Policy briefs archive
The policy briefs below provide in-depth explanations by the Clean Coalition concerning opportunities, challenges, and solutions to current energy system issues.
DG+IG Policy Brief. America has an opportunity to invest in a 21st century power system capable of keeping the United States competitive in the global economy with clean, safe, and reliable energy. This document summarizes key considerations for modernizing the electric system and covers challenges, opportunities, a vision for the DG+IG future, cores DG+IG solutions, and policy recommendations. PDF
Net metering & feed-in tariffs: Understanding the tax implications of distributed generation policies. Policies designed to support customer-sited distributed generation (DG) are evolving. For years, net energy metering (NEM), or net metering, has been used widely across the country, but many states are now studying or transitioning to successor NEM policies. As new tariffs or standard contracts are developed, it is essential that policymakers consider the potential tax implications of each option, because this may affect the ability of the NEM successor policy to continue to drive successful deployment of customer-sited solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. For this reason, the Clean Coalition conducted an analysis to compare the tax impacts on a residential customer-generator under a feed-in tariff (FIT) program as opposed to net metering. PDF
Transmission Access Charges: Market distortion disadvantages local renewables. This brief analyzes the effects Transmission Access Charges (TAC) have on metered customer energy usage, pointing out that when transmission cost savings of local wholesale distributed generation are denied to ratepayers, local generation is denied fair market competition, and communities lose the benefits of local energy development. PDF
Superior Value of Distribution-Interconnected Generation Brief. The cost of delivering energy from the point where it is interconnected to the grid to the point where it is consumed by a customer can be greater than the wholesale purchase price of the energy itself. As a result, the true ratepayer cost of energy is often lower for generation that is interconnected to the distribution grid than for generation that is interconnected to the transmission grid. To understand the superior value of distribution-interconnected energy, it is vital to consider the hidden costs of delivery. This Clean Coalition briefing discusses key factors in determining true cost of delivered energy, including grid development, transmission charges and line losses. PDF
Interconnection Jurisdiction Brief. By Tam Hunt, J.D. & Rebecca Davis, J.D. | Clean Coalition. To reduce confusion and increase both transparency and accountability in the interconnection process, the question of state versus federal interconnection jurisdiction must be clearly answered. This Clean Coalition brief first discusses the sources of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) jurisdiction over interconnection and then examines the types of interconnection procedures over which states can properly assert jurisdiction. The brief identifies areas where jurisdiction is readily determined and those areas that will benefit greatly from further FERC guidance. PDF