"You can put that bud of reality in your bong and fire it up"
Rat laughed; not because he had to, but because he had two.
Also, he knew that new large hydro is no longer considered part of the renewable portfolio. It's why Cal would give me a rebate on panels, but not for putting a microhydro turbine on my creek. Run of river, wave generators are renewable.
Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)
A The Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is a regulatory framework that requires states to generate a certain amount of electricity from renewable energy sources. For instance, under its RPS, California aims to generate twenty percent of its electricity from qualifying renewable energy sources by December 31, 2010. To accomplish this goal, most state RPS programs require utilities to buy a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable sources.
One of the key elements of an RPS is the types of energy sources that qualify as renewable. Typically, solar and wind are the most preferred renewable energy sources in an RPS. Since the goal of an RPS is to encourage the development of new renewable energy sources, most states don't let existing hydropower qualify. However, each state treats hydropower in its own way. In some states, hydropower is restricted by size (e.g. 200 MW in Vermont) while in others it is restricted by technology (e.g. pumped storage does not qualify in Maryland).
The Coalition supports inclusion of following types of hydropower in an RPS standard:
Hydropower generated from efficiency improvements at existing facilities.
Hydropower generated from capacity additions at existing facilities.
Hydropower projects that take additional steps to protect the local system- for example, through the Low Impact Hydropower Institute's certification program.
However, we do not support inclusion of hydropower generated from new dam construction or capacity added through operational changes (e.g. a change to release schedule).
hydroreform.org
“Month-after-month, the U.S. government’s own numbers refute those attempting to dismiss or belittle the rapidly expanding role being played by renewable energy sources in the nation’s electricity supply,” said Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the Sun Day Campaign. “Moreover, non-hydro renewables are already well beyond the levels of the Renewable Electricity Standard proposed in energy legislation now being considered by before the U.S. Senate, which calls for just 3 percent renewables by 2013.” |
