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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§16313 Solar Fuels Research Initiative

Title 42 › CHAPTER 149 — NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY AND PROGRAMS › SUBCHAPTER IX — RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT › Part G — Science › § 16313

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Creates a Solar Fuels Research Initiative to build basic science needed to turn sunlight into chemical energy. The Secretary must run the program using help from the Basic Energy Sciences Program, the Biological and Environmental Research Program, and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Work must be done by multidisciplinary teams that use National Laboratories, colleges and universities, and private companies. Teams must follow aggressive, milestone-driven basic research goals, and the Secretary must give them enough resources over a time set by the Secretary. The Secretary may also use Energy Frontier Research Centers, Energy Innovation Hubs, or other structures. The Initiative funds two main research programs. One supports artificial photosynthesis research, including making hydrogen and oxygen from water and converting carbon dioxide into fuels like hydrocarbons, alcohols, carbon monoxide, and natural gas; the Office of Basic Energy Sciences funds basic research and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy funds development and validation. The other supports copying natural photosynthesis with artificial parts, including work on making ammonia from nitrogen, capturing CO2 from air, charge storage, electron transfer, and biological-like catalysts; Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, and Energy Efficiency offices fund their parts. The Secretary must review progress against technical milestones. Each of these two programs may receive $50,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2023 through 2027 from basic energy sciences appropriations.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §16313

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

(a)Initiative
(1)In general
The Secretary shall carry out a research initiative, to be known as the “Solar Fuels Research Initiative” (referred to in this section as the “Initiative”) to expand theoretical and fundamental knowledge of photochemistry, electrochemistry, biochemistry, and materials science useful for the practical development of experimental systems to convert solar energy to chemical energy.
(2)Leveraging
In carrying out programs and activities under the Initiative, the Secretary shall leverage expertise and resources from—
(A)the Basic Energy Sciences Program and the Biological and Environmental Research Program of the Office of Science; and
(B)the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
(3)Teams
(A)In general
In carrying out the Initiative, the Secretary shall organize activities among multidisciplinary teams to leverage, to the maximum extent practicable, expertise from the National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, and the private sector.
(B)Goals
The multidisciplinary teams described in subparagraph (A) shall pursue aggressive, milestone-driven, basic research goals.
(C)Resources
The Secretary shall provide sufficient resources to the multidisciplinary teams described in subparagraph (A) to achieve the goals described in subparagraph (B) over a period of time to be determined by the Secretary.
(4)Additional activities
The Secretary may organize additional activities under this subsection through Energy Frontier Research Centers, Energy Innovation Hubs, or other organizational structures.
(b)Artificial photosynthesis
(1)In general
The Secretary shall carry out under the Initiative a program to support research needed to bridge scientific barriers to, and discover knowledge relevant to, artificial photosynthetic systems.
(2)Activities
As part of the program described in paragraph (1)—
(A)the Director of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences shall support basic research to pursue distinct lines of scientific inquiry, including—
(i)photoinduced production of hydrogen and oxygen from water; and
(ii)the sustainable photoinduced reduction of carbon dioxide to fuel products including hydrocarbons, alcohols, carbon monoxide, and natural gas; and
(B)the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy shall support translational research, development, and validation of physical concepts developed under the program.
(3)Standard of review
The Secretary shall review activities carried out under the program described in paragraph (1) to determine the achievement of technical milestones.
(4)Funds
Of the funds authorized to be appropriated for basic energy sciences in a fiscal year, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out activities under this subsection $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.
(c)Biochemistry, replication of natural photosynthesis, and related processes
(1)In general
The Secretary shall carry out under the Initiative a program to support research needed to replicate natural photosynthetic processes by use of artificial photosynthetic components and materials.
(2)Activities
As part of the program described in paragraph (1)—
(A)the Director of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences shall support basic research to expand fundamental knowledge to replicate natural synthesis processes, including—
(i)the photoinduced reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia;
(ii)the absorption of carbon dioxide from ambient air;
(iii)molecular-based charge separation and storage;
(iv)photoinitiated electron transfer; and
(v)catalysis in biological or biomimetic systems;
(B)the Associate Director of Biological and Environmental Research shall support systems biology and genomics approaches to understand genetic and physiological pathways connected to photosynthetic mechanisms; and
(C)the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy shall support translational research, development, and validation of physical concepts developed under the program.
(3)Standard of review
The Secretary shall review activities carried out under the program described in paragraph (1) to determine the achievement of technical milestones.
(4)Funds
Of the funds authorized to be appropriated for basic energy sciences in a fiscal year, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out activities under this subsection $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10102(b)(1), added par. (4) and struck out former par. (4). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “No funds allocated to the program described in paragraph (1) may be obligated or expended for commercial application of energy technology.” Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10102(b)(2), added par. (4) and struck out former par. (4). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “No funds allocated to the program described in paragraph (1) may be obligated or expended for commercial application of energy technology.” 2018—Pub. L. 115–246 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to catalysis research program.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 16313

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110