Recent Study: Renewable Energy in the US: Policy, Investment, Capacity, Growth and Outlook

July 18, 2010 - PRLog -- Following more than a year of global financial crisis and economic downturn, the growth and expansion of the US renewable power industry is testament to the inherent attractiveness and resilience of the sector. Renewables will continue to be the bright spot of the US economy in 2010, given that the drivers that propelled the sector for the past five years are still at work.

Scope

* Data and analysis of installed capacities and generation across all sources of renewable energies in the US, at a national level and by state.
* A detailed identification of the key drivers and barriers shaping these markets, and the likely growth potential of each renewable technology.
* A detailed examination of new technology introductions and innovations, and future areas of opportunity for manufacturers and power providers.
* Up to date competitive intelligence on key players operating across all renewable energy technologies, nascent and established, across the US.

Highlights

The economic and financial crisis should have dealt a devastating blow to the renewables industry. Private investment in 2009 declined dramatically but was buttressed by record levels of public funds. These must now play a catalytic role in supporting capital market solutions to permanently secure the financing options needed by the industry.

The market is almost nearly entirely supported by public policy. The vast and growing number and types of government, utility and non-profit financial incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency in the US help explain growth levels in these markets. Production tax credits and renewable portfolio standards are key market drivers.

Not all renewable energy technologies are equal or offer the same growth prospects in the US. Solar is likely to live in the shadow of wind energy for several years to come, while hydropower, biomass and geothermal make modest inroads into the wider US energy market. The outlook for nascent wave and tidal energy markets will gradually improve.

Reasons to Purchase

* Determine how different elements of US legislation and market trends are influencing the development of all renewable energy markets.
* Assess how the renewable energy capacity mix will evolve, what the key opportunities will be and which states offer the greatest potential and why.
* Understand how renewable energy asset strategies are likely to evolve and how and where your company should interact with renewables in the US.


Partial Table of Contents:

Overview 1
Catalyst 1
Executive summary 1
Methodology 1
Sources 1
Table of Contents 4
Table of figures 5
US power market and related political developments 6
Power landscape 6
Weak economic activity and reduced demand for cooling led to a 0.9% decrease in power demand in 2008 versus a 2.3% increase in 2007 6
Power generation in the US is currently dominated by coal-burn, even though the installed capacity of gas generation is greater than coal 7
2008 US power generation snapshot: conventional generation is dominated by coal, natural gas and nuclear power generation 8
Renewable power overview 9
Renewable energy generation output since 1996 is characterized by a decline in hydro output, offset by sustained increases in wind 9
2008 US power generation snapshot: growth of renewable power generation is driven mainly by wind power 10
Growth in wind power generation has outpaced that of all other forms of generation, albeit from a very low initial installed base 11
Gas installed capacity in the US is greater than coal, yet coal power generation is much larger than gas power generation 11
Utility power plants account for the majority of electric installed capacity in the US 13
Power generation in 2008: 13
Net capacity additions of wind power in the US are outstripping net additions of gas capacity 14
Coal, petroleum and nuclear installed capacities have declined since 1997; renewables, gas, and other sources make up the total net addition 15
The US is a global leader in wind, biomass and geothermal power installed capacity and ranks first for new capacity investments 16
Despite the economic downturn in 2008, the average retail price for all US customers increased in 47 out of the 50 states 18
Despite decreases in retail power volumes in 2008, revenues actually increased, driven by higher power prices 19
Fossil fuel prices showed significant volatility during 2008, which contributed to an increase in average retail electricity prices 20
Estimated US power plant emissions were down in 2008, due to decreased fuel consumption 21
Drivers of renewable power 22
Growth in renewable energy generation in the US is spurred on by a range of federal, state-based and local incentives 22
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 22
Renewable energy and energy efficiency investments in the US are underpinned by a wide range of sub-national financial incentives 23
Renewable energy and energy efficiency investments in the US are underpinned by a wide range of state climate regulations 24
The production tax credit is often considered as the main driver of renewable power generation growth in the US over the past decade 25
Renewable portfolio standards have been most successful at stimulating new renewables when deployed alongside the PTC 26
Public support for action on climate change is variable but an overall upwards trend has emerged over the last decade 28
Resilient venture capital levels are a strong growth driver for the wider cleantech industry 28
The US American Power Act presents significant incentives for companies operating across the renewable energy value chain 30
In stark contrast to the previous administration, the new Democrat administration has placed green at the heart of its political agenda 31

Full Table of Contents is available at:
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Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. We represent the world's top research publishers and analysts and provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available.