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Renewable Portfolio Standards In The United States
A Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is a regulation that requires the increased production of energy from renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal, which have been adopted in 38 of 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The United States federal RPS is called the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES). The RPS mechanism generally places an obligation on electricity supply companies to produce a specified fraction of their electricity from renewable energy sources. Certified renewable energy generators earn certificates for every unit of electricity they produce and can sell these along with their electricity to supply companies. Supply companies then pass the certificates to some form of regulatory body to demonstrate their compliance with their regulatory obligations. Because it is a market mandate, the RPS relies almost entirely on the private market for its implementation. Unlike feed-in tariffs which guarantee purchase of all renewable en ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Enhanced Geothermal Systems
An enhanced geothermal system (EGS) generates geothermal electricity without the need for natural convective hydrothermal resources. Until recently, geothermal power systems have exploited only resources where naturally occurring heat, water, and rock permeability are sufficient to allow energy extraction. However, by far the most geothermal energy within reach of conventional techniques is in dry and impermeable rock. EGS technologies enhance and/or create geothermal resources in this hot dry rock (HDR) through a variety of stimulation methods, including 'hydraulic stimulation'. Overview When natural cracks and pores do not allow economic flow rates, the permeability can be enhanced by pumping high-pressure cold water down an injection well into the rock. The injection increases the fluid pressure in the naturally fractured rock, triggering shear events that enhance the system's permeability. As long as the injection pressure is maintained, a high matrix permeability is not ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Progressive
''The Progressive'' is a left-leaning American magazine and website covering politics and culture. Founded in 1909 by U.S. senator Robert M. La Follette Sr. and co-edited with his wife Belle Case La Follette, it was originally called ''La Follette's Weekly'' and then ''La Follette's''. In 1929, it was recapitalized and had its name changed to ''The Progressive.''"Timeline", ''The Progressive'' magazine May 1, 2004.Bernard A Weisberger, ''The La Follettes of Wisconsin: Love And Politics in Progressive America'' Madison, Wis. : University of Wisconsin Press, 1994. (p. 282) For a period, ''The Progressive'' was co-owned by the La Follette family and William Evjue's newspaper ''The Capital Times''. Its headquarters is in Madison, Wisconsin. The publication covers civil rights and civil liberties-related topics, gender, immigrant issues, labor issues, environmentalism, criminal justice reform, and democratic reform.Rothschild, Matthew (2009). ''Democracy in Print: The Best of The Prog ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Legislative Exchange Council
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a nonprofit organization of conservative state legislators and private sector representatives who draft and share model legislation for distribution among state governments in the United States. ALEC provides a forum for state legislators and private sector members to collaborate on model bills—draft legislation that members may customize and introduce for debate in their own state legislatures. ALEC has produced model bills on a broad range of issues, such as reducing regulation and individual and corporate taxation, combating illegal immigration, loosening environmental regulations, tightening voter identification rules, weakening labor unions, and opposing gun control. Some of these bills dominate legislative agendas in states such as Arizona, Wisconsin, Colorado, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Maine. Approximately 200 model bills become law each year. ALEC also serves as a networking tool among certain state legislators ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rural Electric Cooperatives
A utility cooperative is a type of cooperative that is tasked with the delivery of a public utility such as electricity, water or telecommunications to its members. Profits are either reinvested for infrastructure or distributed to members in the form of "patronage" or "capital credits", which are dividends paid on a member's investment in the cooperative. Each customer is a member and owner of the business. This means that all members have equal individual authority, unlike investor-owned utilities where the extent of individual authority is governed by the number of shares held. Like cooperatives operating in other sectors, many utility cooperatives conduct their affairs according to a set of ideals based on the Rochdale Principles. Some utility cooperatives respect the seventh principle, ''Concern for community'', through ''Operation Roundup'' schemes, whereby members can voluntarily have their bill rounded to the next currency unit (e.g. $55.37 becomes $56), with the differe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trade Association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific Industry (economics), industry. An industry trade association participates in public relations activities such as advertising, education, publishing, lobbying, and political donations, but its focus is collaboration between companies. Associations may offer other services, such as producing conferences, holding networking or charitable events, or offering classes or educational materials. Many associations are non-profit organizations governed by bylaws and directed by officers who are also members. In countries with a social market economy, the role of trade associations is often taken by employers' organizations, which also take a role in social dialogue. Political influence One of the primary purposes of trade groups, particularly in the United States, is to attempt to influence p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edison Electric Institute
