ABSTRACT
The federal government has a major role to play in a solar energy transition. This role involves leadership in the development and coordination of a national strategy for solar energy that establishes clear goals for solar's contributions to our energy future and identifies opportunities for implementation of these goals through the combined influence of government policies and the actions of the market system. The Domestic Policy Review (DPR) and a subsequent series of position papers submitted by the involved departments and agencies formed the basis for President Carter's June 20, 1979, Message to the Congress setting forth a national strategy for accelerating the use of solar energy. The change in national administrations significantly reduced the likelihood of concerted efforts at implementation in the near term, but the process and policy proposals generated by the DPR continue to serve as a viable model for the federal government's role in a solar transition.
