[American policy] [Legislative]

FEDERAL

• Passing of the Public Utility

Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) in 1978.

-Introduced competition within the supply sector.

• Energy Policy Act (1992) - Open access to grid, creation of Exempt Wholesale Generators (EWG’s), results in lower nonfinancial barriers to entry for renewables.

• The Million Solar Roofs Initiative

1997

-Initiated by DOE, goal to enable businesses and communities to install solar systems on 1 million roofs by 2010.

• National Energy Policy, 2001 -Re-evaluate access limitations to federal lands to allow easier access for renewable energy projects.

STATE

• Renewables portfolio Standard

(RPS)

- Market driven policy to ensure a minimum % of renewable energy.

• Market liberalisation • State Mandate -Requires % installed renewable energy, no funding required. Projects financed by utilities who make money back through rates approved by the state public utility commission.

• Net Metering - Net excess generation can be bought back: depends on size of project, customer and technology type.

[American policy] [Economic]

FEDERAL

•

Energy Policy Act (EPACT) 1992:

Production Tax Credit (PTC), a 1.5 cent/kWh payment, payable for 10 years for wind and closed loop biomass.

- Renewable Energy Production Incentive (REPI), a 1.5 cent/kWh Incentive for biomass(excluding MSW), geothermal, wind and solar from tax exempt public owned utilities, local and county governments, and rural cooperatives.

• Tax Relief Extension Act of 1999: Extension of PTC. Tax credit expanded to incorporate poultry waste facilities.

- A non-refundable tax credit of 20% is available for incremental research expenses paid or incurred in a trade or business.

• National Energy Policy, 2001 -extend tax credits for wind and biomass, expands eligible biomass sources to include forest-related, agricultural, certain urban sources, and allows a credit for co-firing with coal.

-15% tax credit for residential solar energy property, up to a maximum of $2000.

STATE

• Personal Income tax credits and

deductions

• Corporate income tax credits,

exemptions and deductions

• Variable property Tax Exemptions • Low Interest Loans • Net Metering (small generation) - Net Excess Generation can be bought back from generator.

[American policy] [Research and Development]

FEDERAL

• National Energy Policy, 2001 • Photovoltaic Manufacturing

Technology (PVMaT) Project 1990

supply account which will provide increased support for R+D of Renewable Technologies.

-$118 million, 43% cost shared by industry.

• Wind Turbine performance

Verification program (TVP) 1992

-funded through contributions from EPRI, DOE and host utilities. Managed by EPRI.

-$1.2 billion of bid bonuses from the environmentally responsible leasing of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge geothermal.

(ANWR) for funding research into Alternative and Renewable energy sources, including wind, solar, biomass and • Next Generation Wind Turbine

development

-Contracts awarded by NREL to selected companies. Selected companies will make significant contributions to the $33 million required.

• The Million Solar Roofs Initiative

1997

- Initiated by DOE, goal to enable businesses and communities to install solar systems on 1 million roofs by 2010.

STATE

• Renewable technology and

demonstration project grants.

• State Research and Outreach

programs.

[American policy] [Environmental Drivers]

FEDERAL

• Three Mile Island Incident 1979 - Made Nuclear power more expensive due to tighter regulations, opened door for other technologies, such as renewables.

• Clean Air Act Amendment (1990) - Result of Acid Rain problems: Aims to Reduce annual SO2 emissions by 10 million tons, NOx by 2 million tons.

- Led to the most economically feasible renewables being implemented, did not help with development of less advanced technologies.

• National Energy Policy, 2001 - Recommends a new renewable energy partnership program to help companies buy renewable energy with greater ease, and receive recognition for the environmental benefits of their purchase. Also to help consumers by promoting consumer choice programs that increase their knowledge about the environmental benefits of purchasing renewable energy.

• Senate $14 Billion Energy Bill - Aims to increase production and encourage renewable energy Sources and conservation -Introduces $14 Billion tax incentives that would be evenly split between traditional energy producers and alternative fuels - Imposes a phase-out ban on MTBE (a groundwater pollutant used to make gas burn more cleanly) - Enforces the use of Ethanol

STATE

• California: Snow pack reduction causing problems with generation from hydro. Initiates move away from focus on certain renewables to a more diverse generation sector.