leveraging the resources of relevant existing Manufacturing USA Institutes described in section 278s(d) of title 15 ; integrating program activities into a relevant existing Manufacturing USA Institute; or establishing a new institute focused on low-emissions steel manufacturing. In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall coordinate with other Federal agencies that are carrying out research and development initiatives to increase industrial competitiveness and achieve significant net nonwater greenhouse emissions reductions through low-emissions steel manufacturing, including the Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.