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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-102

§5901 Congressional Statement of Findings

Title 42 › CHAPTER 74 — NONNUCLEAR ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT › § 5901

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress finds the country needs a large research, development, and demonstration program for nonnuclear energy, with Federal investment that may reach or exceed $20,000,000,000 over the next decade. The Nation now lacks enough environmentally acceptable energy. Past efforts did not push hard enough to develop our domestic resources (like fossil fuels, nuclear fuels, geothermal, and solar), partly because newer technologies were not seen as cost‑competitive. The program must use federal and private technical and managerial expertise. With money, science, and priority now, future energy needs can be met while conserving resources and protecting the environment.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §5901

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

The Congress hereby finds that—
(a)The Nation is suffering from a shortage of environmentally acceptable forms of energy.
(b)Compounding this energy shortage is our past and present failure to formulate a comprehensive and aggressive research and development program designed to make available to American consumers our large domestic energy reserves including fossil fuels, nuclear fuels, geothermal resources, solar energy, and other forms of energy. This failure is partially because the unconventional energy technologies have not been judged to be economically competitive with traditional energy technologies.
(c)The urgency of the Nation’s energy challenge will require commitments similar to those undertaken in the Manhattan and Apollo projects; it will require that the Nation undertake a research, development, and demonstration program in nonnuclear energy technologies with a total Federal investment which may reach or exceed $20,000,000,000 over the next decade.
(d)In undertaking such program, full advantage must be taken of the existing technical and managerial expertise in the various energy fields within Federal agencies and particularly in the private sector.
(e)The Nation’s future energy needs can be met if a national commitment is made now to dedicate the necessary financial resources, to enlist our scientific and technological capabilities, and to accord the proper priority to developing new nonnuclear energy options to serve national needs, conserve vital resources, and protect the environment.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Pub. L. 93–577, § 1(a), as added Pub. L. 109–58, title X, § 1009(b)(1), Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 934, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974’.” Definitions Pub. L. 93–577, § 1(b), as added Pub. L. 109–58, title X, § 1009(b)(1), Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 934, provided that: “In this Act [enacting this chapter]: “(1) The term ‘Department’ means the Department of Energy. “(2) The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of Energy.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 5901

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102