Washington, D.C. -  On Thursday, the House of Representatives is expected to pass the Solar Technology Roadmap Act, which would make a historic investment in solar power research and direct the development of a comprehensive roadmap for solar technology research, development and demonstration (RD&D).  The bill, which has bipartisan support, would invest $2.25 billion in solar research programs and demonstration projects from FY 2011 to FY 2015.  Congressman David Price (D-NC) plans to support the legislation.

“The Solar Roadmap is important because it will help ensure research is directed strategically,” Rep. Price said.  “We have to balance investments in solar power that will offer immediate results with longer-term initiatives that offer the potential for bigger, transformative changes in the way we generate power.”

The bill calls for a Committee to develop the Solar Technology Roadmap within eighteen months. The Roadmap would identify the RD&D needs of the industry over the next fifteen years and be used to guide federal investments in solar research.  By 2015, the bill would require 75% of DOE solar energy research to support activities identified and recommended in the Solar Roadmap. 

In addition to developing the Solar Roadmap, the bill would authorize significant investments in RD&D activities.  Using an innovative public-private partnership, the federal government would conduct at least 10 photovoltaic demonstration projects ranging from one to three megawatts, and three to five demonstration projects greater than 30 megawatts in size. 

“By bringing federal research expertise and commercial interests together, these partnerships will help speed the adoption of solar power,” Rep. Price said.  “The faster we bring clean energy innovations to market, the faster we’ll be able to decrease our dependence on foreign oil and create a new generation of green jobs.”

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and has been endorsed by a broad coalition of business and energy leaders including the National Association of Manufacturers, the Solar Energy Industries Association, IBM, Intel and National Semiconductor.

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