DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act

What this does

This bill directs the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Agriculture to run joint research and development at the intersection of energy and agriculture. They must coordinate the work through a memorandum of understanding or other interagency agreement that uses a competitive, merit-reviewed process open to federal agencies, national laboratories, universities, and nonprofits. The bill lists focus areas the Secretaries may pursue, including modeling and artificial intelligence, crop science and pest control, the energy-water nexus, biomass and biofuels, colocating agriculture with energy and carbon storage, invasive species management, grid modernization and security, rural and precision agriculture technology, and wildfire risk. The work may also improve the efficiency of agriculture operations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from them. The Secretaries may enter reimbursable agreements and collaborate with other agencies. Within two years, they must report to named House and Senate committees on coordination and achievements. The research must comply with existing federal research security law.