Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§16234 Concentrating solar power research program

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 149— - NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY AND PROGRAMS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IX— - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT › Part Part C— - Renewable Energy › § 16234

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Order the Secretary of Energy to run research to see if concentrating solar power can make hydrogen and also produce electricity at the same time. Use existing facilities when practical. The work must cover shared technologies for both outputs, study high‑temperature chemical processes that make hydrogen and the materials they need, look at cogeneration with solar electric and sunlight‑based hydrogen, study system designs and economics, and coordinate with the Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project on high‑temperature materials, cycles, and costs. The Secretary must review the National Research Council’s 2000 report "Renewable Power Pathways" and later DOE-funded reviews, give an assessment by the time the fiscal year 2008 budget is submitted or sooner, and send Congress a report by August 8, 2010 on the technical and economic potential and the feasibility of a pilot commercial demonstration facility.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §16234

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall conduct a program of research and development to evaluate the potential for concentrating solar power for hydrogen production, including cogeneration approaches for both hydrogen and electricity.

(b)The program shall take advantage of existing facilities to the extent practicable and shall include—

(1)development of optimized technologies that are common to both electricity and hydrogen production;

(2)evaluation of thermochemical cycles for hydrogen production at the temperatures attainable with concentrating solar power;

(3)evaluation of materials issues for the thermochemical cycles described in paragraph (2);

(4)cogeneration of solar thermal electric power and photo-synthetic-based hydrogen production;

(5)system architectures and economics studies; and

(6)coordination with activities under the Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project established under part B of subchapter VI on high temperature materials, thermochemical cycles, and economic issues.

(c)In carrying out the program under this section, the Secretary shall—

(1)assess conflicting guidance on the economic potential of concentrating solar power for electricity production received from the National Research Council in the report entitled “Renewable Power Pathways: A Review of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Programs” and dated 2000 and subsequent reviews of that report funded by the Department; and

(2)provide an assessment of the potential impact of technology used to concentrate solar power for electricity before, or concurrent with, submission of the budget for fiscal year 2008.

(d)Not later than 5 years after August 8, 2005, the Secretary shall provide to Congress a report on the economic and technical potential for electricity or hydrogen production, with or without cogeneration, with concentrating solar power, including the economic and technical feasibility of potential construction of a pilot demonstration facility suitable for commercial production of electricity or hydrogen from concentrating solar power.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 16234

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73