Renewable generation resources offer a variety of benefits for electricity customers, and for society as a whole. They provide a hedge against the high cost of fossil fuels, increase the diversity of the electric generation mix, and reduce the risks of electric price volatility. In most cases, they result in little or no environmental impact, and thus represent one of the most promising opportunities for mitigating the environmental effects associated with electricity generation.

In addition, renewable resources help support the local economy and local jobs, while reducing the amount of money that is exported out of the region to support conventional generation fuels. Small renewable generators can be located on or near a customer’s facility (i.e., distributed generation) can also help reduce the strain on transmission and distribution systems. However, market forces alone do not typically recognize these many benefits, thus public policies and regulations are needed to ensure that renewable resources fulfill their proper role in the development of the electricity industry.

	Providing analytic and regulatory support for the development of regulations regarding renewable portfolio standards
	Conducting technical analyses of the potential for renewable resources, and the likely economic and ratepayer impacts of renewable portfolio standards
	Providing analytic support for the development of Renewable Energy Credit mechanisms or Generation Information Systems
	Estimating the emissions that could be displaced by renewable resources, for the purpose of using renewables to comply with environmental regulations such as SO2, NOX, and CO2 cap-and-trade mechanisms
	Providing technical support for policies to encourage the inclusion of renewable resources in portfolio management practices and standard offer services provided by electric distribution utilities
	Reviewing the potential for renewable resources as alternatives to conventional fossil-fired generation, in the context of electric utility integrated resource planning
	Conducting detailed technical analyses – using electricity dispatch and market simulation models – of aggressive development of energy efficiency, renewable resources and distributed generation in regional and multi-state clean energy plans
	Providing analytic support for the rules and regulations that affect the integration of renewable resources in wholesale markets, Regional Transmission Organizations, and Independent System Operators