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The production tax credit (PTC) for wind energy is currently set to expire December 31st, 2012. The credit is currently 2.2¢ per kWh created by wind. The average price of electricity nationwide is 11¢ per kWh. A study released recently by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) states that without an immediate PTC program extension, wind energy “jobs will drop by nearly half, from 78,000 in 2012 to 41,000 in 2013.” According to the report, an extension of the program through 2016 could create nearly 17,000 wind industry jobs. Denise Bode, AWEA’s CEO, has stated that “these jobs could vanish if Congress allows… [more]
View InsightNote: Synopsis adapted by OurEnergyPolicy.org from APS press materials and report’s executive summary. Synopsis intended solely for purposes of generating discussion. Integrating Renewable Electricity on the Grid By the American Physical Society Panel on Public Affairs The United States has ample renewable energy resources. Land-based wind, the most readily available for development, totals more than 8000 GW of potential capacity. The capacity of concentrating solar power is nearly 7000 GW in seven southwestern states. To date, 30 states plus the District of Columbia have established Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) to require a minimum share of electrical generation produced by renewable… [more]
View InsightNote: Synopsis based on Our Energy Policy Foundation staff review of Congressional committee and office summaries, third party analyses, and media summaries. Synopsis intended solely for the purposes of generating discussion. Renewable Electricity Standard Would require electric utilities to meet 6% of their electricity demand through renewable energy sources and energy efficiency by 2012, and 20% by 2020. Qualifying renewable energy sources are solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, marine and hydrokinetic energy, certain biofuels, wastewater-treatment gas, landfill gas, coalmine methane, and post-1992 hydropower projects. Up to 1/4 of the 2020 requirement (or 5%) could be met through energy efficiency improvements. If… [more]
View Insight[Note: The statements below are intended solely to stimulate discussion among the Expert community, and do not represent the position of OurEnergyPolicy.org. Text in italics indicates clarification or expansion.] Wind energy is a good renewable solution for parts of the nation. The challenge with wind is accommodating its variability and uncertainty. It means that using the current technology, wind must work in conjunction with natural gas powered plants that could be started quickly to fill production gaps. It increases the capital costs of the electrical utilities. We have good wind conditions only in parts of the country (like the… [more]
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