Recently I was asked:
- "Why does Ameren UE buy back the electricity created by Renewable Energy System on my House?"
When I directed the question to Ms L.Cosgrove who handles the Local Ameren UE Renewable Energy Department. She replied:
- "AmerenUE provides the MO Solar Rebate in response to Missourian’s passing Proposition C back in November, 2008[ii],[iii]"
In a nutshell it seems to me that Ameren UE will either have to build Renewable Energy Producing Systems or Purchase the Electricity that is made from Residents and Businesses to comply with the Law.
Which means that Ameren has a Stake in any Renewable Energy Sytem that produces Electricity and is Interconnected utilizing Net Metering to our / their Electircal Grid here in the St Louis Area.
Good News for all those who would like additional Monetary Incentives for Installing RE (Renewable Energy) Sytems.
The Ameren Rebate and the Federal Tax Incentive can add up to as much as 2/3 of the cost of the RE System.
[iii] 2008 Initiative Petitions
Approved for Circulation in Missouri
Amendment to Chapter 393 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, Relating to Renewable Energy, version 4, 2008-031
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT
Be it enacted by the people of the state of Missouri:
Chapter 393, RSMo, is amended by repealing sections 393.1020, 393.1025, 393.1030, and 393.1035, and substituting therefor three new sections to be known as sections 393.1020, 393.1025 and 393.1030, to read as follows:
393.1020. Sections 393.1025 to 393.1030 shall be known as the Renewable Energy Standard.
393.1025. As used in sections 393.1020 to 393.1030, the following terms mean:
1. "Commission", the public service commission;
2. "Department", the department of natural resources;
3. “Electric utility”, any electrical corporation as defined by section 386.020;
4. "Renewable energy resources", electric energy produced from wind, solar thermal sources, photovoltaic cells and panels, dedicated crops grown for energy production, cellulosic agricultural residues, plant residues, methane from landfills or from wastewater treatment, clean and untreated wood such as pallets, hydropower (not including pumped storage) that does not require a new diversion or impoundment of water and that has a nameplate rating of 10 megawatts or less, fuel cells using hydrogen produced by one of the above-named renewable energy sources, and other sources of energy not including nuclear that become available after the effective date of this section and are certified as renewable by rule by the department; and
5. "Renewable energy credit" or “REC”, a tradable certificate of proof that one megawatt-hour of electricity has been generated from renewable energy sources.
393.1030.1. The commission shall, in consultation with the department, prescribe by rule a portfolio requirement for all electric utilities to generate or purchase electricity generated from renewable energy resources. Such portfolio requirement shall provide that electricity from renewable energy resources shall constitute the following portions of each electric utility’s sales:
(a) No less than two percent for calendar years 2011 through 2013;
(b) No less than five percent for calendar years 2014 through 2017;
(c) No less than ten percent for calendar years 2018 through 2020; and
(d) No less than fifteen percent in each calendar year beginning in 2021.
At least two percent of each portfolio requirement shall be derived from solar energy. The portfolio requirements shall apply to all power sold to Missouri consumers whether such power is self-generated or purchased from another source in or outside of this state. A utility may comply with the standard in whole or in part by purchasing RECs. Each kilowatt-hour of eligible energy generated in Missouri shall count as 1.25 kilowatt-hours for purposes of compliance.
At least two percent of each portfolio requirement shall be derived from solar energy. The portfolio requirements shall apply to all power sold to Missouri consumers whether such power is self-generated or purchased from another source in or outside of this state. A utility may comply with the standard in whole or in part by purchasing RECs. Each kilowatt-hour of eligible energy generated in Missouri shall count as 1.25 kilowatt-hours for purposes of compliance.
2. The commission, in consultation with the department and within one year of the effective date of sections 393.1020 to 393.1030, shall select a program for tracking and verifying the trading of renewable energy credits. An unused credit may exist for up to three years from the date of its creation. A credit may be used only once to comply with this act and may not also be used to satisfy any similar non-federal requirement. An electric utility may not use a credit derived from a green pricing program. Certificates from net-metered sources shall initially be owned by the customer-generator. The... continues on web site
