Recently, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE, a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring renewable energy into the mainstream of the economy through research and communication) publicly released a user friendly two‐page, factual overview of the key State renewable energy implementation programs. It provides information on: (a) installed and planned capacity; (b) markets; (c) economic development; (d) resource potential; (e) policies; and (f) ACORE members in the State. The report focuses on the major market drivers (i.e., those that cause investors and companies to develop renewable energy projects, manufacturing plants, and research centers within a state’s borders).
The capacity chart in the report includes all projects that were in construction year‐to‐date as verified by renewable energy trade associations or other reliable public sources. For example, solar installed capacity data is derived from IREC’s U.S. Solar Market Trends 2009 report. The market information was collected from State Energy Department and Public Utility Commission websites, state‐funded and other similarly credible reports, news articles and other sources. Information available on the economic impact will vary by state because not all states provide the same level of information in their databases. In particular, projects built by private firms do not have to share their financial information publicly and may not be included for each state. The report attempts to estimate both direct jobs and indirect jobs (i.e., people working for producers of materials, equipment and services that are used on the project).
The renewable energy technology resource maps are intended to show the relationship between current renewable energy development and the state’s potential (and are derived from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and 3TIER). The policies cited in the report are primarily from the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE), a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.
In summary, this source provides a portal to a wealth of useful information. While not exhaustive in detail, it can be used as a screening tool in the process of selecting sites and specific renewable technologies and as a starting point for a more extensive review of each of these driving factors.
Robert Chow, Esq. and William Walsh, Esq.
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