rASK FORC1 AND SI BCOMMITTEI ON ENERGY, 1971-74 685 



COAL-RELATED RESEARCH 



The NASA Conference Report in 19"4 also included a $3.9 million 

 provision inserted by Hechlcr during the House door debate on the 

 authorization bill, for the expansion of coal-related research already 

 being carried out by NASA. As he pointed out when introducing his 

 amendment, NASA's Lewis Research Center in developing more ef- 

 ficient, high-temperature combustion techniques had also done some 

 work in more efficient coal combustion. Better fire control techniques 

 and tire-resistant materials developed following the 1967 Apollo lire 

 were also transferable in suppressing mine fires. Hydrocarbon detectors 

 used for detecting hydrogen leaks in launch vehicles were investigated 

 by NASA for use in detecting methane in coal mines. Although the 

 Senate supported this initiative in expanding NASA's work in coal 

 research, some difficulties were encountered with persuading the House 

 Appropriations Committee which at that time was seeking to con- 

 centrate coal-related research in the new ERDA organization. In later 

 years, Teague many times mentioned that he felt this Nation would 

 have made far more progress in meeting energy needs had NASA been 

 given a larger role in the energy picture. 



THE OMNIBUS SOLAR BILL 



In addition to the solar heating and cooling bill, the McCormack 

 subcommittee also produced another solar bill which was enacted— 

 the "Solar Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 

 1974." This second piece of legislation established a Solar Energy Re- 

 search Institute, provided for the development of suitable incentives 

 to assure the rapid commercialization of solar energy, and spurred the 

 conduct of research, development and demonstration of solar energy 

 technologies. The subcommittee worked with the Office of Legislative 

 Counsel to devise a definition of solar energy which would include 

 everything except fossil fuels developed with the help of the sun. The 

 key word used was "recently", as solar energy was defined to encom- 

 pass "energy which has recently originated in the sun." This excluded 

 long-term items like fossil fuels, but included direct and indirect solar 

 radiation and intermediate solar forms such as wind energy, biocon- 

 version (conversion of organic wastes to fuels), photovoltaics (solar 

 cells) and the generation of electricity from ocean thermal gradients. 



The subcommittee worked throughout 1973 and during 1974 up 

 through July drafting, revising, testing, holding hearings and as- 

 sembling expert testimony in this fast-developing area. Finally, on 

 August 9 the completed bill was brought before the subcommittee for 



