B_0416_News_SolarWind

State Policies Benefit Renewable Growth

April 12, 2016

Report shows 50% increase needed to meet current goals.

State renewables portfolio standard (RPS) policies are helping to drive the implementation of clean power, but more work is still neededm says a new report. The study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows that while 60% of renewable generation and 57% of capacity can be attributed to the effects of RPS policies, the expected growth in electricity demand will require at least another 60 GW of renewable capacity by 2030.

The U.S. Renewables Portfolio Standards: 2016 Annual Status Report shows that while wind accounted for most of the existing RPS-driven capacity (at 64%), solar was responsible for 69% of new installations in 2015. The report also notes that states are making progress on their goals, with 95% of interim RPS targets being met thus far, with solar and distributed generation achievement numbers slightly lower at an average of 87%.

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