---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 9201"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "9201"
heading: "Congressional findings and declaration of purpose"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/9201"
units:
  - "Chapter 100 — Wind Energy Systems"
---

# §9201. Congressional findings and declaration of purpose

- (a) The Congress finds that—
  - (1) the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) is faced with a finite and diminishing resource base of native fossil fuels and, as a consequence, must develop as quickly as possible a diversified, pluralistic national [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) capability and posture;
  - (2) the current imbalance between supply and demand for fuels and [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) in the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) is likely to grow for many years;
  - (3) it is in the Nation’s interest to provide opportunities for the increased production of electricity from [renewable energy](/usc/42/15852.md?p=b-2) sources;
  - (4) the early wide-spread utilization of wind [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) for the generation of electricity and for mechanical power could lead to relief on the demand for existing non-renewable fuel and [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) supplies;
  - (5) the use of [large wind energy systems](/usc/42/9202.md?p=3) for certain limited applications is already economically feasible;
  - (6) the use of [small wind energy systems](/usc/42/9202.md?p=2) for certain applications is already economically feasible, and therefore, the Federal Government should not undertake any financial incentive or financial [initiative](/usc/42/19131.md?p=1) which may detrimentally affect commercial markets for [small wind energy systems](/usc/42/9202.md?p=2);
  - (7) an aggressive research, development and demonstration [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to accelerate widespread utilization of wind [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) should solve existing technical problems of converting wind [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) into electricity and mechanical [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) and, supported by an assured and growing market for [wind energy systems](/usc/42/9202.md?p=1) during the next decade, should maximize the future contribution of wind [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) to the Nation’s future [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) production;
  - (8) it is the proper and appropriate role of the Federal Government to undertake research and development, to participate in demonstration [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) for [wind energy systems](/usc/42/9202.md?p=1), and to assist private industry, other entities, and the general public in hastening the widespread utilization of such systems;
  - (9) the widespread use of [wind energy systems](/usc/42/9202.md?p=1) to supplement and replace conventional methods for the generation of electricity and mechanical power would have a beneficial effect upon the environment;
  - (10) the evaluation of the performance and reliability of wind [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) technologies can be expedited by the testing of prototypes under carefully controlled conditions;
  - (11) innovation and creativity in the development of components and systems for converting wind [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) into electricity and mechanical [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) can be fostered through encouraging direct contact between the [manufacturers](/usc/42/300aa–33.md?p=3) of such components and systems and utilities and other [persons](/usc/42/1320a–7k.md?p=d-4-C-i) interested in utilizing such components and systems; and
  - (12) consistent with the findings of the Domestic Policy Review on Solar [Energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7), wind [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) can potentially contribute 1.7 quads of [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) per year by the year 2000.
- (b) It is declared to be the policy of the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) and the purpose of this chapter to establish during the next eight years an aggressive research, development, demonstration, and technology applications [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) for converting wind [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) into electricity and mechanical [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7). It is declared to be the further policy of the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) and the purpose of this chapter that the objectives of such [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) are—
  - (1) to reduce the average cost of electricity produced by installed [wind energy systems](/usc/42/9202.md?p=1), by the end of fiscal year 1988, to a level competitive with [conventional energy sources](/usc/42/9202.md?p=6);
  - (2) to reach a total megawatt capacity in the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) from [wind energy systems](/usc/42/9202.md?p=1), by the end of fiscal year 1988, of at least eight hundred megawatts, of which at least one hundred megawatts are provided by [small wind energy systems](/usc/42/9202.md?p=2); and
  - (3) to accelerate the growth of a commercially viable and competitive industry to make [wind energy systems](/usc/42/9202.md?p=1) available to the general public as an option in order to reduce national consumption of fossil fuel.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–345, § 2, Sept. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 1139.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Short Title

Pub. L. 96–345, § 1, Sept. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 1139, provided: “That this Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Wind Energy Systems Act of 1980’.”