Best Practices: State Clean Energy Policies Analysis Project
The Best Practices: State Clean Energy Policies Analysis (SCEPA) project is a collaborative effort to better understand the environmental, economic, and energy security impacts of state policies using a uniform methodology. The intent of the project, funded by the Department of Energy/Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (DOE-EERE), is to assist state policy-makers and implementers in determining which policies will have the most beneficial impact on the priorities of the state. It is implemented by NREL and the Alliance to Save Energy, in partnership with DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and state stakeholders.
This Web site includes extensive information on the SCEPA project. For more information on goals and deliverables, access the Project Timeline page. For information on meetings, Webcasts, and relevant documents, access the Resources page.
Purpose
Project Update
The SCEPA Project Team recently released "State of the States 2008: Renewable Energy Development and the Role of Policy" (PDF 1.5 MB) Download Adobe Reader, which provides insights into the status of renewable energy development at the state level. For additional reports and more information, access the Resources page.
Technical Committee Meeting
Presentation from October 30, 2008 (PowerPoint 1.6 MB)
State policy-makers and implementers are faced with a variety of energy policy choices and little quantitative evidence of success of the policies — especially regarding application to the state's specific economic, baseline energy, political, and resource situation. This project and Web site are designed to develop and deliver information on the quantitative and qualitative impacts of current and innovative policies to inform decision making and future policy development. A detailed work plan can be found on the Resources page.
Current Policies in Metric Development
The following are current policies that are in metric development for the project:
- Renewable Fuels Standards
- Energy Efficiency Resource Standards
- Renewable Portfolio Standards
For more information on these areas of development, contact Elizabeth Brown. For a full list of policies to be evaluated, see the complete project timeline.
Participants
The Technical Committee (TC) is the primary feedback and project development arm of the project. The purpose of the committee is to define what information would be useful to states, and to direct the project to provide that information. It is a volunteer committee, and the benefit is having an active voice in the direction and priorities of the project. The TC meets approximately every other month to discuss the policies under current consideration, the methodology under review for evaluating those policies, and new developments in the project. If you are a state actor interested in joining the TC, please contact Elizabeth Brown. Updated meeting information is on the Resources page. The Technical Committee consists of:
State actors and representatives from the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), and National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)
Federal agencies including the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The Project Implementation Committee (PIC) is the implementation team for the project. This team collects feedback from the states on what is needed and develops the metrics for measuring the various policy impacts. The PIC consists of renewable energy and energy efficiency policy experts from NREL, DOE, and Interenergy Solutions Inc.
