Renewables

(Updated 1/25/01)

 

Hydro

Wind

Solar

Biomass

 

 

Hydro

 

 

Wind

 

Resource base

 

 

Costs of tapping the resource base

 

Costs reflected in market price

                  Land lease, wind turbines, transmission interconnection costs, avian losses

Costs arguably not reflected in market price (and size of such costs)

                 

 

Current and forecasted market price

 

Barriers to expanded use

         High cost of production

         Inadequate transmission from areas with best wind resources

         Impediments to use of distributed generation

 

Current policies to overcome barriers

         1.7 cents/Kwh production tax credit

         Some state incentives (e.g., California auction of renewable energy production subsidies, Texas renewable energy portfolio standard)

         R&D

 

Potential actions to overcome existing cost barriers and future cost barriers

         Extension of the production tax credit

         Adoption of national and/or state renewable portfolio standards

         Various state tax incentives

         Regional Transmission Organization transmission expansion policies

 

Potential actions to include costs allegedly not reflected in market price

         None

 

PV/Solar Thermal

 

Resource base

          

Costs of tapping the resource base

 

Costs reflected in market price

                  Land, PVs and solar thermal power plants, transmission or distribution system interconnection

 

Costs arguably not reflected in market price (and size of such costs)

                  Hazardous materials from PV production (small)

 

Current and forecasted market price

 

Barriers to expanded use

         High cost of power production equipment

Impediments to use of distributed generation

 

Current policies to overcome barriers

         R&D

         Solar portfolio standard

         California-style renewable energy auction

 

Potential actions to overcome existing cost barriers and future cost barriers

         Tax incentives (S ___)

 

Potential actions to include costs allegedly not reflected in market price

         None

 


 

Biomass

 

Resource base

 

Costs of tapping the resource base

Costs reflected in market price

                  Crops and crop waste

                  Wood waste

                  Urban waste

 

Costs arguably not reflected in market price (and size of such costs)

 

Current and forecasted market price

 

Barriers to expanded use

 

Current policies to overcome barriers

         Ethanol tax credit

         Closed loop biomass tax credit

 

Potential actions to overcome existing cost barriers and future cost barriers

 

Potential actions to include costs allegedly not reflected in market price