Green Energy in the US: Renewable investment, capacity growth and future outlook

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

• Market development
• Wind power
• Solar power
• Hydropower
• Geothermal power
• Biopower
• Ocean power
• Outlook
• Abbreviations

Chapter 1 Market development

• Summary
• Overview of the US electricity infrastructure
• Generation and installed capacity
• Sectoral distribution of generation
• Sales, revenue, and average retail price
• Overview of renewable energy in the US
• Background
• Installed capacity and growth of renewables
• Drivers of renewable energy
• Production tax credit (PTC)
• State level Renewable energy Portfolio Standards (RPS)
• Growing public support for action on climate change
• Increasing political will to address climate change
• Increasing corporate activism
• Increasing investments
• Resistors of renewable energy
• Failure to price carbon dioxide emissions
• Licensing and permitting issues
• Environmental issues
• Discontinuity in PTC
• Transmission issues
• Comparative economics
• Global comparison

Chapter 2 Wind power

• Summary
• Overview
• Current scenario
• Installed capacity and generation
• Global comparison
• State level analysis
• Key players
• Economics
• Drivers of wind power
• Continuity in PTC
• Strong public and political support
• Increasing economic competitiveness of wind power
• Resistors of wind power
• Lack of continuity in the PTC
• Environmental issues
• Transmission constraints and costs
• Constraints in the supply of turbines
• Wind power potential and outlook
• Wind Power Potential
• Outlook for wind power

Chapter 3 Solar power

• Summary
• Overview
• Current scenario
• Installed capacity and generation
• Global comparison
• State level analysis
• Key players
• Economics
• Drivers of solar power
• The Federal Investment Tax Credit
• The “President' s Solar America Initiative”
• California Solar Initiative
• Increasing corporate interest in solar power
• Increased VC funding in solar power
• State level RPS Targets
• Resistors of solar power
• Shortage of silicon
• High cost
• Solar power potential and outlook
• Solar power potential
• Outlook for solar power

Chapter 4 Hydropower

• Summary
• Overview
• Current scenario
• Installed capacity and generation
• Global comparison
• State level analysis
• Key players
• Economics
• Drivers of hydropower
• Licensing reforms
• Inclusion of incremental hydropower under PTC
• The DOE Hydropower Program
• Resistors of hydropower
• Licensing issues due to environmental concerns
• Capital intensive but lacking incentives
• Hydropower potential and outlook
• Hydropower potential
• Outlook for hydropower

Chapter 5 Geothermal power

• Summary
• Overview
• Current scenario
• Installed capacity and generation
• Global comparison
• State level analysis
• Key players
• Economics
• Drivers of geothermal power
• Introduction of PTC for geothermal
• DOE' s Geothermal Technologies Program
• Geothermal Resource Exploration and Development Program
• Increased environmental concerns
• Resistors of geothermal power
• Short time horizon for PTC
• Leasing issues
• Cost constraints and transmission issues
• Scant research funding
• Geothermal power potential and outlook
• Geothermal power potential
• Outlook for geothermal power

Chapter 6 Biopower

• Summary
• Overview
• Current scenario
• Installed capacity and generation
• Global comparison
• Key players
• Economics
• Drivers of biopower
• Attractive economics of co-firing
• Environmentally friendly power generaton
• Employment generation
• DOE biopower program
• Resistors of biopower
• Lack of subsidies or any strong incentive program
• Cost constraints
• Constraints in the supply of raw material
• Biopower potential and outlook
• Biopower potential
• Outlook for biopower

Chapter 7 Ocean power

• Summary
• Overview
• Current scenario
• Global comparison
• Key players
• Economics
• Drivers of ocean power
• Energy Policy Act of 2005
• State and city government initiatives
• Private investments
• Resistors of ocean power
• Lack of federal support
• Siting and leasing issues
• Cost constraints
• Ocean power potential and outlook
• Ocean power potential
• Outlook for ocean power

Chapter 8 Future outlook

• Summary
• Outlook for the US electricity sector
• Outlook for renewables
• EIA outlook
• Alternative scenarios
• Abbreviations
• Index