The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is an association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Its members provide electricity for 220 million Americans, operate in 50 states and the District of Columbia, and directly employ more than one million workers.http://www.eei.org/about/members/uselectriccompanies/Documents/memberlist_print.pdf EEI has 70 international electric companies as Affiliate Members, and 250 industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members. Membership Members of the Edison Electric Institute are investor-owned utility companies, meaning that they are privately held companies that supply power and electricity to businesses and consumers. Some of the larger members include: * Alliant Energy * American Electric Power * Berkshire Hathaway Energy * CenterPoint Energy * CMS Energy (Consumers Energy) * Consolidated Edison * Duke Energy * Entergy Corporation * FirstEnergy * PG&E Corporation * Southern Company * Xcel Energy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Clean Energy And Security Act
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) was an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress () that would have established a variant of an emissions trading plan similar to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives on June 26, 2009, by a vote of 219–212. With no prospect of overcoming a threatened Republican filibuster, the bill was never brought to the floor of the Senate for discussion or a vote. The House passage of the bill was the "first time either house of Congress had approved a bill meant to curb the heat-trapping gases scientists have linked to climate change." The bill was also known as the Waxman-Markey Bill, after its authors, Representatives Henry A. Waxman of California and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, both Democrats. Waxman was at the time the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Markey was the chairman of that committee's Energy and Power Subcommittee. Summary o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Energy Act
The National Energy Act of 1978 (NEA78) was a legislative response by the U.S. Congress to the 1973 energy crisis. It includes the following statutes: * Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) () * Energy Tax Act () * National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA) () * Power Plant and Industrial Fuel Use Act () * Natural Gas Policy Act ({{USPL, 95, 621) The legislative initiative was introduced by President Carter. The package was a major step in the legislation of the energy field, both the supply and the demand side. The package has soon been followed by Energy Security Act, 8 acts signed by president Carter in 1980. This sequel package addressed energy conservation and development of renewable energy sources. The NEA78 and the "security" package established a framework for regulatory and market-based initiatives, energy efficiency programs, tax incentives, tax disincentives, energy conservation programs and alternative fuel programs. Most of the market-based mechanisms ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act
The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA, ) is a United States Act passed as part of the National Energy Act. It was meant to promote energy conservation (reduce demand) and promote greater use of domestic energy and renewable energy (increase supply). The law was created in response to the 1973 energy crisis, and one year in advance of a second energy crisis. Upon entering the White House, President Jimmy Carter made energy policy a top priority. The law started the energy industry on the road to restructuring. Law PURPA was originally passed with the intention of conserving electric energy, increasing efficiency in facilities and resources used by utility companies, making retail rates for electric consumers more fair, speeding up the creation of hydroelectric energy production at small dams, and conserving natural gas. The main vehicle that the PURPA law used to try and accomplish these goals was by creating a new class of electric generating facilities called “ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tax Credit
A tax credit is a tax incentive which allows certain taxpayers to subtract the amount of the credit they have accrued from the total they owe the state. It may also be a credit granted in recognition of taxes already paid or a form of state "discount" applied in certain cases. Another way to think of a tax credit is as a rebate. Refundable vs. non-refundable A refundable tax credit is one which, if the credit exceeds the taxes due, the government pays back to the taxpayer the difference. In other words, it makes possible a negative tax liability. For example, if a taxpayer has an initial tax liability of $100 and applies a $300 tax credit, then the taxpayer ends with a liability of –$200 and the government refunds to the taxpayer that $200. With a non-refundable tax credit, if the credit exceeds the taxes due then the taxpayer pays nothing but does not receive the difference. In this case, the taxpayer from the example would end with a tax liability of $0 (i.e. they could mak ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mature Technology
A mature technology is a technology that has been in use for long enough that most of its initial faults and inherent problems have been removed or reduced by further development. In some contexts, it may also refer to technology that has not seen widespread use, but whose scientific background is well understood. Its performance characteristics are also expected to be well understood with well-established design specifications. One of the key indicators of a mature technology is the ease of use for both non-experts and professionals. Another indicator is a reduction in the rate of new breakthrough advances related to it—whereas inventions related to a (popular) immature technology are usually rapid and diverse, and may change the whole use paradigm—advances to a mature technology are usually incremental improvements only. Examples The QWERTY keyboard design is an example of mature technology because its performance characteristics such as typing speeds and error rates have ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
