The electricity system ties us together into a web of mutual responsibility. The behavior of an individual homeowner (e.g. turning on power equipment) can affect the electricity levels and quality in other homes on the block. At the global level we share a biosphere. Americans consume up to 100 times as much electricity as the average person on the planet, yet our emissions are affecting the weather patterns of people half a world away. We have a responsibility to future generations to leave them a place to live that is clean and safe. The emissions from our fossil-fueled past need to be drastically reduced in the future and policies that promote energy efficiency and the increased use of renewable energy technologies can be part of the solution. Look in this section for the rules that level the playing field for efficient and clean energy technologies.

TOPICS:

• Climate Change and Electricity
  Local and state governments can play a key role in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions because they directly influence and control many of the activities that produce these emissions. Decisions about land use and development, investments in public transit, energy-efficient building codes, waste reduction and recycling programs all affect local air quality and living standards as well as the global climate. More...
• Electricity Disclosure
  Under electric restructuring, in order for consumers to make sound, smart choices about a power supplier they need to know how the power is generated and what impacts that power production has on the environment. Many states have mandated that power providers provide this type of detailed information on customers bills. We think Illinois' rule is the best. More...
• Energy Efficiency
  Energy efficiency is a clearly demonstrated, cost-effective means to meet future electricity needs. Most states that have started to implement electric restructuring have set up policies to finance energy efficiency improvements for residents and businesses. Unfortunately most of these programs are scheduled to end after a few years. Vermont has a unique strategy that we like. More...
• Pollution Taxes as a Substitute for Other Taxes
  The external costs of the production and use of electricity can be internalized by imposing a pollution tax on electricity. The smartest way to do this is to employ a policy know as "tax shifting." Today we tend to tax those things we would like to encourage, like work and property and income while we undertax or don’t tax at all, those things we would like to discourage, like pollution and waste. More...
• Renewable Energy Mandates
  Many states that have started to implement electric utility restructuring have set up policies to help increase the percentage of renewable energy production, but two states - Iowa and Minnesota - mandated renewable energy electricity production outside the restructuring process. These are models for other states to make a collective decision to jump start renewable energy development. More...
• Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards
  A Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) ensures that a minimum amount of renewable energy is included in the portfolio of electricity providers serving a state or country. Most of the RPS in place have provisions that require a steady increase in the percentage of renewables over time. More...
• Utility Revenues Tied To Increased Efficiency Not Sales
  Oregon may have found the solution to the problem of the need for electric utilities to sell electricity rather than help people use it more efficiently. In mid-1998, the Oregon Public Utilities Commission adopted a performance-based ratemaking (PBR) tariff for PacifiCorp's electricity distribution functions which didn't penalize the utility for selling less energy. More...
• Wind Energy Taxation in Minnesota
  As part of the 2002 Omnibus Tax Bill (Laws of Minnesota 2002, Chapter 377) the legislature has changed the way wind energy projects are taxed. From now on, wind energy projects in Minnesota will be exempt from property taxes and instead will be required to pay local taxing districts a direct payment based on the electricity production from the wind turbines. The tax is on a sliding-scale based on the size of the wind energy project. More...