Don’t call it a comeback: the remarkable resurgence of renewable portfolio standards

Not long ago, the Clean Power Plan and the rise of carbon markets had some industry experts wondering whether Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) policies were still relevant.

They were facing stiff resistance in many states, with threats of freezes and rollbacks looming.  Some wondered whether the policy structures themselves, which require specific, increasing proportions of electricity sold in the state to be sourced from designated renewable technologies, had seen their high water mark.

However, over the past year, the RPS has experienced an extraordinary resurgence as the preferred state policy for expanding clean energy markets.

Just in the last year, California, Oregon, Hawaii and Vermont have all passed binding legislation requiring 50 percent or higher renewable electricity standards.  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration is actively establishing a new 50 percent standard, while the Maryland legislature just passed a new RPS going to 25 percent in the next four years.  In New Jersey, the state senate just passed an 80 percent by 2050 bill.

What forces are driving the renewed interest in these policies?  How can RPS policies advance carbon goals under the Clean Power Plan or other carbon policies?  What benefits do RPSs have beyond carbon emissions reduction?  How are the markets established by these standards influencing project development?  What is the future of RPS policies?

Join us for a robust discussion about these key issues during WINDPOWER 2016 at the Market Demand Panel:  RPS in the CPP Era – 50% and Beyond.  We will review new data about the benefits of RPS policies, explore recent legislative accomplishments and have a lively discussion around policy objectives for 2016 and beyond with an all-star panel of experts.

This session will be open to all attendees and will be located on the show floor in the Power Station. Panelists will include:

• Ryan Wiser, Senior Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – An Analysis of the Benefits and Impacts of State RPS Programs
• Ariel Lager, Vice President – Renewable Energy Services, Customized Energy Solutions, Ltd. – Renewable Energy Credits – A Lifecycle Analysis
• Anne Reynolds, Executive Director, Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY) – Developing New York’s Clean Energy Standard
• Virinder Singh, Director, Regulatory & Legislative Affairs, EDF Renewable Energy – Getting to Fifty:  A Look Back at RPS Legislation in California and Oregon, and a Look Forward to What It Means

See you there!