Energy for Sustainability

Randolph & Masters, 2008

Chapter 18:
U.S. State and Local Energy Policy
State Energy Policy
State Energy Policy II
States with Climate Change Plans
States with GHG Emission Targets
State/Regional GHG Emissions Programs
Utility Restructuring - 2003
Utility Restructuring - 2007
Utility Restructuring - Pre
Utility Restructuring - Post
Utility DSM Efficiency Programs
 DSM: utility services to implement efficiency: rebates, incentives,
energy audits, measures
 Always hard to get utilities to conduct DSM because they have
had incentive to sell power not save it
 Utilities often forced to do so by state regulatory commissions
and told to integrate costs into rate base
 Restructuring created less incentive and utility investments in
DSM diminished
 Public Benefits Funds were created to fill void
 Best option:
 create profit incentive for utilities to invest in efficiency
 utilities earn % of “net resource value” or difference between
avoided system cost from DSM and DSM program cost
Utility Public Benefit Funds
Utility
Renewable Portfolio Standards
Utility
Net Metering
 Utility
Green Power
 Green Marketing
most formal program for consumer choice. In states with active
restructuring programs, consumers are given a choice of power
source in a competitive marketplace. Usually several suppliers and
service offerings are available
 Green Pricing
 offers utility customers the option of paying a price premium to
cover the incremental cost of additional renewable energy. This
premium is either an added cost per kWh or cost per block of kWhs.
 Green Tags
 also called Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRC) and Renewable
Energy Certificates (REC)
 are available to all consumers regardless of whether their state or
utility has a formal green pricing or marketing program. Third party
providers sell certificates to consumers separately from commodity
electricity sold by the utility, and the proceeds are used to support
renewable energy development.
Green Marketing Programs
Texas Green Marketing
Green Pricing Programs
What is Green Power?
Renewable Fuel Standard
State Appliance Standards:
beyond federal standards
Renewable Energy Tax Incentives
Renewable Energy Rebates
State Green Buildings
California Case Study:
Electricity Efficiency
Electricity per capita
Not enough! – 4 possible savings
targets of CA utility DSM
California PV programs & growth
California Renewable Portfolio Standard
California AB 1493 Pavley Act:
30% reduction in vehicle GHG emissions by 2016
If achieved through efficiency alone:
States poised to adopt CA vehicle GHG
standards
CA Transportation Initiatives
CA GHG Emission Reduction
AB 32: 1990 level by 2020
 Community Energy Programs
 History
 Community Energy Plans and Plan-Making
 ICLEI, Cool Cities
 Community Involvement and Civic Action
 Land Use Planning and Smart Growth Management
 Regional Land Use Plans
 Transit and Transit Oriented Development
 Building Energy Codes and Green Buildings
 Publicly Owned Utilities, Community Choice Aggregators,
Distributed Energy
 Publicly Owned Utilities: Muni’s and Coops
 Community Choice Aggregators
Planning: Climate Action:
Cool Cities: 973 as of 4/08
Examples:
Puget Sound Climate Plan
 Puget Sound Climate Action
Measures

et Present Value Costs 2005-2020: minus $1425-2056 milli

Positive economic and environmental benefits
Boulder Carbon Tax to generate $1
million/yr to implement Climate
Action Plan
Planning: New York City PlaNYC
Buildings: Boulder Green Points
Transit and TOD: San Francisco
Land Use Planning: Sacramento Region

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89803663
Municipal Utilities:
DSM Savings: Seattle City Light
MWh

Commercial/Industrial

Residential
Municipal Utilities:
PV and other rebates: Sacramento, Austin
 Municipal Utility Rebates
 Sacramento:
 PV rebate: $2.80/W
 Solar hot water: $1500
 11 other rebates

 Austin:
 PV rebate: $4.50/W
$5.60/W is 60% built in Austin
 Solar hot water: $1500-2000
Cities without Municipal Utilities
 Community Choice Aggregators
 Communities choice the default source of
power
 Can reduce costs for customers, increase use
of renewables, reduce emissions
 Legal in several states: MA, OH, CA, RI, NJ
 Community Renewable Portfolio Standards:
 15 CA cities have 40% RPS goal