Summary of Representative Inslee’s 2008 Feed-in Tariff Bill

By Paul Gipe

 

 

  • Project size cap 20 MW
  • Tariffs based on cost of generation plus reasonable profit
  • Tariffs differentiated by technology and size
  • Tariffs based on cost plus 10% rate of return under “good” conditions
  • Tariffs based on regions with top 30th percentile of renewable energy potential
  • Tariffs uniform across the US
  • Tariff Bonuses for
    • Improving grid efficiency
    • On peak generation
    • Storage
  • Tariff degression for all technologies
  • Program open to all, utilities included
  • Right of connection
  • Right of purchase
  • Costs spread regionally among consumes through SBC on all US ratepayers
  • SBC based on customer energy consumption and projected program costs
  • Utilities would be reimbursed from RenewCorp funded through SBC collections
  • Costs and funds would be pooled regionally
  • Excludes use of federal tax credits or subsidies and state RECs
  • Excludes use of net metering
  • Utilities earn RECs for all renewable energy installed under the program (to meet their RPS obligations)
  • Allows all citizens to participate in renewable electricity generation
  • Includes all renewables
    • solar thermal,
    • solar PV,
    • wind,
    • geothermal (electricity generation),
    • marine,
    • hydrokinetic (wave, tidal, current, and free flowing streams),
    • biomass as defined by Farm Security and Rural Investment Act,
    • landfill gas
    • biogas from farm wastes, and
    • qualified hydro
  • Expedited interconnection in two classes
    • <10 kW
    • >10 kW<2 MW
  • Prohibition against transmission charges
  • Utilities required to upgrade transmission as necessary
  • Suggests “clustering” of multiple projects greater than 2 MW (?)
  • NREL & LBL to report on tariff study
  • Review every two years
  • Annual reporting requirements including the portion community owned