Demand a strong, binding renewable portfolio standard for Louisiana

February 18 - After more than a year, Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) staff have finally released a policy proposal under the renewable portfolio standard docket. Unfortunately, the “strawman” policy proposal is not a renewable portfolio standard, and as written will do little, if anything, to assist the development of renewable energy industries in our state. It is very important that you make your voice heard and demand that we adopt a renewable portfolio standard that is strong, binding, and does not include nuclear or coal technologies.

LPSC staff's policy proposal

The policy proposal presented by LPSC staff is similar to a proposal by Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, and does not reflect the needs of our state or the models that have been studied during the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) process. The policy is deficient in three ways: 1) it is non-binding, 2) the targets are weak, and 3) it includes nuclear and “advanced coal technologies” in a list of eligible sources of power.

For a renewable portfolio standard to be effective, it must be binding. A “goals-based” proposal, such as the one that staff released, will not afford lenders the assurances they need to invest in renewable energy industries. Furthermore, the proposed target - 12.5% by 2025 - is very weak. Louisiana currently gets almost 4% of its electricity from renewable sources, and under the current proposal, that number would not increase until 2015. Most RPS policies in other states have much higher targets, as do all of the models that have been performed in the staff's investigation into an RPS.

Another serious deficiency of the staff's policy is the inclusion of nuclear power and coal technologies. Nuclear power is enormously expensive, not clean, and not renewable. It is a dirty, costly source of power and does not belong in a policy designed to encourage renewable energy.

Furthermore, nuclear power presents multiple dangers to residents of our state. The recent leak of radioactive material at Entergy's Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant should serve as a reminder of the hazards of this unclean power source. (Read our article about the leak in Vermont Yankee for more information).

What you can do

The Louisiana Public Service Commission is an elected body, the purpose of which is to serve the ratepayers of Louisiana. Make your voice heard by signing the petition for a strong, binding renewable portfolio standard.

Sign the petition

You can also call, write, or email your commissioner and ask him to have his staff rewrite the policy proposal so that it is a strong, binding renewable portfolio standard that does not include nuclear power or coal technologies.

Following are a list of documents to assist you in contacting your commissioner. If you need more assistance or to get more involved in our campaign, contact Alliance Communications Director Christian Roselund at christian@all4energy.org.

Sample letter to commissioners

Map of LPSC districts (statewide)

Map of LPSC districts (New Orleans and Jefferson Parish)

Commissioner addresses

To learn more about renewable portfolio standards and Louisiana's process, see the renewable portfolio standard page in our policies section.