Title of Dissertation: national renewable energy policy

Table 16. 
U.S. statute including solar policies.
Year 
Statute 
Purpose 
Solar Policy 
1974 Solar Energy Research, Development, 
and Demonstration Act 
To authorize a vigorous Federal program of 
research, development, and demonstration to 
assure the utilization of solar energy as a viable 
source for our national energy needs, 
Federal research, 
development, and 
demonstration programs 
1978 Energy Tax Act 
To provide tax incentives for the production 
and conservation of energy 
Creation of tax credit 
National Energy Conservation Policy Act To reduce the growth in demand for energy in 
the United States, and to conserve 
nonrenewable energy resources produced in this 
Nation and elsewhere, without inhibiting 
beneficial economic growth 
Loan program 
Small Business Energy Loan Act 
To create a solar energy and energy 
conservation loan program 
Loan program 
Solar Photovoltaic Energy Research, 
Development, and Demonstration Act 
To establish during the next decade an 
aggressive research, development, and 
demonstration program involving solar 
photovoltaic energy systems and in the long 
term, to have as an objective the production of 
electricity from photovoltaic systems cost 
competitive with utility-generated electricity 
from conventional sources. 
Federal research, 
development, and 
demonstration programs 
1980 Solar Energy and Energy Conservation 
Bank Act 
To increase the Nation's security by reducing its 
dependence upon imported oil. 
Financial assistance 
1986 Tax Reform Act 
To reform the internal revenue laws 
Extension of tax credit 

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1989 Renewable Energy and Energy 
Efficiency Technology Competitiveness 
Act 
To provide Federal assistance and leadership to 
a program of research, development, and 
demonstration of renewable energy and energy 
efficiency technologies, and for other purposes. 
Federal research, 
development, and 
demonstration programs 
1990 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act 
To provide for reconciliation pursuant to 
section 4 of the concurrent resolution on the 
budget for fiscal year 1991 
Extension of tax credit 
1991 Tax Extension Act 
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
Extension of tax credit 
2005 Energy Policy Act 
To ensure jobs for our future with secure, 
affordable, and reliable energy
Creation of tax credit 
Loan guarantee 
2006 Tax Relief and Health Care Act 
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
Extension of tax credit 
2008 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act 
To provide incentives for energy production 
and conservation 
Extension of tax credit 
2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment 
Act 
To make supplemental appropriations for job 
preservation and creation, infrastructure 
investment, energy efficiency and science, 
assistance to the unemployed, and State and 
local fiscal stabilization 
Research grant 
Loan guarantee 
2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act 
To make appropriations for military 
construction, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2016, and for other 
purposes 
Extension of tax credit 

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In 2012, a different type of solar policy from these policies was introduced. On 
December 7, 2012, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the Department of 
Commerce, issued a countervailing duty order on solar cells from China. The decision 
was based on the determination of the International Trade Commission that an industry in 
the U.S. is “materially injured by reason of imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic 
cells and modules from China.”
130
Since SolarWorld and six other manufacturers 
submitted petitions on October 19, 2011, the Department of Commerce has investigated 
the case of the crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from China. On December 16, 2011, 
the Department determined that the photovoltaic cells from China have been sold in the 
U.S. at less than fair value and subsidized by the Government of China.
On February 10, 2015, the International Trade Commission determined that an 
industry in the U.S. is materially injured by the imports of solar cells from Taiwan as well 
as China. Based on this determination, the Department of Commerce issued an 
antidumping duty order on solar cells imported from Taiwan on February 18, 2015. The 
investigation was initiated by the submission of another anti-dumping petition of 
SolarWorld regarding the imports of solar cells and panels from Taiwan on December 31, 
2013.
The tariff on the solar cells imported from China and Taiwan was different from 
the solar policies described above in that it serves a different goal. The tariff was 
determined to fix the “unfair” practices of international trade. In this sense, it is not 
related to the original goal of the solar policies, which was to increase solar installation. 
Rather, the tariff could be a barrier to achieve the goal because it increases the costs of 
130
U.S. Department of Commerce, “Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules 
From China,” 77 Federal Register 235 (December 6, 2012) 

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solar products. The introduction of the tariff shows that the boundary of solar policies is 
expanded to trade policies from energy policies. 
 
Changes of the solar PV market environment 
To understand the influence of the solar industry to solar policies, the recent 
actions of the industry need to be investigated. Before describing the actions, the changes 
of the external environment of the solar industry are explored in this section to better 
understand the contexts of the actions of the industry.