Impact of the Antitrust Laws on the Commercialization of Solar Heating and Cooling

Technical Report · Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5950119· OSTI ID:5950119

Many energy industry observers and solar equipment producers view the commercialization of solar technologies as an opportunity to undermine the dominance now enjoyed by energy companies and electric utilities. Whether their hopes will be realized depends on Congress' posture towards interenergy diversification (which is currently permissive), DOE's spending practices (which have, in the past, been relatively insensitive to competitive consequences), and ultimately, the Supreme Court's willingness to aggressively enforce the antitrust laws (which is not unlikely, given recent holdings). Notwithstanding the legislative and administrative branches' tacit compliance with entrenched firms' involvement in the various solar energy submarkets, injured business persons and consumers (as well as the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission) have the opportunity to force the controversy onto the judiciary by bringing suit under the antitrust laws against companies allegedly displaying anti-competitive market practices. The interchangeability between end uses of renewable and nonrenewable energy resources creates opportunities and motives for market manipulation. Consequently, the potential of energy firms for facilitating solar technology development (due to technological knowledge, managerial expertise and capital resources) must be weighed against the possibility that their involvement will, in the long run, retard development. 356 references.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 5950119
• Report Number(s): SERI/TR-62-272
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
COMMERCIALIZATION
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SOLAR INDUSTRY
ANTITRUST REVIEW
SOLAR WATER HEATERS
COMPETITION
LAWS
LEGAL ASPECTS
LEGISLATION
MARKET
PRICES
APPLIANCES
HEATERS
HEATING SYSTEMS
INDUSTRY
WATER HEATERS
solar equipment
commercialization
140400* - Solar Energy- Environmental Aspects
140901 - Solar Thermal Utilization- Space Heating & Cooling
140907 - Solar Thermal Utilization- Water Heating
299001 - Energy Planning & Policy- Solar- (1989-)
290500 - Energy Planning & Policy- Research
Development
Demonstration
& Commercialization