This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government. The report documents a Stanford Research Institute study of the potential roles that solar energy technologies could have for meeting U.S. energy needs over the next 45 years. Computer simulations of different energy supply projections were developed by varying the input parameters of energy demands and energy costs. Three of these projections were chosen to be developed and expanded into broader scenarios. First, the implementation measures required to realize these scenarios were delineated. Then, the economic, socioeconomic, sociopolitical and environmental issues associated with different energy futures were identified, and these issues were compared among the three scenarios. Finally, six major societal issues were synthesized from an analysis of the scenarios. These issues and the three scenarios were evaluated from the perspectives of individuals in different perceptual frames of reference. This report includes a glossary of terms and a reference and bibliography section. (Author/MA)