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The Indiana Renewable Energy Association (InREA) and Indiana Distributed Energy Advocates (IDEA) invite you to join us for

 

WHAT: Business Networking Reception

WHY: Meet and greet members

WHEN: Wed., April 14, 2010; 5:30 to 8:00 pm EDT

WHERE: Half Moon Restaurant & Brewery, 4051 South Lafountain Street, Kokomo, IN 46902-6913

COST: Suggested donation $5/person

RSVP: (317) 635-1701

 

All Indiana members of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) are also cordially invited to attend this networking function.

 

 

 

by John Haselden, IPL,  john.haselden@aes.com

 IPL's new Rate REP, approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission ("IURC") in Cause No. 43623, authorizes IPL to purchase renewable energy produced by wind, solar and biomass generated by its customers' projects connected to IPL's distribution system in Indianapolis, Indiana. It also offers the option for customers to contract the production for up to 10 years which will provide pricing certainty over the long term. The rates are tailored to the size and technology of the production and vary from 7.5 ¢/kWh for large wind turbines to 24 ¢/kWh for solar projects up to 100 kW of nameplate capacity.

Sometimes called an "Advanced Renewable Contract" or a renewable energy "Feed-in Tariff," Rate REP is another step taken by IPL to help develop renewable energy investments in Indiana for the benefit of its customers. In an agreement previously approved by the IURC, IPL currently purchases the power from the 106 MW Hoosier Wind Farm located in Benton County, Indiana.

IPL is a low cost provider of electricity which has made it difficult for alternative energy technologies, which typically have high capital costs, to compete on an economic basis. However, with the current federal tax incentives coupled with IPL's Rate REP compensation, such projects can be economically viable.

A key requirement of Rate REP is that all of the renewable energy production is separately metered and purchased by IPL. The customer continues to purchase all of their electrical energy requirements from IPL. IPL retains all environmental attributes such as Renewable Energy Credits ("RECs"), Greenhouse Gas ("GHG") Offsets, etc. to be used or sold for the benefit of its customers.  For those customers who wish to purchase renewable energy, IPL offers this product through its Green Power program at one of the lowest costs in the US.

Getting Started:

The first step is to obtain approval for interconnection to IPL's electric system and enter into an interconnection agreement. Standard forms for this process are available at www.iplpower.com under the Business tab or by calling IPL.

Next, contact IPL about participation in Rate REP. One or more IPL meters will be required and located in an acceptable location in order to meter the output of the renewable energy generator. IPL must have clear access to meters. This can be determined in the interconnection design process.

Choose Your Pricing Method:

Pricing shown on the current approved Rate REP is not fixed. IPL may, with IURC approval, change pricing as cost variables significantly change. Such variables include tax effects, system costs, efficiency improvements, etc. To mitigate the risk of changing prices, a customer may enter into a pricing contract with IPL for up to ten years. Such contracts will generally allow customers to lock in pricing which will include an annual price escalation (fixed percentage) and includes other terms and conditions. There are no financial penalties for performance or quotas for energy production. All long-term contracts require the approval of the IURC.

Potential participants should be aware that IPL is only authorized to offer Rate REP and long-term contracts for a period of three years. Nine months prior to that time, IPL is required to present recommendations to the IURC for approval to continue the rate, modify I, or possibly terminate the rate, if appropriate.

IPL Rate REP_Effective_Mar 30 2010

 

 

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) has released its annual report on net metering this month.

The full report can be found here: http://www.in.gov/iurc/files/2009_Net_Metering_Required_Reporting_Summary.pdf

Indiana's net metering rules (rules) became effective in March 2005 and spell out the minimum standard offering required of utilities as well as the participation requirements for eligible customers and utilities alike. As defined in 170 IAC §4-4.2, an eligible net metering customer means a customer in good standing who owns and operates a solar, wind, or hydroelectric generating facility with a capacity of less than or equal to 10kW on their premises.

This report summarizes the net metering reports filed by each of the investor-owned utilities (IOU) in compliance with 170 IAC §4-4.2-9(c).

170 IAC 4-4.2-9(c) On or before March 1 of each year, each investor-owned electric utility shall file with the commission a net metering report. The net metering report shall contain the following:

(1) The total number of eligible net metering customers and facilities.

(2) The number, size, and type (solar, wind, hydro) of net metering facilities.

(3) The number of new eligible net metering customers interconnected during the previous calendar year.

(4) The number of existing eligible net metering customers that ceased participation in the net metering tariff during the previous calendar year.

(5) If available, data on the amount of electricity generated by net metering facilities.

(6) A list of any system emergency disconnections that occurred in accordance with section 5(f) of this rule and an explanation of each system emergency.

We note the rules afford the opportunity for a utility to move beyond the minimum standard offering and provide net metering to customers above that level at its discretion. A review of the submitted net metering reports identifies Duke Energy Indiana as a utility that has exercised this opportunity. The individual utility net metering reports are included in Appendix A.

 

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A think tank recently criticized the performance of Danish wind energy. A broad group of energy researchers from all over Denmark now refute the allegations, which have also been emphasized by the U.S. organization IER in the debate on wind energy.

 

In a normal wind year, Danish wind turbines generate the equivalent of approx. 20 percent of the Danish electricity demand. Only approx. 1 percent of the wind power production is exported while the rest is used to meet domestic Danish electricity demands and the cost of wind power is paid solely by the electricity consumers. The net influence on consumer prices was as low as 1-3 percent on average in the period 2004-2008. In 2008, the net influence even decreased the average consumer price, although only slightly.

 

These are the conclusions from a large group of Danish researchers and experts who in a new report examine recent allegations on Danish wind power and corrects the false claims which have been made by the think tank CEPOS and promoted in the U.S.

 

Recently, a study made by the Danish think tank CEPOS claimed the opposite, i.e. that most of the Danish wind power has been exported in recent years. However, this claim is based on an incorrect interpretation of statistics and a lack of understanding of how the international electricity markets operate. Consequently, the results of the CEPOS study in general are not correct. Moreover, the CEPOS study claims that using wind turbines in Denmark is a very expensive way of reducing CO2 emissions and that this is the reason for the high energy taxes for private consumers in Denmark. "These claims are also misleading" states the group of leading energy researchers and experts. The cost of CO2 reduction by use of wind power in the period 2004-2008 was only 20 EUR/ton. Furthermore, the Danish wind turbines are not paid for by energy taxes.

 

The CEPOS report has been used in the U.S. to cast serious doubt on whether other countries can learn from the Danish case. But - as the researchers and experts document in a new report - the CEPOS conclusions are in general misleading and not correct.

 

In Denmark, 20 percent wind power is integrated by using both local resources and international market mechanisms. This is done in a way which makes it possible for our neighboring countries to follow a similar path. Moreover, Denmark has a strategy to raise this share to 50 percent and the necessary measures are in the process of being implemented. The Danish researchers and experts behind the report "Danish Wind Power - Export and Cost" are now cooperating with organizations in the U.S. and elsewhere to correct the misconceptions.

 

The report "Danish Wind Power - Export and Cost" and the research group's report on the fact on Danish wind energy can be retrieved at

http://www.energyplanning.aau.dk/Publications/DanishWindPower.pdf