A bill to establish an Office of Solar Energy Research in the Department of the Interior, and for other purposes.

Establishes an Office of Solar Energy Research in the Department of the Interior to be headed by a Director.

Directs the Secretary of the Interior acting through the Office to: (1) coordinate, conduct, encourage, and promote, by means of research grants and contracts, fundamental scientific research to develop economical processes and methods of collecting, converting, transmitting, storing, and otherwise using solar energy and thereby transforming it into energy suitable for private and public use throughout the Nation; (2) conduct appropriate research and technical development work to determine, by laboratory and pilot project testing, the usable results of all aforesaid fundamental scientific research and all existing research and to develop and fabricate solar energy transformation processes, equipment designs, and components to the point where they can be demonstrated, certified, produced, and operated on an economically practical scale; (3) recommend to the Congress, as he deems appropriate, authorization for the construction and operation, or for participation in the construction and operation, of a solar energy conversion facility or any component thereof for any process or method which he determines has great promise of accomplishing the purposes of this Act; and (4) undertake, through research grants and contracts, studies of possible environmental effects which will result from the use of solar energy.

Authorizes the Secretary in carrying out his functions under this Act to: (1) acquire, where necessary, the services of mathematicians, engineers, chemists, physicists, and other personnel by contract or otherwise; (2) enter into contracts with private firms, educational institutions, and scientific organizations; (3) make research and training grants; (4) utilize, whenever deemed appropriate, the facilities of Federal scientific laboratories; (5) implement a means of making availalbe to interested parties information which is deemed appropriate for use in solar energy research and solar energy conversion equipment fabrication and development; (6) establish and operate necessary facilities and test sites at which to carry on the continuous research, testing, development, certification, fabrication, and programing necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Act; (7) acquire inventions, patents, patent applications, licenses, secret processes, technical data, land and interests in land, and other property or rights by license, lease, donation, or purchase; and (8) initiate and participate in national and international conferences relating to solar energy research and solar energy conversion equipment development.

Requires the Secretary to report annually to the President and the Congress.

Authorizes to be approprated until expended an amount not to exceed $125,000,000 for fiscal years 1974 to 1978, inclusive.