Renewable energy and clean technology leaders help drive the FIT Coalition’s ambitious policy agenda
San Francisco – The FIT Coalition releases the names of its first seven Board of Advisorsmembers. All seven Advisors are highly distinguished renewable energy and clean technology veterans, and all are committed to the FIT Coalition‘s mission of implementing comprehensive Feed-In Tariffs (FITs) to vastly accelerate the deployment of cost-effective renewable energy in the United States.
The following renewable energy and clean technology leaders comprise the initial FIT CoalitionBoard of Advisors:
Jeff Anderson, Executive Director, Clean Economy Network (CEN)
Jeff Brothers, Chief Executive Officer, Sol Orchard
Michael T. Eckhart, President, American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE)
Patricia Glaza, Executive Director, Clean Technology & Sustainable Industries (CTSI)
L. Hunter Lovins, President, Natural Capitalism Solutions
Jim Weldon, Chief Executive Officer, Solar Junction Corporation
R. James Woolsey, Venture Partner, VantagePoint Venture Partners and Former Director Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
“It is a great honor to have these seven luminaries as Advisors to the FIT Coalition. Each one ofthese proven leaders is already helping to fulfill the FIT Coalition‘s mission of implementing global best-practices that advance the clean energy economy throughout the United States. Their participation is significant as we work to implement FITs at the national, state, and municipal levels in order to unleash the unparalleled potential of Wholesale Distributed Generation, the distribution-interconnected, 20MW-and-under market segment. A primary goal this year is to pass the Renewable Energy and Economic Security Act, also known as the REESA FIT, into law in California. The Board of Advisors will be very helpful in achieving that goal, and in addition, will help maximize visibility of Congressman Jay Inslee’s national FIT legislation and the multitude of other FITs that are being implemented around the country,” explained Craig Lewis, Executive Director of the FIT Coalition.
Hunter Lovins, President of Natural Capitalism Solutions, explains why she accepted the invitation to join the FIT Coalition Board of Advisors, “I was impressed right away. The FITCoalition came onto the scene quickly as a results-oriented advocate for targeted policies that can unleash the potential of renewable energy and the new energy economy through simple, fair, and effective market principles. The work of the FIT Coalition is vital in helping the United States accelerate its replacement of fossil fuels with renewables. With this in mind, I am fully engaged to help maximize the effectiveness of the FIT Coalition.”
Michael Eckhart, president of ACORE, explains the proven significance of FITs: “The Feed-In Tariff is based on U.S. regulatory policy that began with revenue requirements for nuclear power plants in the 1970s and followed with an ‘avoided cost’ model under PURPA for alternative energy and cogeneration in the 1980s. The Germans developed the modern Feed-In Tariff model by combining the regulatory mandate of PURPA with the revenue requirements from the nuclear power model, and the German FIT model has quickly proven itself to be unparalleled in its ability to get cost-effective renewable energy online. So, Feed-In Tariffs are actually well rooted in U.S. regulatory practices, and I am delighted to be working with Craig Lewis and his FIT Coalition team to get modern FITs adopted in the United States. It is important to note that Feed-In Tariffs are excellent complements to RPS policies, because FITs provide proven mechanisms that make RPS objectives achievable.”
The FIT Coalition is a leading force in replicating Feed-In Tariffs and other global renewable energy best-practices throughout the United States. The FIT Coalition‘s mission is to identify and advocate for policies that will accelerate the deployment of cost-effective renewable energy in the United States. The FIT Coalition believes the right policies will result in a timely transition to renewable energy while yielding tremendous economic benefits, including new job creation, increased tax revenue, and the establishment of an economic foundation that will drive growth for decades. The FIT Coalition is active at the national, state, and municipal levels.
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