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Is the U.S. Ready To Enact a FIT?
With so much talk about feed-in tariffs for renewable energy lately, you'd think they were right around the corner. Not so fast, say experts.
Published: July 26, 2010
California -- U.S. state and local efforts to create feed-in tariff (FIT) programs will not work as well as those in Europe unless regulators adopt the key principles that have made FIT programs so successful on the Continent, analysts say.
And, they add, this is unlikely to happen unless U.S. regulators, utilities and key players stop thinking near-term and start fighting against entrenched interests in order to adopt the basic principles key to FIT programs.
“People are thinking very short-term – look at what I’m doing for myself – and that’s what causes all this fighting,” said Ted Ko, associate executive director of the FIT Coalition, a Bay Area-based group promoting the adoption of FITs on a local, state and nationwide level.
Experts agree that a successful FIT program has several key elements:
- Procure renewable energies at a price it costs to produce them
- Allow for a diversity of energy sources, not just solar
- Differentiate prices by technology, not application
- No caps
And they agree that U.S. programs fail to meet these measures. “It’s a bit of a patchwork across the board,” said Toby Couture, director of energy analysis at E3 Analytics in Canada. Like many FIT observers, Couture cited Vermont and the city of Gainesville as the most forward thinking in the states. But he noted that Gainesville only targets solar PV and both the Florida city and Vermont have caps.
“Caps are crucial. They are one of the major impediments to designing more aggressive feed-in tariffs in the U.S.,” Couture said. He noted that some European countries, like France, have caps, but the French set caps for onshore wind and solar PV at several thousand megawatts, so they act more like targets similar to an RPS (renewable portfolio standard) than a cap.
At the end of June, Oregon announced what it called its “incentive rate pilot programs for Solar PV Systems.” The total program capacity is 25 MW.
“Why bother?” asked FIT expert Paul Gipe. “Oregon has set everything back – possibly by two years because of this pilot program. It’s so small, what’s the point? And it’s only PV.”
[Editor’s Note: For an in-depth discussion of Feed-in tariffs with Paul Gipe where he offers his global outlook and explains his North American report card, register for Alta Terra’s live web conference and teleconference. The event is co-produced by RenewableEnergyWorld.com and is schedule to take place on August 5, 2009.]
Others agreed that many U.S. programs cater solely to the solar industry and this is a policy mistake. Wilson Rickerson, CEO of Meister Consultants Group, said it’s not just a diversity of technologies, but a diversity of size that’s key. “It’s not just PV and gigantic wind but small biogas,” he noted. He said while there’s been much made of the boom in Germany’s solar market, the real FIT success story there is biomass and biogas. He suspected that solar gets all the press here “because the solar industry is fighting the loudest. It would be great if the U.S. biogas industry or the farm lobby or community wind got up in arms for community feed-in tariffs.”
And there are big gains to be had. Ontario’s FIT, considered the gold standard on this side of the Atlantic, has generated close to $10 billion in investment since it was officially launched last fall, said Canadian-based analyst Toby Couture. He said the program has “been really positively received,” is fully differentiated by technology and has attracted a wide spectrum of players.
Once again, the cap-less program provides benefits. “With caps you limit the ability to develop the manufacturing base that is associated with renewable energy development.” He said a key to Germany’s success and its ability to leverage so much global capital is its uncapped policy environment.
A study published July 7 by the University of California at Berkeley showed that if California enacted a FIT for solar projects up to 20 MW, the program would create 280,000 jobs over the next decade, produce over $2 billion in additional tax revenue for the state and stimulate up to $50 billion in new private investment. It would also fulfill California’s 33% RPS by 2020 on schedule.
Many point to federal energy law as a hindrance and note that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has the authority to regulate wholesale rates of electricity. “The question has been brought up – Are states allowed to set rates?” noted Ko of the FIT Coalition. He said there are a variety of legal opinions that show that this is not a legal problem, but acknowledged that the threat of legal difficulties is a possible issue.
Asked why the U.S. is so behind other countries, analysts had different views. Ko speculates that utilities are providing the main opposition because “they would prefer to work within the RPS procedures as they are now.” He said large industry is concerned that its rates will go up and it is not supportive of policies “that will level the playing field for everyone.”
