In 2004, existing net metering provisions were revised by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Net metering is available for qualifying projects up to 2MW. Customers eligible for net metering own the renewable-energy credits (RECs) associated with the electricity they generate. Continue reading
Wisconsin is the other state to offer the retail rate for net excess generation (NEG), but unlike Minnesota it does so only for electricity generated from renewable resources. For non-renewable generation the net energy rate is the utility’s avoided cost of electricity production. Continue reading
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) will buy excess solar-powered electricity produced by their customers at the retail rate. In 1993, the SMUD PV Pioneer program established a partnership with customers willing to assist in the early adoption of photovoltaic(PV) technology. Continue reading
In November 2001, voters in San Francisco cast their ballots in favor of becoming a world leader in solar electricity. Seventy-three percent of voters approved of Proposition B to allow San Francisco to issue$100 million in revenue bonds to finance enough renewable energy to supply about 25 percent of the government’s needs. If fully implemented San Francisco will become the largest single producer of solar energy in the U.S. Continue reading
With aims to inspire renewable energy generation at the local level, in October 2003, Merton became the first local authority in the United Kingdom (UK) to adopt a policy requiring new non-residential developments to generate a portion of their energy needs from on-site renewables. Continue reading
This resolution is targeted specifically at those communities that have signed on to the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. It will require that construction projects in a community funded with municipal bonds will result in no net increases in global warming pollutants within the community. The resolution can be modified to suit the needs of other communities and could be the basis for state legislation. Continue reading
In 2000, Aspen and Pitkin County in Colorado launched the Renewable Energy Mitigation Program (REMP). The program charges new homeowners one fee if their homes exceed 5,000 sq. ft. and another fee up to$100,000 if they exceed the "energy budget" allotted to their property by the local building code. As of Fall 2002, REMP has raised more than$2 million for local energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. REMP’s goal is to keep three tons of carbon out of the air for every excess ton of carbon put into the air. Continue reading
The passage (60 percent in favor) of a city-wide referendum in November 2006, establishes a charge on electricity users based on how much energy they use. The money will go to support Boulder’s Climate Action Plan to reduce global warming pollution. The passage marked the first time in the nation that a municipal government will impose an energy tax on its residents to directly combat climate change. Continue reading
In April 2001, Portland City Council and the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners adopted a joint Local Action Plan on Global Warming with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2010. Continue reading
In July 2001, Seattle Mayor Paul Schell and four members of the City Council announced support for the Kyoto Protocol and called on other local governments to adopt policies to combat global warming. TheSeattle City Council voted on resolutions supporting the goals of the Kyoto Protocol and committing Seattle City Light — the city’s public electric utility — to a policy of zero net greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading
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