Policy Flashcards

Which U.S. federal law established the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program requiring transportation fuel to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels?

Answer: Energy Policy Act of 2005

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 created the original RFS, which was later expanded by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

What does the acronym 'SREC' stand for in renewable energy policy contexts?

Answer: Solar Renewable Energy Credit

SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Credits) are tradable certificates representing the environmental attributes of one megawatt-hour of solar electricity generation.

Under the Clean Power Plan's successor framework, which agency holds primary authority to regulate carbon emissions from existing power plants in the U.S.?

Answer: Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA holds authority under the Clean Air Act Section 111(d) to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants.

Which policy mechanism allows commercial and industrial customers to contract directly with renewable energy generators for long-term electricity supply?

Answer: Power purchase agreement (PPA)

A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is a contract between an energy buyer and a renewable generator that sets electricity price, term, and delivery terms.

The 'Value of Solar' tariff methodology, used by some utilities, differs from standard net metering because it:

Answer: Calculates compensation based on the total benefit solar provides to the grid

Value of Solar tariffs compensate distributed solar based on factors like avoided energy costs, capacity value, transmission savings, and environmental benefits rather than a simple retail rate offset.

Which section of the U.S. tax code governs the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for renewable electricity generation?

Answer: Section 45

Section 45 of the Internal Revenue Code provides the Production Tax Credit, a per-kilowatt-hour tax credit for electricity generated from qualified renewable sources.

What is the primary purpose of 'interconnection standards' in renewable energy policy?

Answer: Establishing uniform safety and technical requirements for connecting distributed generation to the grid

Interconnection standards define the technical and procedural requirements generators must meet to safely and reliably connect to the electric distribution or transmission grid.