Friends and Foes of RPS

Some policy makers are blaming economic woes for their stance against renewable portfolio standards. Angela Beniwal reports on these struggles in the article Tough Economic Times Make States Reconsider their Renewable Energy Policies.  

Maine introduced new legislation in 2011 to significantly reduce its RPS. Washington state proposed a bill in 2011 that would temporarily suspend the state's 15% by 2020 standard, and other states have expanded their definitions of renewable resources that count towards RPS, to include plasma gasification, waste to energy, nuclear and hydropower.

George "Chip" Cannon, a partner at Patton Boggs, LLP was quoted in this article voicing a sentiment often heard by opponents of RPS: "As long as we have a sluggish economy and the focus is on jobs, then we'll continue to see pushes against (RPS) portfolio implementations."

Economic woes seem like a convenient scapegoat these days. And given the abundant research now available illustrating the economic benefits and job growth renewable energy and portfolio standards create, it's  hardly the time to give up on RPS. Click here  and here for a few of those studies. If  the focus of our policy makers truly is jobs- then RPS should be front and center.

It's not all doom and gloom. Twenty nine states and Washington D.C. have established Renewable Portfolio Standards, and 8 states have voluntary goals or targets.  Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico (D) recently sponsored  the Clean Energy Standard Act of 2012- proposing a federal clean energy standard. The new bill would require that all large retail utilities (except in Alaska and Hawaii) obtain 24% of their electricity through clean energy sources. The bill further calls for an annual increase to the mandate by 3% through 2035. In addition, the bill isn't intended to replace or assert authority over current or future state mandates.

The new bill is most certainly ambitious, and although some don't consider it realistic in today's political climate it is widely considered a jumping off point for future discussions and bills regarding a federal mandate. As long as we have a sluggish economy and the focus is on jobs- we can't afford to be against RPS implementation!