Couture, of E3 Analytics in Canada, agreed, noting that the current assets of coal, natural gas and nuclear still have a useful life. “Until that becomes more pressing a lot of utilities are dragging their heals.” He also said the level of public awareness in Europe is higher than it is in the U.S. “In Germany no politician could get elected if they didn’t openly believe that renewable energy was the way of the future.” That’s not the case in the United States.
Miriam Widman has more than 20 years experience as a journalist and has covered the wave and solar industries for Off the Record Research, an investment research group. She also contributes to NPR and to the Willamette Week, a weekly newspaper in Portland, Oregon.
THE BP GULF OIL DISASTER MAY FINALLY GET THE ENERGY BILL PASSED ALONG WITH FIT.
This is a big week. Tomorrow, President Obama is bringing a bipartisan group of Senate energy leaders to the White House to craft a clean energy bill in response to the Gulf oil disaster. And afterward, on Thursday, the Senate Democratic Caucus will meet again to decide its course of action.
But in the face of pressure from corporate lobbyists, there's a very real chance that the Senate will wind up with a bill of half-measures, slapping a band-aid over the approximately 3 million barrels spilled into the Gulf so far, while ignoring the untold damage we cause by consuming over 2,000 times as much oil every year. We have to address the underlying causes of our addiction to dirty energy, not just the symptoms -- and as President Obama said earlier this month, "The only way the transition to clean energy will ultimately succeed ... is by finally putting a price on carbon pollution."
Join Repower America and 17 other organizations in signing an urgent letter to President Obama and Senate energy leaders demanding they make comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation a reality -- and we will deliver your signatures directly to the White House.
Nearly one full year after the House of Representatives passed comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation, the President is calling on the Senate to find consensus and pass a bill that addresses America's addiction to fossil fuels.
But time is running out to pass this legislation before Capitol Hill grinds to a halt in August so lawmakers can campaign for the November midterm elections -- even as oil may still be still pouring into the Gulf. To adequately address the disaster on our hands, this legislation must accomplish four essential goals:
- Respond directly to the Gulf oil disaster to begin to remedy the damage and hold BP accountable
- Reduce U.S. dependence on fossil fuels
- Set limits on carbon pollution
- Improve energy efficiency and expand renewable energy production
Our letter to the President and Senate leaders emphasizes these essential points and stresses the need to include them in a comprehensive climate and clean energy bill, and pass this bill as soon as possible. Seventeen partner organizations have already signed on, but that's not enough: We also need as many citizen co-signers as possible to demonstrate to our leaders in Washington that Americans all across the country demand a comprehensive solution.
Read the letter and add your name before the White House clean energy meeting tomorrow.
Thanks for your work to help America get the strong bill we deserve,
Maggie L. Fox
Chief Executive Officer
The Climate Protection Action Fund
Online Conference Details Full Details »
Back by popular demand, renewable energy policy expert Paul Gipe gives a status update and outlook on North American and global renewable energy feed-in tariff programs, and presents the findings from his latest report, "Grading North American Feed-in Tariffs."
Overview
Renewable energy feed-in tariffs (FiT) are arguably the world's most successful policy mechanisms for stimulating the growth of renewable energy. In Europe, feed-in tariff programs have fueled unprecedented growth in the solar and wind industries – particularly in Germany, Spain, and Italy. After implementing a feed-in tariff program in 2007, Italy's solar photovoltaics (PV) industry experienced a rapid increase in new installations, quickly surpassing the U.S. in new installations by the end of 2008, and in cumulative installations by the end of 2009. Feed-in tariffs continue to gain momentum around the world, in countries such as China and India – and now the U.S. and Canada.
In North America, more than a dozen U.S. and Canadian states have introduced feed-in tariff legislation, and other states have initiated or announced plans for feed-in tariff regulatory proceedings. Despite the increasing adoption of FiT programs across North America, not all FiT programs are equally effective at stimulating market growth. Limited program size, low project caps, and a lack of differentiation for different technologies threaten to limit the effectiveness of North American FiT programs.
In this online conference: renewable energy feed-in tariff expert, Paul Gipe, returns to give the findings from his latest report, "Grading North American Feed-in Tariffs," in which he grades North American feed-in tariff programs and compares them to the European FiT programs. Mr. Gipe will also give a status update and perspective on the future of North American and global renewable energy feed-in tariffs programs. He will review the latest in European FiT programs, including new successes and proposed solar rate cuts. This interactive online conference will feature 30-50 minutes dedicated to answering questions from participants.
