Recently in Wind Category

The report, State of the States 2008: Renewable Energy Development and the Role of Policy, was recently release by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The report takes steps to identify the impact of renewable energy policy on renewable energy development. The authors found that the:

• Existence of an RPS is significantly correlated to higher renewable percentages of overall electricity generation
• Production incentives at the state level, while a small sample (n=6), are significantly correlated to higher renewable electric capacity and generation, as well as individual resource categories.
• Interconnection policies meeting best practices ... are correlated with increased renewable energy capacity and generation overall, as well as individually with higher biomass, hydroelectric, and PV capacity.

While general correlations were made between renewable energy policy and development, further research is needed to quantify direct policy impacts.

The report also provides a comprehensive overview of renewable energy policies including market and production incentives and provides, when able, best practices in policy development. The authors also report which states have enacted various types of renewable energy policies and grades them on whether they encourage or hinder renewable energy development. The full report can be found here.

North Carolina State University will be home to a new national research center aimed "to revolutionize the nation's power grid and speed renewable electric-energy technologies into every home and business." The NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) Systems is focused on developing technology for transforming the nation's electric power grid into a "smart grid" that will "easily store and distribute energy produced from solar panels, wind farms, fuel cells and other energy sources." The center will begin operations immediately with support from over 60 private companies involved in electricity production. More information about the center can be found at the FREEDM Center website and the NC State press release.

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) recently released the report Cornerstones: Building a Secure Foundation for North Carolina's Energy Future. The report recommends North Carolina take specific policy steps to reduce carbon emissions by 60 percent in 2030. The recommendations fall under the four categories of energy efficiency, clean energy, pollution capture, and long-range planning. The full report can be found here.

In August 2007, The Energy Information Administration (EIA) released the report Energy and economic impacts of implementing both a 25-percent renewable portfolio standard and a 25-percent renewable fuel standard. The report had the following results:

• The implementation of the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) cause dramatic decreases in the use of coal, natural gas, and petroleum-based fuels with a shift towards biopower, wind power, and biofuels.
  
• Total U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are 14% lower than business-as-usual.
  
• Achieving the RPS and RFS leads to higher energy prices, as producers substitute more expensive renewable fuels for less expensive fossil fuels. Higher energy prices reduce economic activity.
  
• Higher prices contribute to a reduction in transportation demand for liquid motor fuels on an energy basis.

In a press release by the national 25x'25 campaign, Ernie Shea, 25x'25 project coordinator, said the report "produced better-than-expected results, including major reductions in U.S. oil dependence and carbon dioxide emissions.” Shea also said the report does not "quantify major economic benefits gained by reductions in dependence on foreign oil, nor does it account for improvements to our national and rural economies and the creation of new jobs that will result from growth in the renewable energy sector."