Learn More About REPs
Your Support for EarthAction Helps Bring a Renewable Energy Revolution to America …
On October 13th, the city of Gainesville, FL working with their municipal utility company, took a major step towards Renewable Energy Payments (REPs). Renewable Energy Payment policies commit utility companies to purchase renewable energy from all producers at fair rates guaranteed for 15-20 years. This allows businesses, municipalities, and even individual homeowners to be able to invest in solar, wind, and other renewables with a predetermined return.
REP policies don’t require tax credits or government subsidies. REPs harness the financial resources of every energy consumer to invest in renewables now, with immediate results. They are also relatively simple to create and administer. And because they build a stable, growing market for solar panels, wind turbines, and other renewable equipment, they spur innovation and create new businesses.
This method of encouraging renewables was pioneered by the city of Aachen in Germany, and has since spread throughout Germany and now to over 40 other countries.
It is widely acknowledged that Renewable Energy Payments, also called Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) in Europe, are the reason Germany now leads the world in renewable energy—both in amounts of renewable energy produced and in developing new renewable energy technology.
And yet, REPs have been virtually unknown in the U.S. … until now.
With an economic crisis propelling ideas about investing in America’s future and a President-Elect who is committed to a new energy future, we now have a unique opportunity to make REPs a big part of the American energy economy.
But the world’s huge energy companies are moving rapidly to capture the renewable future and lock up its profits.
By making it economically feasible for every homeowner, every small business, every organization to invest in renewable energy and receive a direct return on that investment, REPs decentralize and speed up movement towards renewable energy.
And they put the profit in the hands of all of us, not just the stockholders of Mobil.
That’s why EarthAction’s efforts to get out the word about REPs to all American policymakers and citizens is so crucial.
Already, there are 12 states considering legislation for REPs. We are often fighting against large national and local energy companies that don’t want to see renewable energy profits fall into the hands of consumers. That’s why we need to produce Action Kits and coordinate a campaign to make sure consumers and policy makers in Florida, Minnesota, Oregon, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, California, Wisconsin, Michigan and other states understand REPs and know their amazing track record in encouraging the growth of renewable energy around the world.
If you’d like to read the highlights of what we accomplished in 2008, click here.
We need your help to really kickstart this campaign.
Gainesville can be the start of a nationwide movement towards REPs and renewable energy, or it could be a minor sideshow. What you and I do now could make the difference.
Please make your donation to help today. Thank you. Click here to donate on our secure web page.
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If you have any questions please contact Lois Barber, 413 549 8118, or lois(at)earthaction.org.