L.A. targets 35% renewables, feed-in-tariff part of the mix

While renewables policy in the U.S. continues stagnant and uncertain, certain U.S. cities and states are forging ahead in their green power objectives. Los Angeles, for instance, declared reaching the 20% renewables milepost in January 2011, with the aide of short-term power-purchase agreements, up from 5% in 2005. Most of it is derived from wind, followed by hydroelectric, geothermal/biofueld, and a small amount of solar.

To catch up in the solar front in the sun-bathed city, in 2008, L.A. launched the largest municipal solar project, Solar L.A., which aims to feed the city with 1.3 gigawatts of solar power by 2020 or about 10% of its needs. L.A.'s city council has preliminarily approved the $1.6 billion purchase of power for 25 years from a solar generation site owned by an Amerindian tribe in the neighboring state of Nevada, estimated to cover 4% of its needs.

Maintaining, let alone reaching its next goal of 33% by 2020, is not without significant challenges and critics, however. Its feed-in-tariff, allowing for some non-utility energy production, may become an important part of the mix for reaching this goal in Los Angeles. Palo Alto, a Silicon Valley town, also adopted a feed-in tariff, though its a smaller program (4 MW cap for 2012-13).

Feed-in tariffs have bolstered small- and mid-scale energy production in countries like Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Canada. China kicked off its own program in 2011.  Japan accelerated its FiT kickoff this year, as part of its Fukushima incident response, aiming for 20 gigawatts of new wind and solar production by 2014.