Bill would create long-term plan for solar research
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today applauded passage of her Solar Technology Roadmap Act by a key House subcommittee.
“This legislation will help take solar research and development in the United States to a new level,” the Arizona lawmaker said. “It is rooted in the common sense belief that we need a detailed plan in place to tackle the energy technology challenges confronting our nation.”
The bill was approved with bipartisan support today in a voice vote by the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science and Technology. It now goes to the full committee for consideration.
Giffords’ legislation would require the U.S. Department of Energy to appoint a group of experts to create a long-term plan to guide solar energy research and its transition into commercial uses. The bill also authorizes $2.25 billion for solar research over the next five years.
After the hearing, Republican Rep. Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland said he appreciates Giffords’ “collaborative leadership in making sure that the Department of Energy’s solar research and development programs are the most effective they can be.”
Those comments were echoed by Republican Rep. Vernon Ehlers of Michigan. “Much more needs to be done to increase the use of renewable energy sources, and solar energy is one of the most promising,” he said. “We should encourage more investment in solar technology so that it is more efficient and available.”
Establishment of an 11-member Solar Roadmap Committee to create a much-needed roadmap for solar technology research is the centerpiece of the bill. It would identify research and development that needs to occur to help improve the performance and reliability of solar technologies, decrease cost, reduce water use and mitigate any negative environmental impacts. It would be subject to a comprehensive revision every three years to keep it current.
“In the private sector, success is built on a business plan,” Giffords said. “We need to follow that example.”
The Department of Energy’s solar technology program includes research in photovoltaics, concentrating solar power, solar hot water, solar space heating and cooling, solar lighting, solar manufacturing and integration of solar technology in buildings.
“This legislation is aimed at charting the course for federally funded solar research, development and demonstration projects,” Giffords said. “It will help the Department of Energy to allocate research and development funds wisely, thereby helping to advance emerging solar technologies quickly and effectively.”
Giffords’ bill is being greeted enthusiastically by representatives of the solar industry in Southern Arizona and nationally.
“This is a great step forward for our country as it works to develop a resource that we have in abundance,” said Katharine Kent, owner of The Solar Store in Tucson. “This act will encourage development of solar and allow the United States to be a leader in this field, making us less dependent on energy sources imported from other countries.”
Ardeth Barnhart, co-director of the Arizona Research Institute for Solar Energy at the University of Arizona, praised the bill for developing “a platform for ongoing research, development and very importantly, demonstration of solar energy technologies that will drive innovation to improve solar technologies and decrease costs over time. It catalyzes a major shift in research for solar energy and will make it possible for ideas to move from universities and laboratories to the marketplace in an effective long-term way.”
Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said his organization strongly supports Giffords’ bill. If enacted, he said the bill “would have significant economic, energy and environmental benefits” and “send a message that it is time to diversify our energy portfolio and expand the clean energy future for our country.”