Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
governmental support played a major role. The overall aim of the
research program was to quickly develop reliable wind turbines
of various sizes ready for mass production and application in the
United States. Support was given to development of small and
intermediate size wind turbines for remote application and large
wind turbines for use in grid-connected wind farms.
In 1978, another important decision was made in the US
wind development. The young industry realised that the utilities
would play an important role in future wind power development.
Thus, political regulations had to be created to harmonise the
utilities with the new energy source. The Public Utility Regulatory
Policies Act (PURPA) was passed and aimed at the creation of a
bridge between smaller power production units (wind turbines)
and the big utilities. The “Small Power Producers”, as they were
called, should be given interconnection with the utilities' power
lines, be paid fairly for feeding the grid with their produced
power. Furthermore a basis was given for an overall improved
cooperation between the utilities and the new group of small
producers.
Apart from governmental measurements, the state of
California set its own goal aiming at a 1% share of renewable
energy in 1987, and a 10% share by the year 2000. In the late 1970s
an initiative was taken by governor Henry Mello, who brought
this ambitious goal on a political level by passing an act named
after him. The act led the state to introduce an additional set of
incentives making California the most attractive state in the United
States for the wind industry. In addition to the PURPA benefits and
a package of federal tax credits, California ofered liberal state tax
credits, accelerated state depreciation of the wind turbines, and
ofered low interest loans and small business loans. These indi-
vidual incentives were available since 1978 and 1981, respectively.
What made California even more attractive for investors and
developers was the fact that the California Energy Commission
(CEC) played an active and influential role in wind energy
development. While other states had similar or even more lucrative
incentives, the CEC researched and produced reports on potential
California wind resource areas and how to develop them. Thus,
investors and operators (i.e., small power producers) were given
enormous financial and strategic and organisational incentives.
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