List of Figures

• Figure 1.1: Net generation shares by energy source, 2006
• Figure 1.2: US electric power industry, net summer capacity, 2005
• Figure 1.3: Net generation shares by sector, 2006
• Figure 1.4: Crude oil spot prices, 1982-2006
• Figure 1.5: Net generation by energy source, 2006
• Figure 1.6: CAGR (2001-2005) of various energy sources in the US
• Figure 1.7: RPS map as of April, 2007
• Figure 1.8: Media coverage about climate change
• Figure 1.9: Global comparison in terms of installed capacity, 2005
• Figure 2.10: Cumulative installed capacity (MW)
• Figure 2.11: Top 5 countries by cumulative installed capacity (MW), December 2006
• Figure 2.12: Top 5 countries by new installed capacity (MW), December 2006
• Figure 2.13: Leading states by cumulative capacity as of December 2006
• Figure 2.14: Cumulative installed capacity (MW) of states, December 2006
• Figure 2.15: Turbine manufacturer market shares in the US (2005)
• Figure 2.16: Average cost/kWh of wind-generated electricity
• Figure 2.17: Impact of PTC on wind power capacity additions
• Figure 2.18: Wind resource map for the US
• Figure 3.19: Cumulative installed capacity (MW)
• Figure 3.20: Top 3 countries by cumulative installed solar capacity (MW)
• Figure 3.21: Key markets by new installed solar capacity (MW), December 2006
• Figure 3.22: US PV market 2005
• Figure 3.23: Solar set-asides of states
• Figure 3.24: Solar PV manufacturers' market shares in US (2004)
• Figure 3.25: Technology cost reduction goals for residential PV systems
• Figure 3.26: Solar resource map for the US
• Figure 3.27: Forecasts for installed capacity and costs
• Figure 4.28: Cumulative installed capacity (MW)
• Figure 4.29: Net generation (bn kWh)
• Figure 4.30: Total average electric power from hydroelectric plants
• Figure 4.31: Top 5 countries by hydroelectric consumption, 2005
• Figure 4.32: Leading states by cumulative capacity as of December 2005
• Figure 4.33: State ranking and percentage of total electric power generation in the US
• Figure 4.34: Ownership of hydroelectric plants in the US
• Figure 4.35: DOE Hydropower Program
• Figure 4.36: Feasible project hydropower potential
• Figure 4.37: Generation, hydropower vs. other renewables, 1990-2030
• Figure 5.38: Cumulative installed capacity (MW)
• Figure 5.39: Top 5 countries by cumulative installed capacity (MW), December 2005
• Figure 5.40: Leading states by cumulative capacity 2006
• Figure 5.41: Geothermal existing plant locations
• Figure 5.42: Geothermal resource map for the US
• Figure 5.43: Geothermal potential by 2025
• Figure 5.44: Estimated earth temperature at 6 .5 km depth
• Figure 6.45: Cumulative installed capacity (MW) and Net generation (kWh)
• Figure 6.46: Biopower generation market shares in the US (2005)
• Figure 6.47: Cost of electricity: biomass gasification combined-cycle
• Figure 6.48: Biopower capacity projections, 2000-2020
• Figure 6.49: Biomass resources US
• Figure 6.50: Nonhydroelectric renewable electricity generation by energy source, 2004-2030
• Figure 7.51: Ocean energy resource map for the US
• Figure 8.52: Electricity sales by sector, 1980-2030
• Figure 8.53: Net Generation by Energy Source, 2005-2030
• Figure 8.54: Electricity generation capacity additions by fuel type, 2006-2030
• Figure 8.55: Outlook to 2030, Reference case scenario
• Figure 8.56: Generation, Hydropower vs. other renewables, 1990-2030

List of Tables

• Table 1.1: Cost parameters of electricity sources
• Table 2.2: Largest wind farms operating in the US, as of December, 2006
• Table 2.3: Top 10 states for wind energy potential in the US
• Table 3.4: Federal tax credits in the US
• Table 4.5: Largest hydroelectricity dams in the US
• Table 4.6: Costs parameters of hydro technologies
• Table 4.7: Costs parameters of hydro technologies
• Table 5.8: Largest geothermal projects operating in the US
• Table 5.9: Cost parameters of a geothermal power plant
• Table 5.10: Top 10 states for geothermal energy potential in the US
• Table 5.11: Developing projects by state, as of November 2006
• Table 7.12: Projects in progress for wave energy as of June, 2006
• Table 7.13: Projects in progress for tidal energy as of June, 2006
• Table 7.14: Capital cost of wave energy power plants
• Table 8.15: Renewable energy generation, GWh, Reference Case