Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Act of 1974, United States
Through enactment of the Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Act in 1974, U.S. Congress sought to provide for the early commercial demonstration of solar heating and cooling technology by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) within three years. The legislation was developed in response to the oil embargo in 1973 and the nation's dependence on foreign sources of petroleum. The Act required development and commercial demonstration of combined solar heating and cooling technology by 1982. It provided US$5 million for fiscal year 1975 and $10 million each year thereafter. Additional financial support was available from funding for the Solar Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1974, which provided $2 million in fiscal year 1975 and up to $75 million in fiscal year 1976. The federal agencies and departments with the authority to administer funds include the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) and the HUD. States compete for funding of solar energy demonstrations by responding to announcements issued by the administering agencies.
Further Reading
- The Library of Congress. Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Act: Summary.
