This course will cover current federal legislative initiatives regarding climate change, renewable energy standards, and transmission policy as well as the economic stimulus legislation affecting renewable energy from a renewable developer's perspective. We will discuss the impact of provisions of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 intended to encourage the development of renewable energy. These incentives include federal income tax breaks, Department of Energy loan and grant programs. Finally, we will examine the development of requirements for utilities to purchase renewable electricity as a percentage of the power they supply, potential changes to federal transmission regulation designed to encourage development of renewable power projects, and the potential impact of climate change legislation on renewable energy projects. The primary focus of the course will be on practical (rather than theoretical) consequences of policy choices in the renewable energy business.
Humble, Monty G.