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| Background |
For more than a decade, the LA Business Council (LABC) has served as a leading voice for sustainability in Los Angeles. LABC has assembled major coalitions to adopt some of Los Angeles’ most important environmental public policy initiatives, including major programs to improve regional energy efficiency and water conservation, the City’s landmark Green Building Ordinance and the Clean-Tech LA Consortium. Most recently, LABC advocacy efforts have been focused on meeting renewable energy goals at the LADWP by adopting a solar Feed-in Tariff program.
Driven by a membership that includes many of the region’s most successful early adopters of sustainable business practices — such Arden Realty and Forest City — LABC actively promotes the development of Los Angeles’ green economy through public-private partnership. The organization educates business about the cost-savings that can result from implementing green business practices through regular publications and educational events such as an Annual Sustainability Summit, an ongoing Sustainability Breakfast lecture series and quarterly energy efficiency and water conservation workshops.
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| Archives |
• 2009 Sustainability Archive
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FiT Fundamentals: The LABC Guide to a Solar Feed-in Tariff Policy for Greater Los Angeles |
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What is a solar Feed-in Tariff (FiT)? |
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A solar Feed-in Tariff program allows businesses, public and non-profit organizations, and residents to install solar panels on their roofs and parking lots and sell the power generated back to the local utility. Participants receive a payment back from the utility for each Kilowatt-hour fed back into the power grid. FiT programs can generate a cost-effective source of renewable energy, create local jobs, and bring in revenue for businesses and ratepayers. Successful FiT programs have been put in place around the world. LABC has singled out programs in Germany and Gainesville, Florida as particularly effective models that Los Angeles should look to emulate. |
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Why did LABC commission a study to explore the feasibility of a solar Feed-in Tariff (FiT) in Los Angeles? |
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Regional utilities will have to quickly switch to greener sources of power in the face of new regulatory requirements and rising fossil fuel costs. Recognizing this need, LABC members sought to identify the most effective options for meeting the region’s renewable energy goals. LABC commissioned JR Deshazo, Director, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, and Ryan Matulka to study the potential benefits of a FiT program in Los Angeles. Their first study, Designing an Effective Feed-in Tariff for Greater Los Angles (CLICK HERE to download a PDF of the study), was released at the LABC’s April 6th Sustainability Summit. This study validated an ambitious FiT as one of the smartest investments Los Angeles can make to create a cost-effective, locally generated source of solar energy and grow our green economy.
A second study will be released July 8, 2010 that will focus on the cost and scalability of a FiT in Los Angeles. Below is a quick reference guide on the FiT based on information found in the LABC/UCLA study, as well as links to information on the web. |
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What should a solar FiT look like in LA? |
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The LABC has called for the City of Los Angeles to create the largest FiT program in America, adopting a policy that would generate 600 megawatts of electricity within ten years. This program would meet three percent of the city’s energy needs, create more than 11,000 local green jobs and produce long-term cost-savings for businesses, ratepayers and the LADWP.
An effective program would offer a streamlined application procedure and long-term FiT contracts with adequate incentives to bring in a wide-range of participants, which will be necessary to generate consequential amounts of solar energy, attract clean-tech manufacturers to Los Angeles and create significant numbers of local jobs. |
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Why would businesses participate in a FiT program? |
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- Cost Saving Opportunities: A solar FiT program will allow a business to offset their rising fuel costs while partnering with public utilities to meet renewable energy goals.
- Long-term returns: Over the life of the FiT contract, a well-designed program would allow businesses to recoup the upfront cost of installing solar panels on their property, plus a rate of return of five to eight percent.
- Tax credits: Businesses could leverage federal tax credits to cover approximately 40 percent of the costs of installing solar panels on their property.
- Access to project financing: A FiT program would facilitate access to project financing for businesses by providing a predictable revenue stream, helping them to overcome what is often one of the biggest challenge facing renewable energy projects.
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What is the benefit for Los Angeles? |
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- Ratepayer cost-savings: Future solar installation costs will continue to fall at the same time that fossil fuel costs will rise. Our study finds that ratepayers will save money over the long-term because a solar program will begin to produce energy more cheaply than the utility’s other potential sources of power within five years.
- Regulatory climate: California law, AB 32, will require all utilities to meet 20 percent of their power needs with renewable sources by the end of the year, a mandate that will soon increase to 33 percent. A FiT program could be an important component in helping utilities to meet renewable energy goals.
- A magnet for clean-tech manufacturing: A FiT program would signal a long-term political commitment to greening Los Angeles and could be used as an incentive to attract clean-tech firms and manufacturers to our region and keep them here. Germany—which is home to the world’s largest solar market despite its relatively marginal sunlight— has used a nationwide FiT program to help generate more than 100,000 jobs and build a robust green economy.
- Job creation: A FiT program would create more than 11,000 high-wage private sector jobs to install, maintain, repair, assemble and manufacture solar panels inside the Los Angeles basin.
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How could the LADWP pay for a FiT program? |
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A well-designed solar FiT would be cost-competitive with existing renewable programs inside the department’s Renewable Portfolio Standard – and could be paid for immediately with funds designated for this portfolio. A well-designed FiT would generate energy at lower cost than fossil fuels within five years. |
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What are the environmental and community benefits of a solar FiT program in Los Angeles? |
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A FiT program would harness our region’s abundant sunshine and thousands of acres of available rooftop space to create a powerful source of locally generated, clean, solar energy, helping the City of Los Angeles to green its power supply, reduce carbon emissions and create 11,000 jobs, while producing savings for ratepayers over the long-term. By increasing the number of solar installations across the region, a FiT would provide residents with a tangible example of how individual residents and businesses can play a part in greening Los Angeles. |
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Is there support for a FiT in Los Angeles? |
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Yes. Mayor Villaraigosa first proposed a FiT for Los Angeles in August 2009, and re-introduced it in early March 2010. Leaders on the City Council, including President Eric Garcetti and Jan Perry, who chairs the Energy and Environment Committee, have expressed their support for this initiative, as has City Controller Wendy Greuel. A wide range of organizations and community stakeholders have endorsed the program. This coalition includes the American Institute of Architects, Los Angeles Chapter (AIA|LA); Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Greater Los Angeles; California Solar Energy Industries Association (Cal SEIA); Global Green USA; Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce; Los Angeles Family Housing; Sierra Club; Union Roofing Contractors Association; and a host of private businesses.
Click Here to read our growing list of testimonials!
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| FiT Resources and Articles |
- Greer, Diane. “Feed-in Tariffs Strengthen Markets for Bio Gas Power.” Bio Cycle: The Journal of Composting and Organics Recycling. Web. July 2009
- Witkin, Jim. “Solar Power to the People, With a lot of Public Help.” New York Times. Web. April 21, 2010
- LABC/UCLA FiT Study PDF
- New York Times on LABC’s FiT Study
- Paul Gipe on LABC’s FiT Study
- Etopia Video Interview with LABC/UCLA FiT Study Author JR DeShazo
- Etopia Video Interview LABC President, Mary Leslie
- Gainsville, Florida’s FiT
- Germany’s FiT
- FiT on Wikipedia
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