COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR ENERGY RESEARCH, U.S. Congness. HEARING BEFORE THE House COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY-FOURTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION 57-732 O JULY 21, 1975 [No. 28] Printed for the use of the Committee on Science and Technology U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE KF27 $39 19752 COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OLIN E. TEAGUE, Texas, Chairman KEN HECHLER, West Virginia JAMES W. SYMINGTON, Missouri JIM LLOYD, California JEROME A. AMBRO, New York ROBERT (BOB) KRUEGER, Texas JAMES J. BLANCHARD, Michigan CHARLES A. MOSHER, Ohio BARRY M. GOLDWATER, JR., California JOHN B. CONLAN, Arizona LARRY PRESSLER, South Dakota JOHN L. SWIGERT, Jr., Executive Director REGINA A. DAVIS, Clerk CARL SWARTZ, Minority Counsel CONTENTS Dr. Robert Seamans, Jr., Administrator, Energy Research and Devel- Emilio Q. Daddario, Director, The Office of Technology Assessment; The Nation's Energy Future, a report to Richard M. Nixon, President of the United States, Dec. 1, 1973, submitted by Dr. Dixy Lee Ray, chair- man, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission__. Congressional Research Service Reports: Formulation of a National Plan for Energy Research and Develop- ment: Legislative History of ERDA's Responsibilities Under Public Federal Interagency Coordination of Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development; June 6, 1975--- Federal Organization for Nonnuclear Energy Research and Develop- ment Activities of Departments and Agencies Other Than ERDA, fiscal year 1976: Situation Report as of June 1, 1975; May 30, Public Law 93-577 93rd Congress, S. 1283 December 31, 1974 An Act To establish a national program for research and development in nonnuclear energy sources. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SHORT TITLE Federal Non- SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "Federal Nonnuclear Energy Act of 1974. Research and Development Act of 1974”. STATEMENT OF FINDINGS 42 USC 5901 note. 88 STAT. 1878 88 STAT. 1879 42 USC 5901. SEC. 2. The Congress hereby finds that— (a) The Nation is suffering from a shortage of environmentally acceptable forms of energy. (b) Compounding this energy shortage is our past and present failure to formulate a comprehensive and aggressive research and development program designed to make available to American consumers our large domestic energy reserves including fossil fuels, nuclear fuels, geothermal resources, solar energy, and other forms of energy. This failure is partially because the unconventional energy technologies have not been judged to be economically competitive with traditional energy technologies. (c) The urgency of the Nation's energy challenge will require commitments similar to those undertaken in the Manhattan and Apollo projects; it will require that the Nation undertake a research, development, and demonstration program in nonnuclear energy technologies with a total Federal investment which may reach or exceed $20,000,000,000 over the next decade. (d) In undertaking such program, full advantage must be taken of the existing technical and managerial expertise in the various energy fields within Federal agencies and particularly in the private sector. (e) The Nation's future energy needs can be met if a national commitment is made now to dedicate the necessary financial resources, to enlist our scientific and technological capabilities, and to accord the proper priority to developing new nonnuclear energy options to serve national needs, conserve vital resources, and protect the environment. STATEMENT OF POLICY SEC. 3. (a) It is the policy of the Congress to develop on an urgent 42 USC 5902. basis the technological capabilities to support the broadest range of energy policy options through conservation and use of domestic resources by socially and environmentally acceptable means. (b) (1) The Congress declares the purpose of this Act to be to establish and vigorously conduct a comprehensive, national program of basic and applied research and development, including but not limited to demonstrations of practical applications, of all potentially beneficial energy sources and utilization technologies, within the Energy Research and Development Administration. (2) In carrying out this program, the Administrator of the Energy Research and Development Administration (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the "Administrator") shall be governed by the terms of this Act and other applicable provisions of law with respect to all non |