US Rep. Inslee (D-WA) Introduces Renewable Energy Pricing (Federal Feed-In) Legislation

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52899

U.S. Representative Jay Inslee (D-WA) on Wednesday tackled head-on the question of whether Congress can mandate electricity prices with the introduction of legislation that would set "feed-in" tariffs to motivate the development and purchase of more renewable sources of electric power.

Inslee's "Renewable Energy Jobs and Security Act" has three main tenets: a guarantee to interconnect renewables to the grid with uniform standards; a mandatory purchase requirement through long-term contracts with fixed tariffs; and rate-recovery through a regional cost-sharing and systems benefit charge.

By making these guarantees, Inslee said, "We can give homeowners, farmers and communities across America investment security that they can take to the bank. We know from experience in Germany, Spain and dozens of other countries around the world that this policy approach spurs unparalleled and affordable renewable-energy development."

Whether the proposal, which one informed observer called a "shot across the bow" of the utilities, even stands a chance in a future Congress remains to be seen. More practically, renewable energy suppliers and utilities will likely be watching how this proposal could shift the debate around renewables and alternatively help secure other policy approaches to renewables such as a national renewable portfolio standards (RPS), which would, in effect, apply to states that do not already have one. Twenty-six states currently have an RPS.

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note: this.is.hugh.