Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 7.3 EVOLUTION OF THE US
ELECTRICITY GENERATION MIX, 2010-2035
2010
2035
Coal
45%
39%
Natural Gas
24%
27%
Renewable Energy
10%
16%
Nuclear Power
20%
18%
Oil and other liquids
1%
1%
beneitted from the favorable clean energy business climate that is spring-
ing up in various US states, as the next section will detail.
he uptake of all these developments in regard to the electricity sector is
that both natural gas and renewable technologies are projected to play an
increasing role in electricity provision, while contributions from coal-ired
technologies are expected to decrease (see Table 7.3). 21
7.3. HISTORY OF WIND POWER DEVELOPMENT IN
THE UNITED STATES
As is the case with wind power development in most industrialized nations,
the oil price shocks of the 1970s served to fuel political fervor in diversifying
the nation's electricity mix. In 1975, with oil prices double the level of just
two years previous, the US Energy Policy and Conservation Act was passed,
with the primary intention being to improve energy eiciency. However,
embedded within the act were a series of policy initiatives designed to
encourage R&D in alternative fuels. In 1976, about US$22 million was ear-
marked for wind R&D; and by 1978, with oil prices still hovering at histori-
cal highs, funding had increased to US$60 million. 22
In 1978, the government passed the National Energy Act (USNEA), which
contained two statutes that proved to be instrumental in supporting the dif-
fusion of renewable energy. he irst statute was the Public Utility Regulatory
Policies Act (PURPA), which mandated electric utilities to facilitate grid access
for renewable power providers. PURPA also compelled utilities to purchase
electricity generated by renewable technologies at avoided cost. herefore,
not only did this act facilitate grid access, it also forced utilities to calculate
avoided cost, and in doing so forced utilities to consider the economics of
including electricity from technologies that had previously not been part of
the portfolio. he second statue was an Energy Tax Act (ETA), which provided
tax credits for private development of alternative energy technologies. 23
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