The final paper will analyze the US 111th Congress Bill on Renewable Energy: Complementary Policies for Climate Legislation. The bill is titled: THE INTRODUCTION OF THE AMERICAN RENEWABLE ENERGY ACT ( 1); known also as: H.R.890.The Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held a hearing titled, “Renewable Energy: Complementary Policies for Climate Legislation” at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 26, 2009 were an introduction of this bill was brought forward to the Congress. Dr. Howard Gruenspecht (2), Acting Administrator for the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy introduced this bill, and spoke of the role of renewable electricity generation in the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2009 (AEO2009) projections. This outlook provides a brief overview of the renewable resource base, and discusses key findings from earlier EIA analyses of proposals for a Federal renewable portfolio standard.
Research will focused on the impacts electricity generated by renewable resources, such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal, will play in the role of reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing energy security, and promoting domestic economic development and job growth. Analysis will establish if the bill is to guide the U.S. in meeting greenhouse gas reduction targets under climate legislation and the role that complementary policies will play, such as a federal renewable electricity standard, in expanding renewable electricity and spurring technological development.
Today only two and a half percent of our electricity comes from all non-hydro renewables. The U.S. has tremendous renewable energy resources that are just starting to be tapped. The Department of Energy recently issued a report showing that the U.S. could get 20% of its needed electricity from wind alone by 2030 (3). According to the Mr. Waxman, Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 2009, “every region of the country has renewable resources that could be tapped to achieve U.S.’s national goal of expanding renewable energy generation and reducing global warming pollution. More renewable energy also means more good jobs right here in the U.S. Over the last few years, the wind industry has been an engine of job growth (3)”…... last year, “wind companies created 35,000 new jobs. Some climate solutions require big technological breakthroughs. But renewable energy is something that we can deploy today. We can ramp up wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal, electricity production now. As the deployment of clean energy increases, the cost for this technology will continue to decline (3)”.
References:
(1) (http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1504&Itemid=95)
(2) http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090226/testimony_gruenspecht.pdf
(3) http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090226/hawopen_ee.pdf
The Introduction
12 years ago
To make sure I am understanding correctly does this bill mainly introduce a research requirement for energy policy? It is scary to think that we are now only at the point where we are trying to gather support for new energy technologies, rather than working to implement them.
ReplyDeleteMy bill also addresses the impact of greenhouse emissions, but from the transportation perspective. I will be interested to follow your progress. I agree with Erin, I am a little unclear if this bill is basically laying the foundation for research or actually going to legislate requirements for energy production. You mention that only 2% of our energy comes from renewable sources will this bill target higher thresholds?
ReplyDeleteErin and Shaun,
ReplyDeleteI have done some research and this is what I have found up to now:
The H.R. 890 Bill amends title VI of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. The bill wants to establish a Federal renewable electricity standard for certain electric utilities, and for other purposes.
The bill is also known as: the ‘American Renewable Energy Act’.
The bill sets standards for energy affiliate. The term ‘affiliate’ when used in relation to a person which owns or controls or is under common ownership or control with that controls the energy source or production. It regulates biomass in common and federal land. It defines the incentive motivations for generating in these lands (credits, funds, etc.) renewable electricity, which means each of the following:
‘(A) wind energy;
‘(B) solar energy;
‘(C) geothermal energy;
‘(D) combustion of biomass or landfill gas;
‘(E) qualified hydropower; or
‘(F) marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy, as that term is defined in section 632 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
What I understand is that the bill establishes a program to implement and enforce the requirements and (1) preserve the integrity, and incorporate best practices, of existing State renewable electricity programs; (2) rely upon existing and emerging State or regional tracking systems that issue and track non-Federal renewable electricity credits; and ‘(3) cooperate with the States to facilitate coordination between State and Federal renewable electricity programs and to minimize administrative burdens and costs to retail electric suppliers.
The goal of this bill is:
1. For each of calendar years 2012 through 2039, each retail electric supplier shall, not later than April 1 of the following calendar year, submit to the Secretary a quantity of Federal renewable electricity credits equal to the retail electric supplier’s base amount for the calendar year multiplied by the required annual percentage set forth in paragraph (2).
2. For each of calendar years 2012 through 2039, the required annual percentage shall be as follows:
2012 6.0
2013 6.0
2014 8.5
2015 8.5
2016 11.0
2017 11.0
2018 14.0
2019 14.0
2020 17.5
2021 17.5
2022 21.0
2023 21.0
2024 23.0
2025 through 2039 25.0
Maria,
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a very interesting paper topic. I look forward to hearing more about this particular issue, specifically how alternative forms of energy (i.e. wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal) will be effective in the future of America.
Good paper topic,
Christiana
Renewable energy also seems to be a way to stimulate our economy. We know it's possible, we just need to put it into effect and make it accessible. Great topic. You should be able to find a ton of information.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Pauline. Renewable energy projects are included in the Stimulus 2009 package, or the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. I will try to tackle this in my paper. Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDelete