Renewable Electricity Standard

The document advocates for a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) in the United States, describing it as a market-based mechanism that requires utilities to increase the share of electricity produced from renewable sources. It highlights economic benefits, such as saving consumers money and creating rural jobs, and environmental benefits, including the reduction of carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants.

• A Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), also known as a Renewable Portfolio Standard, is a market-based tool that mandates utilities to incrementally increase electricity production from sources like solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal energy. It utilizes tradable "renewable energy credits" to ensure compliance is achieved at the lowest possible cost through competition.
• Implementing a national RES could lead to significant consumer savings by reducing natural gas prices and diversifying the power supply. U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) studies indicated that a 10 percent renewable electricity target by 2020 could save energy consumers up to $13.2 billion, while a UCS report suggested a 20 percent target by 2020 could save consumers $4.5 billion between 2002 and 2020.
• The transition to renewable energy is projected to stimulate economic growth and rural development. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, wind energy alone could generate 80,000 new jobs and $1.2 billion in new income for rural landowners and farmers by 2020, while tripling biomass energy use could provide up to $20 billion in new income for rural communities.
• A national RES would mitigate environmental damage by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation, which currently accounts for more than 40 percent of total U.S. carbon emissions. It would also lower emissions of mercury, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, thereby reducing the prevalence of smog, acid rain, and respiratory illness.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2008). Renewable Electricity Standard. https://www.ucs.org/resources/renewable-electricity-standard

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Renewable Electricity Standard. 2008. https://www.ucs.org/resources/renewable-electricity-standard.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Renewable Electricity Standard |date=15 July 2008 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/renewable-electricity-standard |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2008renewable, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Renewable Electricity Standard}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2008}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/renewable-electricity-standard}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }