---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 17212"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "17212"
heading: "Water power technology research, development, and demonstration"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/17212"
units:
  - "Chapter 152 — Energy Independence and Security"
  - "Subchapter V — Accelerated Research and Development"
  - "Part C — Water Power Research and Development"
---

# §17212. Water power technology research, development, and demonstration


The [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) shall carry out a [program](/usc/42/17151.md?p=5) to conduct research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of [water power](/usc/42/17211.md?p=5) technologies in support of each of the following purposes:

- (1) To promote research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of [water power](/usc/42/17211.md?p=5) generation technologies in order to increase capacity and reduce the cost of those technologies.
- (2) To promote research and development to improve the environmental impact of [water power](/usc/42/17211.md?p=5) technologies.
- (3) To provide grid reliability and resilience, including through technologies that facilitate new market opportunities, such as ancillary services, for [water power](/usc/42/17211.md?p=5).
- (4) To promote the development of [water power](/usc/42/17211.md?p=5) technologies to improve economic growth and enhance cross-institutional foundational workforce development in the [water power](/usc/42/17211.md?p=5) sector, including in coastal communities.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 110–140, title VI, § 633, as added Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title III, § 3001(a), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2480.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 17212, Pub. L. 110–140, title VI, § 633, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1686, related to marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy research and development, prior to the general amendment of this part by Pub. L. 116–260.