States Increase Renewable Energy Standards as Utilities Ask, "What Happens When the Wind Doesn't Blow?"

SUGAR LAND--February 25, 2010--Written by John Egan for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Colorado Governor Bill Ritter earlier this month proposed increasing his state's renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to 30% by 2020, up from the current 20% by 2020. Last year, California increased its RPS to 33% by 2020. Not surprisingly, supporters of renewable energy hail these changes, while critics oppose them. And all too often, utility leaders find themselves caught in the middle: supportive in principle, but anxious about the cost and timeline of renewable energy, uncertain about technology, and frustrated by the difficulty of siting renewable generation facilities and transmission lines. Across the nation, governors, legislatures, public utilities commissions and citizens' ballot initiatives have passed measures to increase the amount of electricity generated by renewable sources such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass.