Effects of State Policies on Renewable Energy Capacity and Generation

Effects of State Policies on Renewable Energy Capacity and Generation PDF Author:
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Most portions of the United States have relied heavily on electricity generated from fossil fuels that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. In the absence of aggressive federal action, to cope with this issue, especially in the last decade, many U.S. state governments have begun renewable energy programs. There have been many case studies of these programs, but few comparative quantative analyses. This research includes quantitative analyses of the effects of state policies on renewable energy capacity and generation, controlling for each state's endowment of renewable energy resources, its coal production, and various state-level economic and political variables.

Effects of State Policies on Renewable Energy Capacity and Generation

Effects of State Policies on Renewable Energy Capacity and Generation PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Most portions of the United States have relied heavily on electricity generated from fossil fuels that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. In the absence of aggressive federal action, to cope with this issue, especially in the last decade, many U.S. state governments have begun renewable energy programs. There have been many case studies of these programs, but few comparative quantative analyses. This research includes quantitative analyses of the effects of state policies on renewable energy capacity and generation, controlling for each state's endowment of renewable energy resources, its coal production, and various state-level economic and political variables.

The Impacts of Renewable Energy Policies on Renewable Energy Sources for Electricity Generating Capacity

The Impacts of Renewable Energy Policies on Renewable Energy Sources for Electricity Generating Capacity PDF Author: Bryan Bonsuk Koo
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Political planning
Languages : en
Pages : 84

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Book Description
Electricity generation from non-hydro renewable sources has increased rapidly in the last decade. For example, Renewable Energy Sources for Electricity (RES-E) generating capacity in the U.S. almost doubled for the last three year from 2009 to 2012. Multiple papers point out that RES-E policies implemented by state governments play a crucial role in increasing RES-E generation or capacity. This study examines the effects of state RES-E policies on state RES-E generating capacity, using a fixed effects model. The research employs panel data from the 50 states and the District of Columbia, for the period 1990 to 2011, and uses a two-stage approach to control endogeneity embedded in the policies adopted by state governments, and a Prais-Winsten estimator to fix any autocorrelation in the panel data. The analysis finds that Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and Net-metering are significantly and positively associated with RES-E generating capacity, but neither Public Benefit Funds nor the Mandatory Green Power Option has a statistically significant relation to RES-E generating capacity. Results of the two-stage model are quite different from models which do not employ predicted policy variables. Analysis using non-predicted variables finds that RPS and Net-metering policy are statistically insignificant and negatively associated with RES-E generating capacity. On the other hand, Green Energy Purchasing policy is insignificant in the two-stage model, but significant in the model without predicted values.

The Power of Renewables

The Power of Renewables PDF Author: Chinese Academy of Engineering
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309160006
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
The United States and China are the world's top two energy consumers and, as of 2010, the two largest economies. Consequently, they have a decisive role to play in the world's clean energy future. Both countries are also motivated by related goals, namely diversified energy portfolios, job creation, energy security, and pollution reduction, making renewable energy development an important strategy with wide-ranging implications. Given the size of their energy markets, any substantial progress the two countries make in advancing use of renewable energy will provide global benefits, in terms of enhanced technological understanding, reduced costs through expanded deployment, and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to conventional generation from fossil fuels. Within this context, the U.S. National Academies, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), reviewed renewable energy development and deployment in the two countries, to highlight prospects for collaboration across the research to deployment chain and to suggest strategies which would promote more rapid and economical attainment of renewable energy goals. Main findings and concerning renewable resource assessments, technology development, environmental impacts, market infrastructure, among others, are presented. Specific recommendations have been limited to those judged to be most likely to accelerate the pace of deployment, increase cost-competitiveness, or shape the future market for renewable energy. The recommendations presented here are also pragmatic and achievable.

The Effect of State-level Renewable Energy Policies on Utility-scale Wind Capacity

The Effect of State-level Renewable Energy Policies on Utility-scale Wind Capacity PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 52

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Book Description
Beginning in the mid to late 1990's, states in the United States began to implement policies to promote the development of utility-scale and home-level renewable energy sources. States developed different policy structures and levels of stringency, with some implementing a variety of aggressive policies while other states have to-date initiated no policies to promote renewable energy generation. Among a variety of power sources, wind energy was (and remains) a popular form of renewable energy. This paper examines the effects of certain state policies (renewable portfolio standards, green purchasing requirements, green power options, public benefits funds, and market regulation) on the percentage of a state's electricity that comes from wind. Renewable portfolio standards and green power options are found to have a positive and significant effect on the percentage of a state's electricity that comes from wind, while green purchasing requirements have a negative effect and public benefits funds are insignificant.

