that can serve as a foundation for the more refined assessments that will be required as evaluation of the SPS concept proceeds. Long-term research should be aimed at developing accurate predictions of whether SPS will contribute to the centralization or decentralization of society. However, before investigators can seriously tackle this larger question, the more fundamental issues must be examined. These would include the consideration of maximizing economic and demographic benefit from rectennae siting; the relationships between electricity prices, industrial moves, and population migration; potential socioeconomic impact from these moves; and the future locational responsiveness of industry based on the availability and cost of electricity. These issues are interrelated and the study of each should build from assessments of the most fundamental issues. For these reasons, the short-term research needs have been characterized and prioritized as follows: • Rectenna siting assessment (two possible approaches) — Search for sites (i.e., counties) that maximize the economic/demographic benefits of SPS. — Evaluate the economic/demographic viability of sites identified by others. • Assess the expected effects of marginal and average cost pricing on industrial moves to rectenna-bearing regions. This assessment would include some sensitivity analysis. • Ex ante assessment of economic/demographic impact of rectenna siting. This assessment would examine the following phases of SPS development: — Rectenna construction and secondary growth — Initial industrial relocation and secondary growth — Attraction of related industrial economic activity and their secondary effects • Assess the responsiveness of industry to relocate facilities based on the availability and cost of electric power. This assessment would include: — Identification of electric-intensive industries and processes — Consideration of projected regional generating capacities that may influence future shifts in the spatial location of industry — Price comparisons of SPS electricity with other forms of generation. — Identification of industry-specific resource needs and other incentives that may influence relocation decisions such as water availability; transportation or labor requirements; market locations; and government policies at the local, state, and federal levels
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