Clean Local Energy Accessible Now (CLEAN) Programs can help utilities, cities, and states bring cost-effective clean local energy online. It is a US policy based on the success of the Feed-in tariff policy in Germany.
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"The fact that CLEAN policies are simple, fair, and effective is the reason that they are responsible for the vast majority of renewable energy that has been deployed in the world.” Craig Lewis, Founder of CLEAN Coalition.
___________________________________________________________________________________CLEAN Programs make it easier to build clean local energy projects, connect them to the grid, and establish long-term contracts to sell the power produced to utilities. With CLEAN Programs in place, financing clean local energy projects becomes much easier, and the whole community benefits.
Here’s just one example: Since establishing a CLEAN Program in 2009, the city of Gainesville, Florida has grown its solar photovoltaic capacity by 5,300% and created 300 local jobs, while energy prices have risen by less than 1%. Gainesville, with more than 12 megawatts of solar generating capacity and 200,000 residents, now boasts an installed solar capacity per capita total that is more than triple the United States average.
___________________________________________________________________________________FITs are fixed price, long-term contracts that require a utility to buy electricity produced by renewable energy generators.
There are many reasons why Feed-In Tariffs (FITs) are the most successful renewable energy (RE) incentive in the world. Here are a just a few:
JOB CREATION*. All levels of jobs are created including high-skilled positions in engineering, manufacturing, agriculture, and electronics.
SIMPLICITY. One important reason FITs have been so successful is their simplicity. With FITs, when anyone generates power from a RE system that is passed through to their local grid, the utility company cuts them a check!
STABILITY & INVESTMENT SECURITY. This is because the incentives are fixed for long time horizons, typically 20 years, which provides a guaranteed revenue stream that can be borrowed against easily. Unlike Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) which have annually fluctuating values through a trading mechanism, FIT incentives never change and never require any administration or additional cost.
STAY-AT-HOME REVENUE. With FITs, the revenue from producing renewable energy will stay in the state or province where it is produced. This will create "local wealth" and stimulate the local economy.
EQUALITY. FITs create a level playing field for all different sizes of renewable energy producers. It encourages individuals, small businesses and larger businesses to become RE producers and rewards them all.
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Want to understand how to adopt FIT policy in your community? Join us at our upcoming events!
Come join us. Only way this happens is to get educated!
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*On July 7, 2010 University of California, Berkeley published an analysis on adopting a Feed-In Tariff policy in California with the following summary of economic benefits:
- Creates three times the number of jobs from 2011-2020.
- Increases direct state revenues by an estimated $1.7 billion.
- Stimulates up to $50 billion in total new investment in the state.
- Provides a highly cost-effective avenue to assist in California's efforts to achieve the 33% Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) target by 2020.
- Click here for full report