Today, in a report to the Renewable Thermal Collaborative (RTC), David Gardiner and Associates (DGA) published an issue brief and factsheet regarding the role of renewable thermal technologies in state renewable portfolio standards and thoughts on what renewable electricity markets can tell us about the future of renewable thermal energy. The issue brief finds that although the unique characteristics of renewable thermal energy make the exact interaction between its voluntary and compliance markets difficult to predict, there is plenty of room for optimism—both states and private energy consumers have large incentives to support renewable thermal energy. Continued growth of the private market can be expected as large energy users pursue renewable thermal to reduce their carbon footprints. Likewise, state governments, aiming to diversify their energy portfolios and reduce emissions, are expected to increase interest in thermal energy, sparking renewable portfolio standard expansion. Together this mutually expanded interest will lead to increased awareness and technological expansion, reducing barriers, and supporting renewable thermal energy and propagating its growth across both markets.
Download the issue brief (PDF)
For more information about the role of renewable thermal in state renewable portfolio standards, see the resources below from the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA):
- Webinar: Renewable Thermal in RPSs: Examples from New Hampshire, Oregon, and Vermont (recording and slides)
- Case Studies of RPS Best Practices: Solar Carve-Outs, SREC Tracking, and Thermal Inclusion
- Report: Renewable Thermal in State Renewable Portfolio Standards
