Page 37 - PCCA Journal 2nd Quarter 2012

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PCCA Journal|2
nd
Quarter 2012
37
future in which more electricity is gener-
ated with cleaner energy.
Bingaman said the Clean Energy Stan-
dard Act of 2012 (CES) would employ a
straightforward, market-based approach
that encourages a wide variety of elec-
tricity-generating technologies. It would
set a national goal for clean energy and
establish a transparent framework that
lets resources compete based on how
clean they are, then gets out of the way
and lets the market and American inge-
nuity determine the best paths forward.
The bill does not limit the mandate
to renewables like wind and solar, but
includes several other low-emissions and
clean energy resources such as renew-
able biomass, natural gas, hydropower,
nuclear power, and qualified waste-
to-energy, as well as “clean” coal with
carbon-capture technology.
Under Bingaman’s proposal, beginning
in 2015, large retail utilities (exclud-
ing those in Alaska and Hawaii) would
be required to obtain 24 percent of the
electricity they sell through clean energy
sources, with the mandate increasing by
3 percent each year through 2035, result-
ing in what would be a doubling of clean
energy by that year.
Energy generators would be rated ac-
cording to their carbon emissions, with
more credits being given to those that
generate the fewest emissions. Because a
variety of energy sources are included in
the system, the market would determine
the optimal mix of technologies and
fuels, according to Bingaman.
Utilities would also be allowed to pro-
vide clean energy credits and/or make
alternative compliance payments (ACPs)
to meet the standard. Utilities that fail
to meet the CES requirement would be
charged a penalty of 200 percent of the
ACP for each kilowatt-hour they sell in
violation of the CES.
The federal CES would not replace or
have additional authority over states'
individual renewable portfolio standards.
"This legislation will help us make
sure that we employ continued diversity
in our energy sources and allow every
region to deploy clean energy using its
own resources," said Bingaman, who
chairs the Senate Energy and Natural
Resources Committee. "It also will make
sure that we do all of this in a way that
supports home-grown innovation and
manufacturing and keeps us competitive
in the global clean energy economy."
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News Briefs continued on page 38