(1) Any other provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, including, but not limited to, section 28-3-106, C.R.S., the adjutant general and the governor, assisted by the attorney general, may enter into an option agreement, exercisable by the federal government at any time within a five-year period, to convey, and may convey within such period, to the federal government, without compensation, approximately three hundred acres of the real property interest of the state of Colorado in section thirty-six, township three south, range seventy west of the sixth principal meridian, located in Jefferson county, or so much thereof as the governor, in consultation with the appropriate federal agency, deems necessary for purposes of a solar energy research institute. The state's interest in this property shall not be conveyed in any other manner or for any other purpose.

(2) (a) A conveyance made pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall be made only when the federal government is prepared to accept the conveyance according to a schedule for site preparation and construction of the facility as it deems appropriate. A conveyance made pursuant to subsection (1) of this section may be made by dividing the three hundred acres to be conveyed into two parcels. The first parcel, parcel A, may be of approximately one hundred forty-five acres, to be used for the main test site and for utility improvements. The title to parcel A shall revert to the state of Colorado after a period of five years from the date of the deed unless within such period the federal government commences construction of improvements to be made on parcel A, at which time the reversionary provision shall become null and void. The second parcel, parcel B, may be of approximately one hundred fifty-five acres, to be used for additional test sites and for office and laboratory facilities. The title to parcel B shall revert to the state of Colorado after a period of five years from the date of the deed unless within such period the federal government causes the reversionary provision concerning parcel A to become null and void.

(b) If the reversionary provision concerning parcel A becomes null and void, parcel B shall revert to the state of Colorado twenty years from the date of the deed unless either of the following occur, at which time the reversionary provision shall become null and void:

(I) The federal government has indicated that it has approved programs and appropriated funds and is prepared to commence construction of either an office building or laboratory building on either parcel A or parcel B; or

(II) The federal government commences construction of permanent improvements on said parcel B.

(3) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any interest in such property retained as state school land indemnity interest, but the state board of land commissioners, in a manner consistent with federal law and the constitution of the state, may subordinate such interest to facilitate the conveyance to the federal government pursuant to subsections (1) and (2) of this section. The procedural requirements of article 1 of title 36, C.R.S., regarding leasing or sale of state lands shall not apply to such subordination. Any subordination of the state school land indemnity interest made pursuant to this subsection (3) may contain provisions for a termination of the subordination under the same terms and conditions as reversion of the land conveyed pursuant to subsections (1) and (2) of this section.