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.

Germany targets 100% renewables by 2050; Denmark tops 40%; U.S. lags at 6%

Germany's electric grid is already 25% powered by renewables, while the U.S. which can boast a much greater resource of wind and solar, among other renewable sources, lags at 6%. Those hoping for a decisive, post-election win, post-Sandy stance by the U.S. administration on renewables and climate change were likely disappointed at Mr. Obama's recent press conference. At the state level, Texas has gone from negligible renewables to, on good days, feeding a quarter of its load with wind power; and California has seen a rapid drive into utility-scale solar in the last few years.

Germany, on the other hand, has committed to reach 100% renewable power by 2050 like Denmark, which continues its leadership position having topped the 40% mark. Portugal and Spain have shown rapid increase in renewables, as well, but uncertainty reigns in the current economic crisis.




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