Electricity from Renewable Resources

Electricity from Renewable Resources PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030913708X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 386

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Book Description
A component in the America's Energy Future study, Electricity from Renewable Resources examines the technical potential for electric power generation with alternative sources such as wind, solar-photovoltaic, geothermal, solar-thermal, hydroelectric, and other renewable sources. The book focuses on those renewable sources that show the most promise for initial commercial deployment within 10 years and will lead to a substantial impact on the U.S. energy system. A quantitative characterization of technologies, this book lays out expectations of costs, performance, and impacts, as well as barriers and research and development needs. In addition to a principal focus on renewable energy technologies for power generation, the book addresses the challenges of incorporating such technologies into the power grid, as well as potential improvements in the national electricity grid that could enable better and more extensive utilization of wind, solar-thermal, solar photovoltaics, and other renewable technologies.

The Influence of State-level Renewable Energy Policy Instruments on Electricity Generation in the United States

The Influence of State-level Renewable Energy Policy Instruments on Electricity Generation in the United States PDF Author: Sunjoo Park
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electric power production
Languages : en
Pages : 143

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Book Description
Abstract: Since the late 1990s, state governments in the U.S. have diversified policy instruments for encouraging the electric power industry to deploy renewable sources for electricity generation. While observing the increasing number of new renewable energy policies at the state level governments, this study raised two research questions: (1) how do state governments intervene in the renewable energy market? and (2) how do various policy approaches taken by state governments affect renewable energy development? To answer for these questions, this study attempts to identify the trends and variations in renewable energy policy designs among states in terms of the combination of aggregate level policy instruments used by state authorities. Additionally, this study aims to examine and compare the effectiveness of policy instruments in the deployment of renewable energy sources for electricity production. This study examined 18 state legislative, renewable energy related regulations, programs, or financial incentives existing between 2001 and 2010 in 48 states. Those 18 individual renewable energy policies were classified into three types of policy instruments: command-and-control, market-based, and information instruments. For the analysis, this study measured the amount and share of the electricity generation from nonhydro renewable sources as renewable energy policy effects. In order to isolate policy effects, this study also considered state specific characteristics such as natural endowment, economic and political environments, and the market conditions of electric power industries in different states. This study employed fixed-effects models to analyze cross-sectional time series data. The results showed that states' adoption of diverse command-and-control types of policy instruments have significantly influenced the increase of both the amount and share of renewable electricity, while informative policy tools helped increase the share of renewable sources used by electric power producers. However, diversification of marketbased policy instruments--especially financial incentives--did not significantly affect the increase of renewable electricity generation in states. Besides governmental intervention, state wealth and citizen interest in environmental issues played important roles in inducing more investment in renewable energy technologies. Also, natural gas price, wind speed, and states' export of electricity determined the proportion of renewable electricity in states.

US State Policies for Renewable Energy

US State Policies for Renewable Energy PDF Author: Magali A. Delmas
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Over the past decade, state policies on renewable energy have been on the rise in the United States, providing states with various options for encouraging the generation of renewable electricity. Two promising policies, the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and the Mandatory Green Power Option (MGPO), have been implemented in many states but the evidence about their effectiveness is mixed. In this paper, we argue that recognizing the natural, social and policy context under which MGPO and RPS are adopted is necessary in order to measure their true effectiveness. This is because the context rather than the policy might lead to positive outcomes and there is the possibility for sample bias. When controlling for the context in which the policies are implemented, we find that RPS has a negative impact on investments in renewable capacity. However, we find that investor-owned utilities seem to respond more positively to RPS mandates than publicly owned utilities. By contrast, MGPO appears to have a significant effect on installed renewable capacity for all utilities regardless of the context in which it is implemented.

State and Federal Policy Effects on Utility-level Renewable Energy Adoption

State and Federal Policy Effects on Utility-level Renewable Energy Adoption PDF Author: Luran Dong
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 82

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Book Description
Renewable portfolio standards (RPS) are important policies designed by states to increase renewable share in electricity generation. A significant amount of research has been done on the analysis of RPS. However, since many states have updated RPS, we need to re-evaluate the effectiveness of RPS. In this paper, I modify Yin and Power's and Shrimali's models and adjust their dataset to estimate how RPS and The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) affect electricity capacity share. I find that RPS do not promote renewable energy deployment but ARRA does based on our results.

