Case Studies of State
Support for Renewable Energy
About the Case Study Series
A number of U.S. states have recently established clean energy
funds to support renewable electricity. The 15 states that have
established these funds to date are expected to collect $3.5 billion
between 1998 and 2012 for renewable energy investments. This represents
a new trend towards aggressive state support for renewable energy,
but few efforts have been made to report and share the early experiences
of these funds.
Clean Energy Group, in collaboration with the Berkeley Lab, has
initiated a case study series that will report on the use of these
clean energy funds. The primary purpose of this series is to briefly
report on the innovative programs and administrative practices
of state (and some international) clean energy funds, to highlight
additional sources of information and to identify contacts. Our
hope is that these case studies will be useful for administrators
of clean energy funds and other stakeholders that are interested
in learning about the pioneering renewable energy efforts of newly
established clean energy funds. We expect to produce several new
case studies each year.
Download the Authors' Note
Download the Authors'
Note and a brief description about how clean energy
is emerging as a new investment area for many states.
Download the Complete Set of Case Studies
Download a compilation file of all the formatted case studies
(for printing ease): Renewable_Energy_Case_Studies.pdf,
4.2 MB
Download a full Berkeley Lab report of the initial 21 case studies,
including more information on our overall methods and findings:
Innovation, Renewable Energy,
and State Investment: Case Studies of Leading Clean Energy Funds.
(September 2002). 704 KB
Download the Individual Case Studies
Don't show one sentence description
of each case
Large Scale Renewables Cases
Production
Incentive Auctions to Support Large-Scale Projects in California
and Pennsylvania (September 2002). This case summarizes
California's production incentive program and the difficulties
it has faced, and then focuses on how Pennsylvania has attempted
to innovate on California's approach to bring new wind capacity
on line quickly and prior to the then-expected expiration of
the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind power at the
end of 2001.
The
U.K. NFFO and Ireland AER Competitive Bidding Systems (September
2002). This case describes how the incentive structures used
in the U.K. and Ireland eliminate "power purchase agreement
uncertainty" for large-scale renewable energy projects,
which has been a major concern in the U.S.
An
Open-Ended Renewables RFP in Minnesota Funds Biomass and Innovative
Wind Applications (September 2002). Chosen in part because
it provides an example of an open-RFP process that has funded
a diverse set of projects, this case describes the first solicitation
and results from Xcel Energy's Renewable Development Fund.
Use
of Low-Interest, Subordinated Debt to Finance a Wind Project
in Pennsylvania (September 2002). The innovative offering
of low-cost debt described in this case marks a significant
departure from standard grant-based project support.
Distributed Generation Cases
The
Use of Capital- and Performance-Based Buy-Down Programs for
PV in California, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts (September
2002). This case highlights California's successful capital-based
buy-down program, and how Pennsylvania and Massachusetts have
attempted to build upon the success in California by incorporating
performance-based incentives into their programs.
Support
for PV in Japan and Germany (September 2002). Examining
the factors that have led to extensive grid-connected PV deployment
in Japan and Germany, this case is valuable because both of
these countries have a longer history of program experience
(dating back to the early 1990s) than the U.S.
Using
Bulk Purchase Commitments to Foster Sustained Orderly Development
and Commercialization of PV (September 2002). The efforts
of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, the California
Power Authority, the Western Solar Utility Network Cooperative,
and the City of Chicago to lower the installed cost of PV systems
through bulk purchase and installation programs are described
in this case.
A
Multi-Faceted Approach to Supporting PV in New York (September
2002). This case highlights NYSERDA's efforts to target different
segments of the PV market, including commercial, industrial,
and institutional buildings, the residential PV market, "high-value"
PV installations, solar on schools, and PV systems on new Energy
Star-labeled homes.
A
Targeted Approach to Support PV and Small Wind in Montana
(September 2002). Montana has targeted niche and other high-value
applications such as PV-powered livestock watering systems and
solar on schools (with a strong educational component); this
experience is described in this case.
PV
(and Small Wind) Pricing Programs that Link Supply with Demand
(September 2002). This case provides information on the use
of "green tags" to support distributed PV and small
wind applications in Pennsylvania, the Pacific Northwest, and
Switzerland.
Quality
Assurance for Photovoltaic Systems (September 2002). The
various approaches that certain states have taken to help ensure
the quality and reliability of PV systems are described in this
case.
Two
Different Approaches to Funding Farm-Based Biogas Projects in
Wisconsin and California (September 2002). This case relates
the approaches and experience of two states that are actively
supporting the development of a technology that has not received
much attention in recent years, but whose fortunes seem to be
shifting as the environmental impacts from both conventional
electricity generation and agricultural waste continue to mount.
Other Program Cases
Using
Customer Credits to Stimulate Green Power Sales in California,
Rhode Island, and New York (September 2002). This case describes
California's pioneering experience in offering a per-kWh incentive
to encourage customers to purchase green power, and how Rhode
Island and New York have attempted to apply lessons learned
from California in the design of their own green power programs.
Information, Training, Education,
Project Facilitation, and Technical Assistance in Wisconsin
(September 2002). Wisconsin has taken a somewhat unique approach
in raising awareness and shepherding new renewable energy projects
to completion through education, marketing, training, and project
facilitation (i.e., technical assistance and project "hand
holding").
Renewable
Energy Loan Programs (September 2002). This case describes
the structure and experience of renewable energy loan programs
in Idaho, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Massachusetts'
Green Buildings Program (September 2002). This program ÷
by far the largest and most aggressive effort among state clean
energy funds at promoting the use of renewable energy in green
buildings ÷ supports feasibility studies and provides design
and construction grants for both green schools and green buildings.
Administrative Cases
Massachusetts'
Solar-To-Market Initiative: Using a Collaborative Approach to
Create PV Programs (September 2002). This case describes
a novel collaboration between the Massachusetts Renewable Energy
Trust and the in-state PV industry that has resulted in a new
industry group and a consensus set of PV programs.
Wisconsin's
Use of Program Evaluation (September 2002). Consistent and
frequent program evaluation has been a significant component
of Wisconsin's renewable energy efforts, and has lead to several
real-time changes in program offerings.
Public
Education, Marketing, and Consumer Action: The Multi-Party Programs
of Connecticut and Pennsylvania (September 2002). This case
describes two of the first large-scale renewable energy education
and marketing efforts in the nation, funded and supported not
only by state clean energy funds, but also by a variety of other
organizations.
Organizational
Structure: The Sustainable Development Fund of Southeastern
Pennsylvania (September 2002). This case study focuses on
three key elements of organizational structure that have enabled
this fund to design and administer innovative and effective
programs, despite limited staffing.
Competitive
Solicitations and Unsolicited Proposals: Examples from Several
State Funds on How to Balance and Refine the Process (September
2002). This case describes how a number of states have balanced
a preference for competitive solicitations with the flexibility
to consider unsolicited proposals.
Other Reports Specifically Related to State Renewable Energy
Policies
Analyzing
the Interaction Between State Tax Incentives and the Federal
Production Tax Credit for Wind Power (September 2002).
Customer-Sited
PV: A Survey of Clean Energy Fund Support (May 2002).
Utility-Scale
Renewable Energy Projects: A Survey of Clean Energy Fund Support
(May 2002).
The
Renewables Portfolio Standard in Texas: An Early Assessment
(November 2001).
Clean Energy Funds: An Overview
of State Support for Renewable Energy (April 2001).
Financing
Investments in Renewable Energy: The Role of Policy Design and
Restructuring (March 1997).
Other Renewable Energy Analysis Reports
