Washington State Targets Changes to Renewable Energy (ContributorNetwork)

With a 2012 Washington state renewable energy deadline looming, the Gov. Chris Gregoire is looking at changes to an initiative that will expand the definition of what clean energy is, reported the Associated Press on December 14. Here are some of the details of the initiative and the problems that may cause changes to it.

* Initiative 937 will incrementally ramp up the amount of power that the state's large utilities are required to get through renewable sources including wind, solar, geothermal and certain woody biomass by 2020. For 17 of the state's utility providers, 3 percent of that power must come from renewable energy beginning in January. All of those utilities appear to be able to meet January's requirement.

* About two-thirds of the state's energy already comes from clean hydropower, the Associated Press reported. However, existing hydropower isn't eligible for meeting the renewable requirements under I-937 because the initiative was aimed at spurring new energy activity.

* Some utility providers in Washington state are now seeing an oversupply in renewable energy. According to a recent article in The Columbian, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) officials said that energy oversupply will continue to be caused in springtime in Clark County by the expanding wind energy farms in the Columbia River Gorge reaching their peak production at the same time that abundant snowpack reaches the hydroelectric generating facilities.

* When there is an energy oversupply, BPA is forced to order some of the wind turbines to be shut down, angering owners of the turbines who are hoping to see good returns on their green energy investment. BPA reported that it would be considering solutions that would prevent the wind generators from being fairly impacted by oversupply shutdowns.

* Gov. Chris Gregoire would like to recognize some incremental hydropower and biomass improvements in the fulfillment of the energy standard so as to lure business wanting to provide such energy to the state. She also would like to consider delaying requirements for smaller utilities, the Associated Press reported.

* According to information in the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE), Washington became the second state in the nation, after Colorado, to pass a renewable energy standard by ballot initiative. As the law stands, although there are some exemptions, a utility's failure to meet the energy conservation or renewable energy targets will result in an administrative penalty of $50/MWh, paid to the state of Washington.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111215/us_ac/10688841_washington_state_targets_changes_to_renewable_energy

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