Bush administration to offer $ 170 mm for solar energy
The Bush administration said it would offer $ 170 mm to public and private partnerships to make solar energy more
competitive with conventional electricity sources by 2015.
The funding would be for three years, beginning in fiscal-year 2007. It would require industry-led teams to match
each dollar the government gives them toward the project, which could generate an additional $ 170 mm.
The US Energy Department said projects would need to focus on improving so-called photovoltaic cell technology which
produces energy when exposed to light.
"We will be asking the winning partnerships to focus their work on new manufacturing techniques as well as new
component designs that will allow us to bring down the cost of producing photovoltaic fuel cells as quickly as
possible," said US Energy Secretary Sam Bodman.
US Energy Department said the projects are part of the administration's Solar America Initiative which seeks in part
to reduce photovoltaic costs from 13-22 cents per kW to 9-18 centsper kW by 2010.
The $ 170 mm contribution by the administration is subject to funding from Congress.
