Advanced Weather Model Computing Development Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. MILLER of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1715) to direct the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct collaborative research in order to advance numerical weather and climate prediction in the United States, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1715
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 ``Advanced Weather Model Computing Development Act''. SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the Department of Energy.
(2) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory'' has the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Energy.
(4) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COORDINATION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary and Administrator shall carry out collaborative research and development activities in artificial intelligence and high performance computing focused on the advancement of climate models and operational numerical weather prediction relevant to agency missions.
(b) Memorandum of Understanding.--The Secretary and Administrator shall carry out the activities under subsection (a) through the establishment of a memorandum of understanding, or other appropriate interagency agreement. Such memorandum or agreement, as the case may be, shall require the use of a competitive, merit-reviewed process, which considers applications from Federal agencies, National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, nonprofit institutions, and other appropriate entities.
(c) Activities.--In carrying out the activities under subsection (a), the Secretary and Administrator may--
(1) conduct collaborative research to develop new methods and optimization of modeling and simulation, machine learning, data assimilation, large scale data analytics, and predictive analysis techniques;
(2) explore options for performance portability of the optimized weather model codes between the operational computing systems of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department's high performance computers;
(3) develop methods to accommodate large data sets of weather and climate information;
(4) to the maximum extent practicable, and in compliance with national security policies, promote collaboration, open community-based development, and data sharing between Federal agencies, National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, nonprofit institutions, and other appropriate entities by providing the necessary access and secure data transfer capabilities; and
(5) support maintenance of and improvements to scientific computing infrastructure that the Secretary and Administrator determine appropriate.
(d) Coordination.--In carrying out the activities under subsection (a), the Secretary and Administrator are authorized to--
(1) carry out reimbursable agreements between the Department, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other entities in order to maximize the effectiveness of research and development; and
(2) collaborate with other Federal agencies as appropriate.
(e) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary and Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, a report detailing the following:
(1) Interagency coordination between each Federal agency involved in the research and development activities carried out under this section.
(2) Potential opportunities to expand the technical capabilities of the Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(3) Collaborative research achievements.
(4) Areas of future mutually beneficial gains as a result of the activities described in subsection (c).
(5) Continuation of coordination between the Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on activities described in subsection (c). SEC. 4. CLIMATE AND WEATHER PREDICTION ON HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTERS INITIATIVE.
(a) In General.--The Administrator, in collaboration with the Secretary, shall carry out an initiative, which may leverage Department high performance computers or expertise, to run advanced models in order to conduct proof of concept scenarios in comparison with current issued forecasts and models. The Secretary and Administrator shall carry out the initiative through a competitive, merit-reviewed process, and consider applications from Federal agencies, National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, nonprofit institutions, and other appropriate entities.
(b) Components.--In carrying out the initiative under subsection (a), the Administrator shall prevent duplication and coordinate research efforts in artificial intelligence, high performance computing, modeling and simulation, machine learning, data assimilation, large scale data analytics, and predictive analysis across the Department, and may--
(1) run real-time weather forecast scenarios to conduct comparative research between National Weather Service issued forecasts to forecasts developed through the use of operational models run on high performance computers;
(2) share relevant modeling system and applications innovations developed through the initiative, including Unified Forecast System-based applications, through community-based activities; and
(3) leverage related weather and climate efforts and data from the National Science and Technology Council, the Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological Services, and other relevant interagency entities.
(c) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report evaluating the following:
(1) The effectiveness of the initiative under subsection (a), including applied research discoveries, and advanced modeling improvements achieved.
(2) Potential opportunities to expand the high performance computing capabilities of the Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(d) Sunset.--The authority under this section shall terminate five years after the date of the enactment of this section. SEC. 5. RESEARCH SECURITY.
The activities authorized under this Act shall be applied in a manner consistent with subtitle D of title VI of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (enacted as division B of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-167; 42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.)).
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Mr. MILLER of Ohio. 1715, the bill now under consideration.
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Mr. MILLER of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 1715, the Advanced Weather Model Computing Development Act.
This legislation authorizes the collaborative research partnership between the United States Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve weather modeling and prediction on high-performance computers.
Americans rely on accurate weather forecasting before, during, and after extreme weather events. Recent severe outbreaks across the country have further highlighted the increased need for more accurate and effective prediction of extreme weather in every region of the country. This type of weather prediction relies on the analysis of increasingly large and complex datasets through high-performance computing resources.
DOE is home to some of the most advanced supercomputers, including the first exascale computer, and the most advanced scientific computer capabilities in the world. This legislation will enable large leaps in knowledge and operational tools by leveraging DOE's high-performance computing capabilities to analyze NOAA's complex and large weather datasets.
By working together, DOE and NOAA can combine their respective expertise to solve some of today's most challenging problems in environmental science. By authorizing this partnership, we can ensure these agencies can continue their essential interagency research for years to come. We can also save taxpayer money by sharing mutually beneficial resources instead of building out duplicative capabilities at different agencies.
This legislation would codify that partnership and provide new paths forward for this important work and new mechanisms for collaboration. In this way, we can increase government efficiency by working across the larger Federal landscape, a good government measure that will not only result in the protection of lives and property but also efficiently utilize existing Federal research dollars.
It is smart, bipartisan policy, and I thank Ranking Member Ross for working with me on this legislation.
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Mr. MILLER of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. MILLER of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time.
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Mr. MILLER of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I feel the same way and echo the sentiment, and I thank the gentlewoman for her comments.
As I mentioned in my opening remarks, H.R. 1715 is a good government bill that leverages existing Federal research dollars to advance weather and climate science that will protect American lives and property. It is bipartisan, commonsense legislation, which is why it recently passed unanimously through the committee.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill once again, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. MILLER of Ohio. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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