State Renewables Policies – Lessons Learned After A Decade of Success

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

A decade of state leadership for renewable energy faces unparalleled future changes in the U.S.  The states have served as innovative laboratories of renewable energy development bolstered by strong federal support in 2009 with energy tax credit extensions, Section 1603 Treasury grants, bonus depreciation and federal Section 1705 loan guarantees.  Over $50 billion in federal financial support flowed to renewables over the past five years.

The next decade faces a new landscape for future renewables development in the states.  Several states like California, New Jersey, Texas, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts have benchmarked certain practices, success and achievements.

But the federal government has not delivered a national clean energy standard, tax planning uncertainty continues, no internal carbon standard exists, and we lack a clear national energy policy. What will states' renewables 2.0 look like this decade? How can states build off their own success, while emphasizing a new vision for renewable policies this decade using:

• Innovative PACE financing; new financing incentives
• Premium dispatchable renewables, expanding SREC’s
• New regulatory incentives, tariffs for net metering, easier interconnections and new rate designs
• Co-benefits with natural gas, air regulation
• Transmission and storage, new ancillary services, and avoided T&D costs
• Creative state implementation plans (SIPS) under the Clean Air Act for new source performance review, using efficiency and waste heat recovery
• Wastes as fuel
• Distributed generation
• Alternative fuels for vehicles
• Growing military installations and bases
• Importance of commercial, industrial buildings

With state energy tools and opportunities to shape intermittency, and with new policy and market strategies, how will new developments shape renewables to solidify positions in the top ten states over the upcoming decade? How will the new shale gas interface affect state renewable opportunities in North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York?  

Join us for this provocative and forward looking discussion.

Q & A Submission:
Q & A both on the teleconference and live at the host firm sites, will follow the speakers' presentations. Please email questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Call Times:
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Eastern
11:00 am - 12:30 pm Central
10:00 am - 11:30 am Mountain
9:00 am - 10:30 am Pacific
8:00 am - 9:30 am Alaskan

Teleconference Co-Chairs:
Robert F. Riley, Partner, Williams Mullen PC (Washington, D.C.)
Michael W. Wise, McDonald Hopkins, LLC

Legislative Update:
Todd Foley, SVP Policy & Government Relations, ACORE

Moderators:
Michael J. Zimmer, Senior Counsel, Thompson Hine LLP
Michael W. Wise, McDonald Hopkins, LLC

Speakers:
Lori Bird, Senior Analyst, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Lewis Milford, President, Clean Energy Group (CEG)
Eric Ackerman, Director, Alternative Regulation, Edison Electric Institute (EEI)
Brad Copithorne, Energy and Financial Policy Specialist, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)