Click here to view Comparison of Incentives and Mechanisms
| Fuel / Technology | SB 962 | HB 2250 | SB 1030 | Rendell / McGinty Draft | Goal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Wind Power | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Solar Photovoltaic | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Solar Thermal | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Geothermal | Y | Y | Y | Y | n/a | |
 | Low-Impact Hydropower | N | Y | Y | Y | Y (if “low-impact” is defined and if no NEW dams are allowed) |
| Ocean-Based | Y | N | N | N | Y | |
 | Digester Gas | Y (size limit and no new CAFOs) | Y | Y | Y | Y (size limit and no new CAFOs) |
| Landfill Gas | Y (if filtered) | Y | Y | Y | Y (if filtered) | |
 | Forest Wood / “Energy Crops” | N | Y | Y | Y | N |
| Agricultural Crop Residue | N | N | ? | ? | N | |
| Animal Factory Wastes | N | N | ? | ? | N | |
| Paper & Lumber Mill Wood Wastes | N | N | N | ? | N | |
| Construction / Demolition Wood Waste | N | N | N | ? | N | |
| Sewage Sludge | N | N | N | ? | N | |
| Tires | N | N | N | ? | N | |
| Municipal Solid Waste (Trash) | N | N | N | ? | N | |
 | Waste Coal | N | Y | Y | Y | N |
| Coal-Bed Methane | N | N | N | Y | N | |
 | Fuel Cells | Y (if hydrogen produced cleanly) | N | N | Y | Y (if hydrogen produced cleanly) |
| Anything else the PUC wants to add | N | N | Y | N | N | |
| Carbon Offsets | N | N | Y | Y | N | |
| Energy Efficiency | Y | N | Y | Y | Y |
Wind Power
Solar Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal
- Solar ShareA solar share is essentially a requirement that solar play a role in the RPS. The New Jersey law is the best model for Pennsylvania, since it favors small-scale, distributed generation, offering increased reliability and security for the grid. Solar power advocates are recommending a solar share of a quarter of one percent of our energy coming from solar by the end of a 10-year time frame.
- Dedicated Compliance FeeThe strategic application of compliance fees can also help ensure fuel-mix diversity. Compliance fees are fees paid for non-compliance with the RPS. These fees are used to create a Clean Energy Fund that gives grants out for renewable technology development. Rather than allow these funds to be used for any technology, it’s wise to limit the use of the grants to the technologies needing the most support. The Rendell administration’s draft as well as the new Maryland RPS limit the use of fees to benefit only Tier 1 renewables. SB 962 goes further and limits it to only solar power, since that is the technology in most need of support.
- Extra Credit / Credit MultipliersTo balance the playing field, some state RPS laws contain extra credit multipliers for certain technologies. Arizona, Maryland and New Mexico’s laws provide extra credits for solar, allowing solar power to qualify for double or triple credits. SB 962 offers a triple credit. Since this credit applies only to the premium (approx. 2 cents on top of each 6 cent/kwh of electricity), the credit multiplier isn’t likely to be enough to make solar competitive in the short term. Long term (several years from now), as the cost of solar nears the cost of other renewables, the credit multiplier can help make solar even more competitive.
Geothermal
Low-Impact Hydropower
Ocean-Based
Digester Gas
- For animal waste digesters, that there be a size limit and a prohibition on handling waste from new factory farms. See SB 962 for a model definition.
- For sewage sludge, that the digested sludge be landfilled, preferably in a dedicated (monofill) cell of a landfill.
Landfill Gas
- Primer on Landfill Gas as “Green” Energy
- Evaluating Subsidies for Landfill Gas to Energy Programs
- An Analysis of Tax Credits for Landfill Gas Energy Recovery
- Landfills Make Mercury More Toxic (Science News)
Forest Wood / “Energy Crops”
- vegetation produced on Conservation Reserve Program lands, national or state forests or publicly-owned roadless areas;
- genetically modified organisms;
- plants or trees used in phytoremediation projects;
- plants or trees which have been exposed to sewage sludge or other wastes used as fertilizer;
- plants or trees which have been exposed to pesticides or herbicides that are formulated with halogens or heavy metals; or
- municipal solid, industrial, residual or any hazardous waste burned for the generation of electric energy.