At the end of September, Senators Jeff Bingaman, Sam Brownback, Byron Dorgan, Susan Collins, Tom Udall, and Mark Udall introduced a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES). The bill will require electricity generators to acquire specific percentages of electricity supplied to customers from renewable energy sources.
Senator Bingaman commented, “I think that the votes are present in the Senate to pass a renewable electricity standard. I think that they are present in the House. I think that we need to get on with figuring out what we can pass and move forward.”
The legislation proposes the following targets to be met from either renewable energy resources or energy efficiency improvements:
YEAR __ %
2012-2013…….……..3
2014-2016…….……. 6
2017-2018…….……. 9
2019-2020………… 12
2021-2039………… 15
Eligible renewable energy resources will include wind, solar, ocean, geothermal, biomass, landfill gas, incremental hydropower, hydrokinetic, new hydropower at existing dams and waste-to-energy. Energy providers can comply with the RES by producing renewable energy, implementing energy efficiency measures, purchasing renewable energy or energy efficiency savings, purchasing renewable energy credits or energy efficiency credits, or paying an alternative compliance payment (ACP) at a rate of $21/MWh. The national RES program will not affect state programs.
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