In numerous projects, government agencies are demonstrating the economic and environmental value of using distributed energy resources (DER) to provide reliable electricity for Federal facilities. These projects also show how renewable DER systems such as photovoltaics (PV) can be effectively...

A description is given of the computer program, GEOCOST, and its application to some analyses of the economics of geothermal energy. GEOCOST combines both technical and economic factors into one systematic cost accounting framework. The program, which simulates production of electricity from...

Renewable energy certificates (RECs) represent the attributes of electricity generated from renewable energy sources. These attributes are unbundled from the physical electricity, and the two products-the attributes embodied in the certificates and the commodity electricity-may be sold or traded...

''Green pricing'' is an optional service through which customers can support a greater level of investment by their electric utility in renewable energy technologies. Electric utilities in 29 states are now implementing green-pricing programs. This report examines important elements of...

Voluntary consumer decisions to purchase electricity supplied by renewable energy sources represent a powerful market support mechanism for renewable energy development. Beginning in the early 1990s, a small number of U.S. utilities began offering ''green power'' options to their customers....

This paper presents a framework for creating a common spatial canvass that can bring together considerations of resource availability, infrastructure reliability, and development costs while strategizing renewable energy investment. We describe the underlying models and methodologies that...

Voluntary consumer decisions to purchase electricity supplied from renewable energy sources represent a powerful market support mechanism for renewable energy development. Beginning in the early 1990s, a small number of U.S. utilities began offering''green power'' options to their customers....

As competition in the electric utility industry has become more widespread and federal legislation deregulating the utility industry more likely, utilities have become more concerned about actions they can take to help ensure the loyalty of their customers. National polls have, for 20 years,...

The term green pricing refers to programs offered by utilities in traditionally regulated electricity markets, which allow customers to support the development of renewable energy sources by paying a small premium on their electric bills. Since the introduction of the concept in the United...

Where review of government policies followed in charging interest on unrepaid investment (32% of total program cost) disclosed those interest rates were less than cost to the US Treasury to borrow funds to finance federal programs, IG recommended consideration of policy changes to recover...