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Howard Learner Executive Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center

RENEWABLE ENERGY AND GROWING THE GREEN ECONOMY. Howard Learner Executive Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center ABA Webinar on Renewable Energy: Legal Challenges & Solutions for the Green Economy October 28, 2009 Contact Info: HLearner@elpc.org, 312-673-6500.

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Howard Learner Executive Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center

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  1. RENEWABLE ENERGY AND GROWING THE GREEN ECONOMY Howard Learner Executive Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center ABA Webinar on Renewable Energy: Legal Challenges & Solutions for the Green Economy October 28, 2009 Contact Info: HLearner@elpc.org, 312-673-6500

  2. THE GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTIONS IMPERATIVE – A DRIVING FORCE • Solving our global warming problems is the moral, business, economic, policy, political and technological challenge of our generation and the next generation. • This is a reality, not a trend. It is a driving force for our society and our economy.

  3. GROWING THE GREEN ECONOMY • We can and must have environmental progress and economic development together. The false trade-off of jobs versus the environment has been rejected by the public and most of the political leadership. • President Obama has made green economy principles and the need for dramatic federal global warming solutions policy action a driving force of his national leadership. • If you’re not engaging as part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem (and politically ineffective, or worse).

  4. THE PIVOTAL MIDWEST STATES Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota,Ohio & Wisconsin Seven Midwest States = • 25% of US CO2 pollution • 5% of Global CO2 pollution • More CO2 pollution than all nations except China, India, Japan, Russia • Greatest # Old Coal Plants • Transportation System Infrastructure Center • Key Swing Votes in the Senate on Energy, Global Warming and Many Environmental Issues

  5. THE PIVOTAL MIDWEST STATES – POLICIES THAT MATTER TO PRACTICAL PEOPLE It’s about solutions that matter to practical Midwesterners: • Jobs (Clean Energy & Clean Cars “Jobs of the Future”) • Economic Development & Growth (Windpower & Clean Cars) • New Income to Save Our Family Farms and Hard-Pressed Rural Communities (Windpower and Biofuels) • Our Children’s Health (Mercury from Coal Plants and Less Pollution from Cars) • Our Environment – our Great Lakes, our fishing lakes, rivers and forests (Mercury, SO2)

  6. THE PIVOTAL MIDWEST STATES – WIN-WIN-WIN MESSAGE ON CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS TO OUR GLOBAL WARMING PROBLEMS Two-Step Message: “Wind power development is a win-win-win for farmers’ income, rural economic development and the environment. AND It helps to solve our global warming problems.” “Modern clean energy efficiency technologies are a win-win-win for jobs, economic growth and the environment. AND They help to solve our global warming problems.”

  7. CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT A Win-Win-Win Strategy for Engaging Legislators & Policy Leaders and Bridging to Global Warming: • Farm Income Strategy • State Rural Economic Development Strategy • Environmental Progress Strategy: Achieve Clean Air/Water and Public Health Benefits

  8. WIND POWER DEVELOPMENT – WHAT IS NEEDED? • Windy Site (North Dakota > Illinois) • Transmission Access and Availability (Illinois > North Dakota) • Near A Market for Electricity (Chicago > Fargo) • Policy Support – RPS, Interconnection (Illinois > North Dakota) • Access to Capital

  9. TRANSMISSION CHALLENGES • Access for Clean Renewables or More “Dirty Coal”? • Which Generator Gets the New Transmission and Why? • Who Pays for the New Transmission? The Generator, the Buyer, the In-Between States? How to Allocate the Costs? • Will Federal Eminent Domain Really Work? Is It Fair? Is It Constitutional? FERC v. Mississippi and SWANCC • Should Projects with Less Transmission Needs Be Favored?

  10. POLICY: RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARDS 29 STATES AND DC HAVE AN RPS – 5 STATES HAVE GOALS State renewable portfolio standard State renewable portfolio goal

  11. NREL MIDWEST WIND RESOURCES MAPThe “Willie Sutton Rule”

  12. RPS IN-STATE PREFERENCES • Illinois and Many States Have In-State Preferences • Capturing Value of Local Economic Development & Environmental Quality Benefits vs. Lower Prices from Larger, More Liquid Market • Dormant Commerce Clause Problem? Justify In-State Preference by Gaining Air Quality Benefits in Non-Attainment Areas? • Justify When Ratepayer/Taxpayer $ Being Spent?

  13. SOLAR POWER DEVELOPMENTIS COMING FAST! • Available at Peak Times When Prices Are High • Price of Solar PV Modules Falling to $3/watt – Excess Supply • Locate at Old Industrial Sites with Substations, Few Neighbors, Clear Solar Access • Transmission Grid Support and Access at 10 MW – 20 MW • Big Enough Projects to Get Installation Unit Costs Down • Lush Federal ITC and Other Fed/State $ Support • RPS – Solar Carve-Outs, Feed-In Tariffs, Rate Design

  14. The Environmental Law & Policy Center is the Midwest’s leading environmental legal advocacy and eco-business innovation organization. www.ELPC.org www.RepowerMidwest.org www.GlobalWarmingSolutions.org

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