Articles by
Tam Hunt
A wish list for Biden’s energy policy agenda during his first year in office
By
Tam Hunt
Feed-in tariffs at the federal and state level have been proven to be highly effective around the world. It’s time to bring back this powerful tool to really move the ball forward on the renewable energy transition in all states, not just the progressive leading states.
Where’s the Solar? How Los Angeles Can Utilize All Those Empty Rooftops
By
Tam Hunt
LA’s Department of Water & Power (LADWP), the biggest public utility in the country, has had a feed-in tariff program for a couple of years, with a goal of installing 150 megawatts of solar. However, the current program is coming to an end in early 2015 and LADWP is now contemplating the next phase of this important program. The time is now for some serious thinking about how to solarize LA.
Feed-In Tariffs: A Tool for Increasing Economic Equality in the US?
By
Tam Hunt
The gold standard, however, for maximizing both the speed of development and the spread of economic development benefits is the feed-in tariff policy first pioneered by the United States in the late 1970s.
Saving California’s Small-Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Market
By
Tam Hunt
ReMAT applicants have no way of knowing what contract price they can obtain ahead of time. In contrast, knowing the contract price ahead of time is a substantial advantage of a feed-in tariff. It provides market certainty and confidence that developers can invest the time and money required to get a project to the point where it can win a contract to sell power. ReMAT provides no such certainty because the contract price is only known when the contract is offered in that particular contract window.
Can the Big Island of Hawaii Get All of Its Electricity From Renewables?
By
Tam Hunt
Hawaii’s utilities just resubmitted long-term energy plans to the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, and there was at least one very nice surprise: Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO), the utility that serves the Big Island, now plans to achieve 92 percent renewable electricity by 2030.
Hawaii Needs a Robust and Cost-Effective Feed-In Tariff
By
Tam Hunt
The most reliable tool for achieving higher RES targets is the feed-in tariff. Feed-in tariffs around the world have unleashed the renewable energy markets and produced large amounts of new power generation rapidly and often cost-effectively. The very first feed-in tariff in the world was right here in the U.S., and it was part of the Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA).
What Will Replace the California Solar Initiative?
By
Tam Hunt
My preference is a robust feed-in tariff, but I recognize that the debate is complex and fair minds can differ on these issues.
