Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards
Energy use from non-renewable energy sources, such as coal and petroleum, are significant contributors of GHG emissions. A Renewable Portfolio Standard ("RPS") is an important and effective tool that can be implemented to reduce emissions from a state's energy sector. An RPS requires that a minimum amount of renewable energy is included in the mix of the electricity sources servicing a state. Many states have an RPS, while some are more aggressive than others the establishment of an RPS is a cost effective and reliable method of reducing a state's greenhouse gas emissions. Common renewable energy sources include wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and hydropower.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists total new renewable energy production from state RPS programs will reduce as much carbon dioxide as taking 5.4 million cars off the road or planting over 1.6 billion trees. In California, approximately 11 percent, or roughly 30 billion kilowatt hours, of the state’s total electricity production (as of April 2004) comes from renewable resources, according to a report by the California Public Utilities Commission.
The following gives a summary of states with an RPS*. Percentages refer to a portion of electricity sales and megawatts (MW) to absolute capacity requirements. Most of these standards phase in over years, and the date refers to when the full requirement takes effect.
For the most recent state climate action news please visit the "Latest State News" section on the Climate Policy Program page: http://www.newamerica.net/programs/climate/latest_state_news
*A few states (Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio) include both alternative and renewable resources in their targets. Alternative sources include advanced coal technology (e.g., carbon capture and storage, supercritical technology, ultrasupercritical technology and pressurized fluidized bed technology), coal bed methane, natural gas, fuel produced by a coal gasification or liquefaction facility, synthetic gas, integrated gasification combined cycle technologies, waste coal, tire-derived fuel, pumped storage hydroelectric projects, and recycled energy. Renewable resources include solar PV, solar thermal, wind, run-of-river hydropower, geothermal, biomass, biologically-derived fuel, and fuel cell technology.
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Arizona: 15% by 2025 California: 20% by 2010 (Goal of 33% by 2020) Colorado: 20% by 2020 Connecticut: 27% by 2020 Delaware: 20% by 2019* Florida: 20% by 2020 Hawaii: 40% by 2030 (25% by 2020) Illinois: 25% by 2025 Kansas: 20% by 2020 (10% by 2011, 15% by 2016) Iowa: 105MW Maine: 30% by 2000; 10% new resources by 2017 Maryland: 20% by 2022 Massachusetts: 15% by 2020 Michigan: 10% by 2015 Minnesota: 25 % by 2025** Missouri: 15% by 2021 Montana: 15% by 2015 Nevada: 25% by 2025 New Hampshire: 25% by 2025 |
New Jersey: 22.5% by 2021 New Mexico: 20% by 2020 New York: 25% by 2013 North Carolina: 12.5% by 2021 North Dakota: 10% by 2015 (voluntary) Oregon: 25% by 2025 Ohio: 25% by 2025 Pennsylvania: 18% by 2020 Rhode Island: 16% by 2020 South Dakota: 10% by 2015 (voluntary) Texas: 5,800 MW by 2015 Utah: 20% by 2025 (voluntary) Vermont: 25% by 2025 Virginia: 12% of '07 sales by 2022 (voluntary) Washington: 15% by 2020 Washington D.C.: 11% by 2022 West Virginia: 25% by 2025 Wisconsin: 10% by 2015 |
*2% from solar photovoltaics
**Xcel Energy, which currently generates about half the state’s electricity, will be required to produce 30 percent of its power from renewable Resources by 2020




