renewable energy portfolio standards

Earlier this year, a group of Stoel Rives attorneys traveled to Mexico to assess existing opportunities and pending developments in the Mexican power markets.  Some of the reforms and key trends identified during that trip are now taking shape. See also my blog post “Let the Market Decide: The Third Wave of Energy Investment in Latin America and Caribbean.”

Our work in Mexico included meetings with existing clients, senior partners of a major Mexican law firm, a briefing with a senior Mexican policymaker regarding implementation of the reforms and attendance at the Mexican International Renewable Energy Conference.  Here are some key “take-aways” from these meetings:

  • A Mexican renewable energy market has been successfully launched, with more wind than solar developed to date.
  • A package of “secondary” laws implementing Mexico’s energy reform legislation are pending in the Mexican Congress.
  • The secondary laws will include some form of renewable portfolio standard (e.g., 30% by 2024) that relies on (among other elements) renewable energy certificates.
  • The secondary laws are also expected to launch a wholesale electricity market, a demand response market and other provisions designed to encourage distributed generation.
  • Solar module manufacturers and other stakeholders are concerned about the government’s decision to apply a 15% import tax on electrical “generators” to non-NAFTA solar modules. 

Continue Reading Businesses and Policymakers Confirm Mexican Energy Reforms Are Gaining Momentum

The Administration’s Clean Power Plan (the "Plan"), released on June 2 and published on June 18, confirms that climate change mitigation goals are now a key driver of both environmental and energy policy. By imposing total power sector CO2 emission reductions of 30 percent (from 2005 levels) by 2030, the Plan is likely to trigger both a wholesale shift of power production fuel usage from coal to natural gas and renewable energy, and a critical debate about energy resource priorities.

The Plan reflects the latest development in a multi-year conflict over climate change legislation and energy policy. Early in the Administration’s first term, a "cap and trade" approach was proposed by Congressional Democrats and opposed by most Congressional Republicans. The opponents prevailed, effectively blocking the legislation.Continue Reading Climate Change Mitigation: The New Energy Policy

Xcel Energy, the nation’s leading wind power utility, announced yesterday that it will add three large wind farms to its wind energy portfolio.  The 600 megawatt increase is the utility’s single largest increase in its Upper Midwest service area.

The 33 percent increase will augment Xcel’s existing 1,800 megawatts of wind capacity and allow it

Seattle City Light recently issued a request for proposals f(RFP) or up to 150,000 megawatt-hours of renewable energy or renewable energy credits per year, starting in 2020.  The projects that generate the RECs or energy must qualify as eligible according to Washington State’s renewable portfolio standard. In addition, City Light will require a minimum output guarantee and credit

Legal News Alert from Stoel Rives Renewable Energy Law Group

The California Legislature has passed Senate Bill (“SB”) X1-2, which requires California’s electric utilities to increase their renewable generation to 33% by 2020. Passage of the legislation is the culmination of years of effort to increase California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (“RPS”) from its current 20%. In 2009,

On July 28, 2010, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (the "Commission") issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ("NOPR") regarding rules related to electric transmission facilities planning (the "Proposed Rules").  The Proposed Rules are based, in large part, on the input provided by all interested parties in the workshops and written comments in connection with Docket Nos. 08I-227E and 09M-616E and in response to certain legislative and policy changes impacting transmission planning significantly.  In response to these legislative and policy changes, some of the key issues that need to be addressed in transmission planning include transmission-related challenges to satisfying State of Colorado’s renewable energy portfolio standard for electricity generation, distributed generation set-asides, and requirements that the Commission give the fullest possible consideration to cost-effective implementation of new clean energy and energy efficient technologies.  In implementing the Proposed Rules, the Commission recognizes that "both state-wide coordinated transmission planning and a meaningful involvement in such planning by stakeholders and the Commission are essential."  NOPR at 2-3.  In addition, the Commission concluded that "an effective transmission planning approach needs to be long-term and pro-active rather than just-in-time and reactive."

Under the Proposed Rules, the Commission will rely on the Colorado Coordinated Planning Group ("CCPG") as the primary means by which jurisdictional electric utilities will develop the ten-year transmission plans and the twenty-year conceptual plans contemplated under the rules, in consultation with other CCPG members and stakeholders.  Overall, the Proposed Rules set forth the general objectives associated with the biennial filing of the following:  Continue Reading Colorado Public Utilities Commission Proposes New Rules Governing Transmission Planning