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 . . to be leaders in promoting renewable energy,” says Chris Herbert, president of the Washington State Water Forum.
Championed by Washington's governor, Christine Gregoire, and state legislators, the initiative will leverage existing public power infrastructure to facilitate a switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy, at no cost to electricity users. Under the program, operators will supply electricity at a fixed rate, either for as long as it takes to install a solar or wind farm or for a fixed-term contract.
The price is locked in by the state's public utility commission, meaning any surplus or shortfall will go back into the grid. “For people to buy into it, there needs to be a level playing field,” says Louisa Whittlesey, a senior policy analyst at the Sustainable Economies Law Center (SELC), a Washington-based think-tank that works to connect the dots between the economy, the environment and the law.
With zero capital costs and a long-term contract at a fixed price, customers are allowed to own their own renewable energy. While some groups are concerned about how small-scale or off-grid generation might affect existing grid operators, says Whittlesey, the promise of steady revenue makes up for that. “It is a business model that is largely self-sufficient,” she says.
Because it is located in a state that relies on hydro, wind and biomass to generate electricity, Washington is already a relatively renewable state. But with more than half of the US's power generating capacity dedicated to burning coal, or around 70% of total capacity, the state has a long way to go.
Currently the largest renewable energy market in the country, California generates 17% of its power from renewables, mainly through solar. Whittlesey says that Washington has a similar potential to build a base of renewable energy, particularly in the Inland Empire. It has a windy coast, as well as more than half of the country's biomass potential.
As part of the initiative, the legislature allocated $25m to start a research programme at the state university to find the best model for developing renewable energy. One of the ideas under investigation is to create a network of small-scale power stations.
Whittlesey hopes the initiative will help drive the conversation on renewables in Washington, not only by bringing renewable power to the public but also by promoting the idea of microgrids. “The small
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