Fact Pack

• Numerous opinion polls and the experiences of utilities’ green pricing and marketing programs have demonstrated the public’s desire to support clean energy options and their willingness to pay more for them.
  Source: Wan, Yih-huei and H. James Green. “Current Experience with Net Metering Programs.” Presented at Windpower ‘98, Bakersfield, California, April 27-May 1, 1998. Golden, Colorado: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, May 1998.
• Net metering improves the economics of photovoltaic and wind energy generation by allowing customers to capture the retail value of electricity for most or all of their wind and solar power systems.
  Source: “Making the Connection: Key Issues in Connecting a Photovoltaic System to the Utility Grid.” Golden, Colorado: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, June 1998.
• As of July 1, 2002, there are 36 states with some form of net metering ordinance.
  Source: U.S. Department of Energy
• Electricity generation is our nation’s single largest source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Human health is affected by air quality and renewable energy provides clean, reliable power while helping states meet their Clean Air Act goals.
• Renewable energy can supply a significant portion of the United States’ energy needs and create public benefits, including environmental improvement, increased fuel diversity, national security, and economic development. These benefits, however, are often not reflected in the prices paid for energy, placing renewable energy at a severe disadvantage when competing against fossil fuels and nuclear power. With today’s technology, wind energy alone could economically provide 20 percent of America’s electricity.
  Source: Union of Concerned Scientists
• Twenty-four 100-watt solar panels installed on a house will meet 50% of an average family’s electricity needs over a year, thus avoiding the emission of approximately 40 tons of carbon dioxide during the lifetime of the system.
  Source: Greenpeace
• Solar power has been growing in a global capacity by 33 percent annually. Greenpeace and industry research shows that with some government support, the solar industry could supply electricity to over 2 billion people globally in the next 20 years.
• The United States has led the way in the solar electric industry, employing 12,000 people and bringing in approximately $1 billion annually.
  Source: Greenpeace
• A report conducted by global financial analysts, KPMG, shows that solar power would become cost competitive with traditional fossil fuels if the production of photovoltaic panels was increased to 500 megawatts a year.
• A small home-sized wind machine (approximately 15kw) – with rotors between 8 and 25 feet in diameter and standing upwards of 30 feet tall – can supply the power needs of an all-electric home or small business.
  Source: U.S. Department of Energy
• North Dakota, alone, has enough energy from Class 4 and higher winds to supply 36% of the electricity of the lower 48 states.
  Source: U.S. Department of Energy
• The cost of energy from the wind has dropped by 85% during the last 20 years.
  Source: U.S. Department of Energy