§ 262j. Use of renewable resources for energy production

• (a) The United States Government, in connection with its voice and vote in the Inter-American Development Bank, the African Development Fund, and the Asian Development Bank, shall encourage such institutions—
  • (1) to promote the decentralized production of renewable energy;
  • (2) to identify renewable resources to produce energy in rural development projects and determine the feasibility of substituting them for systems using fossil fuel;
  • (3) to train personnel in developing technologies for getting energy from renewable resources;
  • (4) to support research into the use of renewable resources, including hydropower, biomass, solar photovoltaic, and solar thermal;
  • (5) to support an information network to make available to policymakers the full range of energy choices;
  • (6) to broaden their energy planning, analyses, and assessments to include consideration of the supply of, demand for, and possible uses of renewable resources; and
  • (7) to coordinate with the Agency for International Development and other aid organizations in supporting effective rural energy programs.
• (b) For purposes of this section, the term “renewable resource” means any energy resource which—
  • (1) meets the needs of rural communities;
  • (2) saves capital without wasting labor;
  • (3) is modest in scale and simple to install and maintain and which can be managed by local individuals;
  • (4) is acceptable and affordable; and
  • (5) does not damage the environment.