The Congress finds that—

(1) the supply of nonrenewable fuels in the United States is slowly being depleted;

(2) alternative sources of energy must be developed;

(3) ocean thermal energy is a renewable energy resource that can make a significant contribution to the energy needs of the United States;

(4) the technology base for ocean thermal energy conversion has improved over the past two years, and has consequently lowered the technical risk involved in constructing moderate-sized pilot plants with an electrical generating capacity of about ten to forty megawatts;

(5) while the Federal ocean thermal energy conversion program has grown in size and scope over the past several years, it is in the national interest to accelerate efforts to commercialize ocean thermal energy conversion by building pilot and demonstration facilities and to begin planning for the commercial demonstration of ocean thermal energy conversion technology;

(6) a strong and innovative domestic industry committed to the commercialization of ocean thermal energy conversion must be established, and many competent domestic industrial groups are already involved in ocean thermal energy conversion research and development activity; and

(7) consistent with the findings of the Domestic Policy Review on Solar Energy, ocean thermal energy conversion energy can potentially contribute at least one-tenth of quad of energy per year by the year 2000.

Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to accelerate ocean thermal energy conversion technology development to provide a technical base for meeting the following goals:

(1) demonstration by 1986 of at least one hundred megawatts of electrical capacity or energy product equivalent from ocean thermal energy conversion systems;

(2) demonstration by 1989 of at least five hundred megawatts of electrical capacity or energy product equivalent from ocean thermal energy conversion systems;

(3) achievement in the mid-1990’s, for the gulf coast region of the continental United States and for islands in the United States, its possessions and its territories, an average cost of electricity or energy product equivalent produced by installed ocean thermal energy conversion systems that is competitive with conventional energy sources; and

(4) establish as a national goal ten thousand megawatts of electrical capacity or energy product equivalent from ocean thermal energy conversion systems by the year 1999.

(Pub. L. 96–310, § 2, July 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 941.)