
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: 42USC9201]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                    CHAPTER 100--WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS
 
Sec. 9201. Congressional findings and declaration of purpose

    (a) The Congress finds that--
        (1) the United States 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) it is in the Nation's interest to provide opportunities for 
    the increased production of electricity from renewable energy 
    sources;
        (4) the early wide-spread utilization of wind energy for the 
    generation of electricity and for mechanical power could lead to 
    relief on the demand for existing non-renewable fuel and energy 
    supplies;
        (5) the use of large wind energy systems for certain limited 
    applications is already economically feasible;
        (6) the use of small wind energy systems for certain 
    applications is already economically feasible, and therefore, the 
    Federal Government should not undertake any financial incentive or 
    financial initiative which may detrimentally affect commercial 
    markets for small wind energy systems;
        (7) an aggressive research, development and demonstration 
    program to accelerate widespread utilization of wind energy should 
    solve existing technical problems of converting wind energy into 
    electricity and mechanical energy and, supported by an assured and 
    growing market for wind energy systems during the next decade, 
    should maximize the future contribution of wind energy to the 
    Nation's future energy production;
        (8) it is the proper and appropriate role of the Federal 
    Government to undertake research and development, to participate in 
    demonstration programs for wind energy systems, and to assist 
    private industry, other entities, and the general public in 
    hastening the widespread utilization of such systems;
        (9) the widespread use of wind energy systems to supplement and 
    replace conventional methods for the generation of electricity and 
    mechanical power would have a beneficial effect upon the 
    environment;
        (10) the evaluation of the performance and reliability of wind 
    energy technologies can be expedited by the testing of prototypes 
    under carefully controlled conditions;
        (11) innovation and creativity in the development of components 
    and systems for converting wind energy into electricity and 
    mechanical energy can be fostered through encouraging direct contact 
    between the manufacturers of such components and systems and 
    utilities and other persons interested in utilizing such components 
    and systems; and
        (12) consistent with the findings of the Domestic Policy Review 
    on Solar Energy, wind energy can potentially contribute 1.7 quads of 
    energy per year by the year 2000.

    (b) It is declared to be the policy of the United States and the 
purpose of this chapter to establish during the next eight years an 
aggressive research, development, demonstration, and technology 
applications program for converting wind energy into electricity and 
mechanical energy. It is declared to be the further policy of the United 
States and the purpose of this chapter that the objectives of such 
program are--
        (1) to reduce the average cost of electricity produced by 
    installed wind energy systems, by the end of fiscal year 1988, to a 
    level competitive with conventional energy sources;
        (2) to reach a total megawatt capacity in the United States from 
    wind energy systems, by the end of fiscal year 1988, of at least 
    eight hundred megawatts, of which at least one hundred megawatts are 
    provided by small wind energy systems; and
        (3) to accelerate the growth of a commercially viable and 
    competitive industry to make wind energy systems available to the 
    general public as an option in order to reduce national consumption 
    of fossil fuel.

(Pub. L. 96-345, Sec. 2, Sept. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 1139.)


                               Short Title

    Section 1 of Pub. L. 96-345 provided: ``That this Act [enacting this 
chapter] may be cited as the `Wind Energy Systems Act of 1980'.''