In addition to your questions, Mr. Gipe will answer the following:
•
What is the latest status and update on the feed-in tariff programs in Europe – including Italy, France, Spain – and around the globe?
•
How have feed-in tariffs stimulated rapid renewable energy market growth in Europe?
•
What is the current pace of renewable energy installations in countries that have implemented feed-in tariff programs?
•
Which jurisdictions have implemented feed-in tariffs in North America – and which areas are considering them?
•
What are the barriers and challenges to the adoption and implementation of feed-in tariff programs in the U.S.?
•
How do you create a sustainable program that stimulates long-growth?
WATCH THESE CRITICAL VIDEOS ON MASSIVE BP GULF OIL DISASTER GOV. COVER UP
California -- U.S. state and local efforts to create feed-in tariff (FIT) programs will not work as well as those in Europe unless regulators adopt the key principles that have made FIT programs so successful on the Continent, analysts say.
And, they add, this is unlikely to happen unless U.S. regulators, utilities and key players stop thinking near-term and start fighting against entrenched interests in order to adopt the basic principles key to FIT programs.
“People are thinking very short-term – look at what I’m doing for myself – and that’s what causes all this fighting,” said Ted Ko, associate executive director of the FIT Coalition, a Bay Area-based group promoting the adoption of FITs on a local, state and nationwide level.
Experts agree that a successful FIT program has several key elements:
- Procure renewable energies at a price it costs to produce them
- Allow for a diversity of energy sources, not just solar
- Differentiate prices by technology, not application
- No caps
And they agree that U.S. programs fail to meet these measures. “It’s a bit of a patchwork across the board,” said Toby Couture, director of energy analysis at E3 Analytics in Canada. Like many FIT observers, Couture cited Vermont and the city of Gainesville as the most forward thinking in the states. But he noted that Gainesville only targets solar PV and both the Florida city and Vermont have caps.
“Caps are crucial. They are one of the major impediments to designing more aggressive feed-in tariffs in the U.S.,” Couture said. He noted that some European countries, like France, have caps, but the French set caps for onshore wind and solar PV at several thousand megawatts, so they act more like targets similar to an RPS (renewable portfolio standard) than a cap.
At the end of June, Oregon announced what it called its “incentive rate pilot programs for Solar PV Systems.” The total program capacity is 25 MW.
“Why bother?” asked FIT expert Paul Gipe. “Oregon has set everything back – possibly by two years because of this pilot program. It’s so small, what’s the point? And it’s only PV.”
[Editor’s Note: For an in-depth discussion of Feed-in tariffs with Paul Gipe where he offers his global outlook and explains his North American report card, register for Alta Terra’s live web conference and teleconference. The event is co-produced by RenewableEnergyWorld.com and is schedule to take place on August 5, 2009.]
Others agreed that many U.S. programs cater solely to the solar industry and this is a policy mistake. Wilson Rickerson, CEO of Meister Consultants Group, said it’s not just a diversity of technologies, but a diversity of size that’s key. “It’s not just PV and gigantic wind but small biogas,” he noted. He said while there’s been much made of the boom in Germany’s solar market, the real FIT success story there is biomass and biogas. He suspected that solar gets all the press here “because the solar industry is fighting the loudest. It would be great if the U.S. biogas industry or the farm lobby or community wind got up in arms for community feed-in tariffs.”
And there are big gains to be had. Ontario’s FIT, considered the gold standard on this side of the Atlantic, has generated close to $10 billion in investment since it was officially launched last fall, said Canadian-based analyst Toby Couture. He said the program has “been really positively received,” is fully differentiated by technology and has attracted a wide spectrum of players.
Once again, the cap-less program provides benefits. “With caps you limit the ability to develop the manufacturing base that is associated with renewable energy development.” He said a key to Germany’s success and its ability to leverage so much global capital is its uncapped policy environment.
A study published July 7 by the University of California at Berkeley showed that if California enacted a FIT for solar projects up to 20 MW, the program would create 280,000 jobs over the next decade, produce over $2 billion in additional tax revenue for the state and stimulate up to $50 billion in new private investment. It would also fulfill California’s 33% RPS by 2020 on schedule.
Many point to federal energy law as a hindrance and note that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has the authority to regulate wholesale rates of electricity. “The question has been brought up – Are states allowed to set rates?” noted Ko of the FIT Coalition. He said there are a variety of legal opinions that show that this is not a legal problem, but acknowledged that the threat of legal difficulties is a possible issue.
