allocate requisite funding for SPS to become operational as early as 1995. CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST Through FY7b, SPS feasibility studies were performed for the government by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the general category or advanced studies. For FY77, however, the Office of management and budget (Omb) transferred responsibility for SPS to the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA), now part of the Department of Energy (DOE). It was expected that money for SPS would be appropriated to ERDA, and ERDA would contract with NASA for services which that agency could best perform, especially in the area of space technology. The OMB action followed the perceived intent of the Solar Energy Research, Development and Demonstration Act of 1974 and the Energy Reorganization Act or 1974 which sought to centralize all solar energy programs. OMB's decision to transfer SPS to ERDA came late in the budget cycle, and as a result neither NASA nor ERDa requested any funding for SPS for FY77. Some congressional committees with jurisdiction over the NASA budget expressed dismay at the lack of a funding request for SPS. The House Science and Technology Committee ultimately added 15 million to NASA*s Budget for SPS, although the Senate Aeronautical and Space Sciences Committee did not follow suit. The Senate committee commented in its report on the NASA bill that although it was "sensitive to the addition by tne Rouse," it believed there was "little point in adding specific amounts for energy activities. Rather, [the committee} stresses the need for the Executive branch to promptly clarify the policies and procedures for carrying out tne intent of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974. . . ." The conference committee on the authorization adopted the Senate*s position. During the PY77 appropriation process, a similar situation developed, with the House Appropriations Committee adding $5 million for SPS and tne Senate Appropriations Committee, nothing. This time tne conference committee adopted a middle ground and $2.5 million was finally added to NASABs FY77 budget. ERDA later added $.6 million to the effort. FY78 for PY78, NASA requested $1 million for SPS studies, while ERDA again requested no funding. During this time, ERDA was in tne process of preparing a plan for cooperation between itself and NASA in the field of satellite power stations. Once again, the house Science and Technology Committee added $5 million for SPS programs in NASA, for a total of $6 million. Again the Senate disagreed, pointing out that ERDA had been given the responsibility for managing such a program and it would only agree to inclusion oif the $1 million requested by NASA. Tne conference committee on tne authorization bill agreed to adding $3 million of the $5 million recommended by the house (P.L. 95—7b) . The appropriations committees found themselves in the identical situation, with the House adding $5 million and the Senate approving only the $1 million requested. The appropriations conference committee agreed upon adding $3 million of the $5 million added ny the House. Thus, NASA was appropriated $4 million for SPS studies in PY78, of which $2.3 million was later transferred to ERDA which added another $.5 million to the total (P.L. 95—119).
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