State and Local Policy Analysis
NREL's state and local policy analysis team examines the effects of policy on renewable energy development and deployment on a state and local level. One of its key initiatives is the State Clean Energy Policies Analysis (SCEPA) project, which has looked at policies such as renewable fuel standards and rebates. Analysts produced the team's second State of the States report, which summarizes clean energy use in U.S. states and territories. For more on NREL's analysis in this key area, access the information below.
State of the States: Renewable Energy Development and the Role of Policy
The State of the States project is a series of annual policy analyses that summarizes renewable energy generation and policy implementation at the U.S. state and territory level. This analysis investigates the role of policy in renewable energy development and also considers other contextual factors.
NREL has produced a Web site that provides a summary of the results of the second version of the report. You can learn more about the efforts that your state is taking to develop renewable energy technologies by accessing the State of the States section on the EERE site.
State Clean Energy Policies Analysis (SCEPA) Project
The Best Practices: State Clean Energy Policies Analysis (SCEPA) project is a collaborative effort to better understand the environmental, economic, and energy security impacts of state policies using a uniform methodology. The intent of the project, funded by the Department of Energy/Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (DOE-EERE), is to assist state policymakers and implementers in determining which policies will have the most beneficial impact on the priorities of the state. It is implemented by NREL and the Alliance to Save Energy, in partnership with DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and state stakeholders. Find out more about the project on the SCEPA section of this Web site.
Key Analyses for 2009
2009 "State of the States" Report
NREL analysts Elizabeth Doris, Joyce McLaren, Victoria Healey, and Stephen Hockett published the annual report "State of the States 2009: Renewable Energy Development and the Role of Policy" (PDF 4.18 MB) Download Adobe Reader, which examines the role of policy in renewable energy development.
As U.S. states increasingly focus on developing renewable energy resources, there is a need to track the progress of development, as well as the policies and support mechanisms being implemented to encourage this development. Beyond tracking, the evaluation of policy measures is necessary to determine their effectiveness, guide future efforts, and efficiently allocate resources.
This report addresses each of these needs. It provides a detailed picture of the status of renewable energy development in each of the U.S. states using a variety of metrics and discusses the policies being used to encourage this development.
The report then explores the context in which renewable energy development occurs by discussing the factors that can affect the uptake of power generation technologies. The analysis offers suggestions on how policies can be used to address these variables, which leads to tailored policy support that considers the specific circumstances within each state.
The analysis presents results of several quantitative evaluation methods that have been designed to explore the link between policy implementation and actual development. These analyses are an attempt to move beyond designed-based policy evaluation and develop performance-based evaluation methods instead.
Finally, the report discusses contextual factors, aside from policy, that affect renewable energy development. Understanding contextual factors, which create the framework for renewable energy markets, is essential for effective policy design and implementation. The report concludes with a summary of the main points from each chapter, discussion of next steps, and a list of resources.
Renewable Energy Rebates
SEAC analysts Eric Lantz and Elizabeth Doris recently published the report "State Clean Energy Practices: Renewable Energy Rebates." (PDF 524 KB) Download Adobe Reader This report highlights the impacts of specific renewable energy rebate programs on renewable energy markets around the country, as well as rebate program impacts on overarching energy policy drivers. It also discusses lessons learned, challenges, ideal applications, keys to success, and complementary and alternative policies. Results indicate that rebate programs can have a strong deployment impact on emerging renewable energy markets. This report focuses on renewable energy rebate programs, which are being analyzed as part of the State Clean Energy Policies Analysis (SCEPA) project. SCEPA looks at the impacts of existing state policies and identifies crucial policy attributes and their potential applicability to other states.
Information on State Incentives
The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy. DSIRE also has information on the programs, rules and regulations, and financial incentives.
More Publications
"State Clean Energy Policies Analysis (SCEPA) Project: An Analysis of Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariffs in the United States." Couture, T.; Cory, K. (2009). 51 pp.; NREL Report No. TP-6A2-45551. (PDF 1.1 MB) Download Adobe Reader
"State Clean Energy Practices: Renewable Energy Rebates." Lantz, E.; Doris, E. (2009). 38 pp.; NREL Report No. TP-6A2-45039. (PDF 524 KB) Download Adobe Reader
2008
"Analytic Framework for Evaluation of State Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Policies with Reference to Stakeholder Drivers." Brown, E.; Mosey, G. (2008). 10 pp.; NREL Report No. TP-670-43539. (PDF 388 KB) Download Adobe Reader
"State of the States 2008: Renewable Energy Development and the Role of Policy." Brown, E.; Busche, S. (2008). 123 pp.; NREL Report No. TP-670-43021.
"State Clean Energy Practices: Renewable Portfolio Standards." Hurlbut, D. (2008). 23 pp.; NREL Report No. TP-670-43512. (PDF 556 KB) Download Adobe Reader
More Information
To talk with an analyst about this area of policy analysis, contact Elizabeth Doris.
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