Feed-In-Tariffs - Keeping Track In California

This article was originally published in the November/December 2011 issue of North American Clean Energy.

In the United States, with the upcoming expiration of the commencement of construction deadline underpinning the Section 1603 cash grant in lieu of tax credit under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, it's anticipated state incentive programs and policies will be the next catalyst of renewable energy expansion. States have been, and are expected to continue serving as, classic laboratories of experimentation in achieving energy independence and sustainability.

Among the many state policies impacting renewable energy (such as the newly revised California RPS), Feed-in-Tariff contracts remain important economic and financing tools, particularly for small to mid-sized renewable energy generation projects. Although there may be as much negative press relating to Feed-in-Tariffs as there are favorable reports (often looking at the