---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 16214"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "16214"
heading: "Distributed energy technology demonstration programs"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/16214"
units:
  - "Chapter 149 — National Energy Policy and Programs"
  - "Subchapter IX — Research and Development"
  - "Part B — Distributed Energy and Electric Energy Systems"
---

# §16214. Distributed energy technology demonstration programs

- (a) **Coordinating consortia program—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/15801.md?p=4) may provide financial assistance to coordinating consortia of interdisciplinary participants for demonstrations designed to accelerate the use of distributed energy technologies (such as [fuel cells](/usc/42/16121.md?p=1), microturbines, reciprocating engines, thermally activated technologies, and combined heat and power systems) in high-energy intensive commercial applications.
- (b) **Small-scale portable power program—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/15801.md?p=4) shall—
    - (A) establish a research, development, and demonstration program to develop working models of small scale [portable](/usc/42/16121.md?p=3) power devices; and
    - (B) to the fullest extent practicable, identify and utilize the resources of [universities](/usc/42/16182.md?p=6) that have shown expertise with respect to advanced [portable](/usc/42/16121.md?p=3) power devices for either civilian or military use.
  - (2) **Organization—** The [universities](/usc/42/16182.md?p=6) identified and utilized under [paragraph (1)(B)](#b-1-B) are authorized to establish an organization to promote small scale [portable](/usc/42/16121.md?p=3) power devices.
  - (3) **Definition—** For purposes of this subsection, the term “small scale [portable](/usc/42/16121.md?p=3) power device” means a field-deployable [portable](/usc/42/16121.md?p=3) mechanical or electromechanical device that can be used for applications such as communications, computation, mobility enhancement, weapons systems, optical devices, cooling, sensors, medical devices, and active biological agent detection systems.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 109–58, title IX, § 924, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 865.)