Renewable Energy Policy

Renewable Energy Policy PDF Author: Paul Komor
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0595312187
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Renewable energy is the key to the future of humankind. Wind power, solar (photovoltaic) energy, geothermal power, and other forms of renewables can help solve our most pressing environmental problems, including global climate change. But how do we move these promising technologies out of the laboratory and into widespread use? Renewable Energy Policy shows what public policy can-and cannot-do to help tap renewables' promise. Renewable Energy Policy takes a pragmatic, nuts-and-bolts look at the myriad government efforts to promote renewables, and reports back on what works, what doesn't, and why. In clear, jargon-free language, Renewable Energy Policy shows how and why some policies have achieved impressive results, and others have failed. Skillfully interweaving technology, economics, and politics, Paul Komor reveals how the best of policy ideas often end up with unintended results. If you want to know how much wind power really costs (Chapter 2), why Germany's renewables laws are "crude but effective" (Chapter 8), or the three reasons why the UK's green energy market is a flop (Chapter 4), then you need to read Renewable Energy Policy.

State Policies Provide Critical Support for Renewable Electricity

State Policies Provide Critical Support for Renewable Electricity PDF Author:
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Growth in renewable energy in the U.S. over the past decade has been propelled by a number of forces, including rising fossil fuel prices, environmental concerns, and policy support at the state and federal levels. In this article, we review and discuss what are arguably the two most important types of state policies for supporting electricity generation from geothermal and other forms of renewable energy: renewables portfolio standards and utility integrated resource planning requirements. Within the Western U.S., where the vast majority of the nation's readily-accessible geothermal resource potential resides, these two types of state policies have been critical to the growth of renewable energy, and both promise to continue to play a fundamental role for the foreseeable future. In its essence, a renewables portfolio standard (RPS) requires utilities and other retail electricity suppliers to produce or purchase a minimum quantity or percentage of their generation supply from renewable resources. RPS purchase obligations generally increase over time, and retail suppliers typically must demonstrate compliance on an annual basis. Mandatory RPS policies are backed by various types of compliance enforcement mechanisms, although most states have incorporated some type of cost-containment provision, such as a cost cap or a cap on retail rate impacts, which could conceivably allow utilities to avoid (full) compliance with their RPS target. Currently, 27 states and the District of Columbia have mandatory RPS requirements. Within the eleven states of the contiguous Western U.S., all but three (Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming) now have a mandatory RPS legislation (Utah has a more-voluntary renewable energy goal), covering almost 80% of retail electricity sales in the region. Although many of these state policies have only recently been established, their impact is already evident: almost 1800 MW of new renewable capacity has been installed in Western states following the implementation of RPS policies. To date, wind energy has been the primary beneficiary of state RPS policies, representing approximately 83% of RPS-driven renewable capacity growth in the West through 2007. Geothermal energy occupies a distant second place, providing 7% of RPS-driven new renewable capacity in the West since the late 1990s, though geothermal's contribution on an energy (MWh) basis is higher. Looking to the future, a sizable quantity of renewable capacity beyond pre-RPS levels will be needed to meet state RPS mandates: about 25,000 MW by 2025 within the Western U.S. Geothermal energy is beginning to provide an increasingly significant contribution, as evidenced by the spate of new projects recently announced to meet state RPS requirements. Most of this activity has been driven by the RPS policies in California and Nevada, where the Geothermal Energy Association has identified 47 new geothermal projects, totaling more than 2,100 MW, in various stages of development. Additional geothermal projects in Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington are also under development to meet those states RPS requirements. The other major state policy driver for renewable electricity growth, particularly in the West, is integrated resource planning (IRP). IRP was first formalized as a practice in the 1980s, but the practice was suspended in some states as electricity restructuring efforts began. A renewed interest in IRP has emerged in the past several years, however, with several Western states (California, Montana, and New Mexico) reestablishing IRP and others developing new rules to strengthen their existing processes. In its barest form, IRP simply requires that utilities periodically submit long-term resource procurement plans in which they evaluate alternative strategies for meeting their resource needs over the following ten to twenty years. However, many states have developed specific requirements for the IRP process that directly or indirectly support renewable energy. The most general of these is an explicit requirement that utilities evaluate renewables, and that they do so on an 'equivalent' or 'comparable' basis to conventional supply-side generation options. Many states also require that utilities include various types of risk analyses within their IRP. For example, utilities are often required to evaluate fuel price risk within their resource plan, which can reveal the value of renewables as a hedge against rising and volatile fuel prices. Of particular importance for supporting renewable energy is the increasingly common requirement that utilities evaluate the potential costs and risks associated with future greenhouse gas regulations. Virtually all of the major Western utilities that prepare IRPs incorporated future carbon dioxide regulations in their analyses of alternative resource strategies in their most recent resource plans.