This blog post focuses on two specific, innovative aspects of the bill, both of which concern “net metering.”
Rhode Island FIT
This blog post focuses on one specific, highly innovative aspect of the new DG Bill: the move from contracts to a tariff.
The bill proposes a fivefold increase by 2020 of the program that awards long-term power contracts to solar arrays, wind turbines and other types of clean energy, from the current 40 megawatts in nameplate capacity to 200 megawatts.
To carry out these 13 purposes, a tariff-based renewable energy distributed generation financing program, hereinafter 14 referred to as the distributed generation growth program, is hereby established with the intention 15 of continuing the development of renewable energy distributed generation in the load zone of the 16 electric distribution company at reasonable cost.
Under the program, a state board sets ceiling prices that developers can charge for renewable energy. The prices vary based on the type of system and its size by taking into consideration the costs of individual technologies, returns on investment and economies of scale. Projects bid within their classes with prices that do not exceed the ceiling. The winning bids are rewarded with 15-year contracts with National Grid.
In record time, the government of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations has posted proposed feed-in tariffs for renewable energy. … Read more
Prices for Multiple Differentiated Tariffs to be set by September 30, 2011
The Small State has one of the Highest Renewable Energy Standards in the US
In a week of state action on feed-in tariffs, Rhode Island legislators have become the first on the east … Read more