Asked why the U.S. is so behind other countries, analysts had different views. Ko speculates that utilities are providing the main opposition because “they would prefer to work within the RPS procedures as they are now.” He said large industry is concerned that its rates will go up and it is not supportive of policies “that will level the playing field for everyone.”
Couture, of E3 Analytics in Canada, agreed, noting that the current assets of coal, natural gas and nuclear still have a useful life. “Until that becomes more pressing a lot of utilities are dragging their heals.” He also said the level of public awareness in Europe is higher than it is in the U.S. “In Germany no politician could get elected if they didn’t openly believe that renewable energy was the way of the future.” That’s not the case in the United States.
Miriam Widman has more than 20 years experience as a journalist and has covered the wave and solar industries for Off the Record Research, an investment research group. She also contributes to NPR and to the Willamette Week, a weekly newspaper in Portland, Oregon.
THE BP GULF OIL DISASTER MAY FINALLY GET THE ENERGY BILL PASSED ALONG WITH FIT.
This is a big week. Tomorrow, President Obama is bringing a bipartisan group of Senate energy leaders to the White House to craft a clean energy bill in response to the Gulf oil disaster. And afterward, on Thursday, the Senate Democratic Caucus will meet again to decide its course of action.
But in the face of pressure from corporate lobbyists, there's a very real chance that the Senate will wind up with a bill of half-measures, slapping a band-aid over the approximately 3 million barrels spilled into the Gulf so far, while ignoring the untold damage we cause by consuming over 2,000 times as much oil every year. We have to address the underlying causes of our addiction to dirty energy, not just the symptoms -- and as President Obama said earlier this month, "The only way the transition to clean energy will ultimately succeed ... is by finally putting a price on carbon pollution."
Join Repower America and 17 other organizations in signing an urgent letter to President Obama and Senate energy leaders demanding they make comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation a reality -- and we will deliver your signatures directly to the White House.
But time is running out to pass this legislation before Capitol Hill grinds to a halt in August so lawmakers can campaign for the November midterm elections -- even as oil may still be still pouring into the Gulf. To adequately address the disaster on our hands, this legislation must accomplish four essential goals:
Read the letter and add your name before the White House clean energy meeting tomorrow.
Thanks for your work to help America get the strong bill we deserve,
Maggie L. Fox
Chief Executive Officer
The Climate Protection Action Fund
Overview
Renewable energy feed-in tariffs (FiT) are arguably the world's most successful policy mechanisms for stimulating the growth of renewable energy. In Europe, feed-in tariff programs have fueled unprecedented growth in the solar and wind industries – particularly in Germany, Spain, and Italy. After implementing a feed-in tariff program in 2007, Italy's solar photovoltaics (PV) industry experienced a rapid increase in new installations, quickly surpassing the U.S. in new installations by the end of 2008, and in cumulative installations by the end of 2009. Feed-in tariffs continue to gain momentum around the world, in countries such as China and India – and now the U.S. and Canada.
In North America, more than a dozen U.S. and Canadian states have introduced feed-in tariff legislation, and other states have initiated or announced plans for feed-in tariff regulatory proceedings. Despite the increasing adoption of FiT programs across North America, not all FiT programs are equally effective at stimulating market growth. Limited program size, low project caps, and a lack of differentiation for different technologies threaten to limit the effectiveness of North American FiT programs.
In this online conference: renewable energy feed-in tariff expert, Paul Gipe, returns to give the findings from his latest report, "Grading North American Feed-in Tariffs," in which he grades North American feed-in tariff programs and compares them to the European FiT programs. Mr. Gipe will also give a status update and perspective on the future of North American and global renewable energy feed-in tariffs programs. He will review the latest in European FiT programs, including new successes and proposed solar rate cuts. This interactive online conference will feature 30-50 minutes dedicated to answering questions from participants.
| • | What is the latest status and update on the feed-in tariff programs in Europe – including Italy, France, Spain – and around the globe? |
| • | How have feed-in tariffs stimulated rapid renewable energy market growth in Europe? |
| • | What is the current pace of renewable energy installations in countries that have implemented feed-in tariff programs? |
| • | Which jurisdictions have implemented feed-in tariffs in North America – and which areas are considering them? |
| • | What are the barriers and challenges to the adoption and implementation of feed-in tariff programs in the U.S.? |
| • | How do you create a sustainable program that stimulates long-growth? |
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