Energy Policy and Markets Debates: A New Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff for California?

PR Log (Press Release) – Jun 16, 2009 – Feed-in tariffs for renewable energy are now in place or under discussion in a number of states and municipalities within states. How have those that have passed legislation—such as Gainesville, Florida and Vermont—done it? Why did they choose feed-in tariffs over other incentive options? How is implementation going? And, in states that are considering feed-in tariff legislation—such as Hawaii, Michigan, and California—what are the key points of contention?

AltaTerra Research has organized a series of web conferences to provide background and current status information on feed-in tariffs in North America with a focus on the policy under discussion in California. The series is designed to shed light on emerging issues and points of disagreement.

Kicking off the series this Thursday, June 18th, is John Crider of the Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU)—the strategic planner behind the Gainesville solar feed-in tariff program. In the web conference entitled, From Germany to Gainesville: Practical Guidelines for Implementing a Solar Feed-In Tariff, Mr. Crider will tell the story of the Gainesville feed-in tariff program, from the design process through implementation to lessons learned that could be applied in other communities.

On Thursday, June 25th, Sue Kately, Executive Director of the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA), Craig Lewis, Principal at RightCycle, and Jigar Shah, former CEO and founder of SunEdison, will discuss the relationship between feed-in tariffs and power purchase agreements, the pricing of feed-in tariffs and the economics of solar projects, and the main players lobbying for and against feed-in tariffs in Accelerating Renewable Energy Penetration in the US: PPAs and FITs.

These web conferences are intended for renewable energy and utility leaders, as well as interested professionals from environmental, regulatory, financial, investment, legal, and compliance organizations.

AltaTerra held the first web conference in this series on April 23rd. In FITs and Starts? What You Need to Know Now about Feed-In Tariffs in North America, Wilson Rickerson, Senior Vice President and sustainable energy policy and market development specialist with Meister Consultants Group, guided participants through the latest developments in the rapidly evolving national feed-in tariff dialogue and outlined challenges and opportunities for the renewable energy industry.

Participants in the upcoming web conferences may purchase the presentation and recording from FITs and Starts? What You Need to Know Now about Feed-In Tariffs in North America at a reduced rate.

Further information and registration are available online at www.altaterra.net/event/GRUFIT and www.altaterra.net/event/PPAandFIT.

About AltaTerra Research
Founded in 2007, AltaTerra Research is the first research firm dedicated to corporate sustainability and the commercial markets for clean technology solutions. With research reports, advisory services and executive education, AltaTerra helps business leaders make informed decisions on sustainability strategies, practices and cleantech solutions. Through the AltaTerra Research Network, we collaborate with other report publishers, content providers and event organizers to ensure that the sustainability community and our customers receive the highest quality information available. To search our online catalog of publicly available research, summaries of proprietary reports, blogs and industry event listings, please visit the AltaTerra Research Network website at www.AltaTerra.net.

Contact:
Anneke Mueller
AltaTerra Research (New York Office)
Anneke.Mueller@AltaTerra.net
(212) 537-5044 ext. 683