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SENATE
JOINT MEMORIAL 8031
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Passed
Legislature - 2002 Regular Session
State of Washington 57th Legislature 2002
Regular Session
By
Read first time 01/17/2002.
Referred to Committee on Environment, Energy & Water.
Encouraging
re-authorization and full funding of the renewable energy production incentive.
TO
THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO
THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS
ASSEMBLED:
We,
your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of
Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and
petition as follows:
WHEREAS,
The United States Congress established the Renewable Energy Production
Incentive (REPI) program in the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to provide direct
payments to not-for-profit utilities for energy produced by new renewable
energy projects; and
WHEREAS,
REPI is the counterpart to the program authorized in the same act which grants
private utilities a federal tax credit for energy produced by new renewable
energy projects; and
WHEREAS,
REPI has proved to be a valuable and needed program to encourage public power
systems and rural electric cooperatives to pursue development of renewable
technologies; and
WHEREAS,
Authorization for the current REPI program expires in 2003 and must be renewed
by Congress to continue to assist not-for-profit utilities in the development
of cost-effective renewable resources and to provide a measure of parity with
the incentives provided to private power companies; and
WHEREAS,
The effectiveness and vitality of the REPI program also depend on congressional
support for annual appropriations to provide more certainty to utilities
considering development of renewable energy projects; and
WHEREAS,
Reauthorization and an increase in federal funding for REPI could also benefit
the Northwest by encouraging development of energy resources that provide
significant environmental benefits; and
WHEREAS,
The volatility in the western electricity market in 1999 and 2000 also
demonstrated the need for the Northwest to develop additional generating
resources and to broaden the diversity of its resource portfolio and REPI could
play an important role in meeting those regional goals; and
WHEREAS,
In calendar year 2001 not-for-profit utilities applied for almost $30 million
in incentive payments from the REPI program, but less than $4 million was made
available to provide incentives for these renewable energy projects;
NOW
THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully urge the Northwest congressional
delegation, the United States Congress, and the Bush Administration to:
(1)
Reauthorize REPI for an additional ten years, with such modifications as are
needed to provide greater certainty of payment and, therefore, greater
incentives to qualified renewable energy projects; and
(2)
Provide a level of funding for REPI that will maximize the potential for
development of new renewable resources by not-for-profit utilities.
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately
transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States,
the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.
