Utility customers that aren't interested in such long-term agreements, or who want to take advantage of incentives that are prohibited under the feed-in tariff, are more likely to opt for "net metering," which allows customers to carry forward a credit on any month when they generate more power than they use.
Currently, any credit for net power generation is lost at the end of the year, but the state's new net metering law will give customers the option of either rolling over credits from year to year or selling the excess power to their utility at a predetermined rate. In turn, the utility can take credit for that power under the state's RPS.
The new law goes into effect on January 2011, after the California Public Utilities Commission sets the compensation rates. Both laws are aimed at helping utilities meet the RPS while encouraging utility customers to install renewable energy systems. See the net metering bill and the summary from DSIRE.
2010 Fuel Economy Guide Now Available
DOE and the U.S. EPA released the 2010 Fuel Economy Guide, which provides information about estimated fuel costs and mileage standards for model year 2010 vehicles. Each vehicle listing in the Fuel Economy Guide provides an estimated annual fuel cost, calculated based on the vehicle's miles per gallon rating and national estimates for annual mileage and fuel prices. The online version of the guide allows people to input their local gasoline prices and typical driving habits to receive a personalized fuel cost estimate.
Fuel economy leaders for 2010 include a wide range of hybrid models, from compact cars to SUVs, as well as the Smart fortwo. The Fuel Economy Guide is also available to mobile users at fueleconomy.gov/m, making it readily accessible from a mobile device, smart phone, or personal digital assistant (PDA). See the DOE press release and the Fuel Economy Web site, which includes a printable version of the Fuel Economy Guide.
Report Examines Hidden Health, Environmental Costs of Energy Use
The energy you use to heat and cool your home, power your electric devices and appliances, and fuel your car may seem expensive, but according to a new report from the National Research Council (NRC), there are plenty of health and environmental costs that aren't reflected in your energy bills.
Quantifying mainly the health effects from major air pollutants-sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and particulates-the report estimates such "external" costs at $120 billion for the US in 2005. More than half the cost is attributed to the nation's 406 coal-fired power plants - only 10% of those plants account for 43% of those costs. The other big offender is vehicles, which cost an estimated $56 billion in damages in 2005.
NRC declined to tackle some of the more nebulous costs of energy production and use, including harm to ecosystems; risks to national security; effects of other pollutants, such as mercury; and climate change. The report notes that coal-fired power plants are the single largest source of greenhouse gases in the US.
And while the committee didn't place a precise cost on climate change, it notes climate-related damages caused by each ton of carbon dioxide will be far greater in 2030 than they are now. The committee estimates that if the total amount of GHG emissions remains steady, the damages caused by each ton of carbon dioxide will increase 50%-80% by 2030. See the National Academies press release and the full report.
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EREE Network News is a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
