Congressman to Introduce Bill for Feed-In Tariffs. Dow Jones, June 11, 2008. "U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wa.) plans to introduce a bill into the House [in a few weeks] to establish a federal feed-in tariff for renewable energy similar to European incentive programs... Under the bill, utilities would be required to pay a specific price for renewable energy to suppliers... [which]... would decline every two years. Prices would also differ depending on technology in use. Only systems with 20 megawatts or less of capacity would qualify... Suppliers of renewable energy would receive the guaranteed payments for a 20-year period. 'We would provide entrepreneurs and venture capitalists with steady demand. If they produce clean energy they will get a guaranteed rate of return,' Inslee said... The... renewable energy payments, as Inslee calls them, would apply to various new clean energy technologies... [and] the cost for this would spread out over ratepayers in multi-state regions... the goal [being] to give clean technology developers the promise of demand that will fuel investment and innovation, as well as attract new manufacturing and create jobs... [If it's politically feasible and well-structured,] 'a nationwide feed-in-tariff... could be a great platform for solar industry growth in the U.S.,' Julie Blunden [of] SunPower [said]... The bill will come out at a time when the extension of the current federal tax incentives for renewable energy, called vital by the industry and due to expire at the end of the year, is still mired in [Congress]. 'We're still in the frustrating days, with the dying gasp of ancient technology and policy levers,' said Inslee. But, 'you'll have a political revolution starting on Jan. 20, 2009.'"
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