|
|
|
U.S. Code as of:
01/19/04
Section 5551. Congressional declaration of findings and policy
(a) The Congress hereby finds that -
(1) the needs of a viable society depend on an ample supply of
energy;
(2) the current imbalance between domestic supply and demand
for fuels and energy is likely to persist for some time;
(3) dependence on nonrenewable energy resources cannot be
continued indefinitely, particularly at current rates of
consumption;
(4) it is in the Nation's interest to expedite the long-term
development of renewable and nonpolluting energy resources, such
as solar energy;
(5) the various solar energy technologies are today at widely
differing stages of development, with some already near the stage
of commercial application and others still requiring basic
research;
(6) the early development and export of viable equipment
utilizing solar energy, consistent with the established
preeminence of the United States in the field of high technology
products, can make a valuable contribution to our balance of
trade;
(7) the mass production and use of equipment utilizing solar
energy will help to eliminate the dependence of the United States
upon foreign energy sources and promote the national defense;
(8) to date, the national effort in research, development, and
demonstration activities relating to the utilization of solar
energy has been extremely limited; therefore
(9) the urgency of the Nation's critical energy shortages and
the need to make clean and renewable energy alternatives
commercially viable require that the Nation undertake an
intensive research, development, and demonstration program with
an estimated Federal investment which may reach or exceed
$1,000,000,000.
(b) The Congress declares that it is the policy of the Federal
Government to -
(1) pursue a vigorous and viable program of research and
resource assessment of solar energy as a major source of energy
for our national needs; and
(2) provide for the development and demonstration of
practicable means to employ solar energy on a commercial scale.
|
|