4.0 UTILITY PARTICIPATION IN THE SPS RD&D PROGRAMS Introduction and Summary While the participation of the electric utilities in the SPS research, design and development (RD&D) program would be desirable, utility activities in this area are likely to be very limited during the next five years. EPRI's budget for all solar energy research during this time period is only 2% of EPRI's total budget. The total research EPRI budget for the next five years is roughly $1 billion, including an allowance for inflation. Of this, only $20 million (^ $4 million/yr.) has been allocated for all forms of solar energy research, including solar heating and cooling. The solar energy budget for 1976 was $2.9 million. Unless EPRI's priorities shift significantly, the funding available from this source to support SPS related R&D will be small compared to the total requirements for the SPS ($44 billion). The probability of attracting the substantial participation by individual utilities in SPS related research is also very small; utility research priorities are primarily near-term and investment in the SPS is unlikely to be attractive. Regulatory Restrictions The participation of the electric power utilities in RD&D programs was, until recently, severely limited by their ability to finance the associated costs. Until recently, few state regulatory commissions allowed utilities to include the cost of RD&D programs in their statement of operating costs and these programs had to be financed out of * Private Communication; consistent with published information. "A Summary of Program Emphasis for 1976", Electric Power Research Inst. ECON, Inc., "Space-Based Solar Power Conversion and Delivery Systems Study" Report No. 76-145-IB, March, 1976.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==