Renewable 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.
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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* Hawaii: 20% by 2020 Illinois: 25% by 2025 Iowa: 105MW Maine: 30% by 2000; 10% new resources by 2017 Maryland: 7.5% by 2022; 2% solar by 2022 Massachusetts: 4% new by 2009 Minnesota: 25 % by 2025** Missouri: 11% by 2020 (voluntary) Montana: 15% by 2015
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Nevada: 20% by 2015 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 Oregon: 25% by 2025 Pennsylvania: 18% by 2020 Rhode Island: 16% by 2020 Texas: 5,800 MW by 2015 Vermont: Equal to load growth ‘05-2012 Virginia: 12% of '07 sales by 2022 Washington: 15% by 2020 Washington D.C.: 11% by 2022 Wisconsin: 10% by 2015
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*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



