[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 765 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 765

    Recognizing the 40th anniversary of passage of the Solar Energy 
         Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1974.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 20, 2014

 Mr. Perlmutter submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
           to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Recognizing the 40th anniversary of passage of the Solar Energy 
         Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1974.

Whereas, on October 26, 1974, the Solar Energy Research, Development, and 
        Demonstration Act was signed into law in response to the Nation's 
        growing need for additional sources of energy;
Whereas the law sponsored by Senator Hubert Humphrey, Jr., from Minnesota 
        authorized a Federal program of research, development, and demonstration 
        to assure the utilization of solar energy as a viable source for our 
        national needs;
Whereas the Act established the Solar Energy Research Institute to perform 
        research functions related to--

    (1) researching and developing a program for resolving the major 
technical problems inhibiting commercial utilization of solar energy in the 
United States;

    (2) implementing a research and development program to demonstrate the 
technological means for securing and utilizing the solar energy resource 
base; and

    (3) initiating a program to design and construct facilities to 
demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing the various forms of solar energy;

Whereas in March 1977, after 2 years of highly competitive bidding, acting 
        Administrator Robert Fri selected Golden, Colorado, as the site for the 
        Solar Energy Research Institute;
Whereas the Solar Energy Research Institute officially began operating in July 
        1977, just a few months before becoming part of the new Department of 
        Energy;
Whereas in 1978, President Jimmy Carter was the first United States President to 
        visit the lab;
Whereas in 1991, President George H.W. Bush elevated Solar Energy Research 
        Institute to a National Laboratory;
Whereas today the National Renewable Energy Laboratory a world-class research 
        facility in Golden, Colorado, is home to prominent scientists, 
        engineers, research technicians, across many fields and disciplines;
Whereas the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has won 57 Research & 
        Development ``100 Awards'' and received various other scientific and 
        technical society honors; and
Whereas today, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is a national and 
        international leader in research to develop efficient and economic 
        solar, wind, biomass, and other clean energy technologies: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the House of Representatives--
                    (A) calls upon the people of the United States to 
                recognize the 40th anniversary of the passage of the 
                Solar Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration 
                Act of 1974; and
                    (B) recognizes the vital research and work that has 
                been and is currently being done at the National 
                Renewable Energy Laboratory to improve renewable energy 
                and energy efficiency technologies across the United 
                States; and
            (2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
        the United States should make a commitment to provide adequate 
        funding to support the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as 
        it continues to provide important research for new clean energy 
        technologies to benefit the citizens of the United States.
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