
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC5581]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                        CHAPTER 71--SOLAR ENERGY
 
  SUBCHAPTER III--SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND 
                              DEMONSTRATION
 
Sec. 5581. Congressional findings and declaration of policy

    (a) The Congress hereby finds that--
        (1) the United States of America is faced with a finite and 
    diminishing resource base of native fossil fuels, and as a 
    consequence must develop as quickly as possible a diversified, 
    pluralistic national energy capability and posture;
        (2) the current imbalance between supply and demand for fuels 
    and energy in the United States is likely to grow for many years;
        (3) the early demonstration of the feasibility of using solar 
    photovoltaic energy systems for the generation of electricity could 
    help to relieve the demand on existing fuel and energy supplies;
        (4) the national security and economic well-being of the United 
    States is endangered by its dependence on imported energy supplies 
    which are subject to resource limitations, artificial pricing 
    mechanisms which do not accurately reflect supply and demand 
    relationships, and supply interruptions;
        (5) the early development and widespread utilization of 
    photovoltaic energy systems could significantly expand the domestic 
    energy resource base of the United States, thereby lessening its 
    dependence on foreign supplies;
        (6) the establishment of sizable markets for photovoltaic energy 
    systems will justify private investment in plant and equipment 
    necessary to realize the economies of scale, and will result in 
    significant reductions in the unit costs of these systems;
        (7) the use of solar photovoltaic energy systems for certain 
    limited applications has already proved feasible;
        (8) there appear to be no insoluble technical obstacles to the 
    widespread commercial use of solar photovoltaic energy technologies;
        (9) an aggressive research and development program should solve 
    existing technical problems of solar photovoltaic systems; and, 
    supported by an assured and growing market for photovoltaic systems 
    during the next decade, should maximize the future contribution of 
    solar photovoltaic energy to this Nation's future energy production;
        (10) it is the proper and appropriate role of the Federal 
    Government to undertake research, development, and demonstration 
    programs in solar photovoltaic energy technologies and to supplement 
    and assist private industry and other entities and thereby the 
    general public, so as to hasten the general commercial use of such 
    technologies;
        (11) the high cost of imported energy sources impairs the 
    economic growth of many nations which lack sizable domestic energy 
    supplies or are unable to develop these resources;
        (12) photovoltaic energy systems are economically competitive 
    with conventional energy resources for a wide variety of 
    applications in many foreign nations at the present time, and will 
    find additional applications with continued cost reductions;
        (13) the early development and export of solar photovoltaic 
    energy systems, consistent with the established preeminence of the 
    United States in the field of high technology products, can make a 
    valuable contribution to the well-being of the people of other 
    nations and to this Nation's balance of trade;
        (14) the widespread use of solar photovoltaic energy systems to 
    supplement and replace conventional methods for the generation of 
    electricity would have a beneficial effect upon the environment;
        (15) to increase the potential application of solar photovoltaic 
    energy systems in remote locations, and to minimize the need for 
    backup systems depending on fossil fuel, programs leading to the 
    development of inexpensive and reliable systems for the storage of 
    electricity should be pursued as part of any solar photovoltaic 
    energy research, development, and demonstration program;
        (16) evaluation of the performance and reliability of solar 
    photovoltaic energy technologies can be expedited by testing of 
    prototypes under carefully controlled conditions;
        (17) commercial application of solar photovoltaic energy 
    technologies can be expedited by early commercial demonstration 
    under practical conditions;
        (18) photovoltaic energy systems are currently adaptable on a 
    life cycle, cost-justified basis for certain of the energy needs of 
    the Federal Government, and will find additional applications as 
    continued refinements improve performance and reduce unit costs;
        (19) the Federal Government can stimulate innovation and 
    economic efficiency in the production of photovoltaic energy systems 
    through the development and implementation of policies to promote 
    diversity and maximum competition between firms engaged in the 
    research, manufacture, installation, and/or maintenance of these 
    systems;
        (20) innovation and creativity in the development of solar 
    photovoltaic energy components and systems can be fostered through 
    encouraging direct contact between the manufacturers of such systems 
    and the architects, engineers, developers, contractors, and other 
    persons interested in utilizing such systems; and
        (21) it is contemplated that the ten-year program established by 
    this subchapter will require the expenditure of $1,500,000,000 by 
    the Federal Government.

    (b) It is therefore declared to be the policy of the United States 
and the purpose of this subchapter to establish during the next decade 
an aggressive research, development, and demonstration program involving 
solar photovoltaic energy systems and in the long term, to have as an 
objective the production of electricity from photovoltaic systems cost 
competitive with utility-generated electricity from conventional 
sources. Further, it is declared to be the policy of the United States 
and the purpose of this subchapter that the objectives of this research, 
development, and demonstration program are--
        (1) to double the production of solar photovoltaic energy 
    systems each year during the decade starting with fiscal year 1979, 
    measured by the peak generating capacity of the systems produced, so 
    as to reach a total annual United States production of solar 
    photovoltaic energy systems of approximately two million peak 
    kilowatts, and a total cumulative production of such systems of 
    approximately four million peak kilowatts by fiscal year 1988;
        (2) to reduce the average cost of installed solar photovoltaic 
    energy systems to $1 per peak watt by fiscal year 1988; and
        (3) to stimulate the purchase by private buyers of at least 90 
    per centum of all solar photovoltaic energy systems produced in the 
    United States during fiscal year 1988.

(Pub. L. 95-590, Sec. 2, Nov. 4, 1978, 92 Stat. 2513.)


                               Short Title

    For short title of this subchapter as the ``Solar Photovoltaic 
Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1978'', see 
section 1 of Pub. L. 95-590, set out as a note under section 5501 of 
this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 5583, 5589 of this title.
