Solar, Wind, Waste, and Geothermal Power Production Incentives Act of 1990, United States
Published: December 12, 2008, 9:04 pm
Updated: December 12, 2008, 9:04 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Cutler J. Cleveland In an effort to encourage the development of renewable energy sources, Congress passed the Solar, Wind, Waste, and Geothermal Power Production Incentives Act in 1990. The legislation removed all size restrictions on small power generation facilities set by the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) in 1978.
The Act encompassed facilities using solar, wind, waste, or geothermal resources. In 1991, Congress amended the size-restriction section of the Act when it was found that, because of a technicality, only facilities exceeding a power production capacity of 80 megawatts were receiving the regulatory exemptions; after the amendment, the Act included facilities of all sizes.
This Act also amended the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 by requiring licensing of uranium enrichment facilities. These facilities came under stricter regulation because it was recognized that their activities could pose a significant threat to the quality of the human environment. Because of this new status, Congress required that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) before construction or operation of such a facility could begin.
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Ida Kubiszewski PhD (Lead Author);Cutler J. Cleveland (Topic Editor) "Solar, Wind, Waste, and Geothermal Power Production Incentives Act of 1990, United States". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth December 12, 2008; Last revised Date December 12, 2008; Retrieved May 25, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Solar,_Wind,_Waste,_and_Geothermal_Power_Production_Incentives_Act_of_1990,_United_States>
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The Encyclopedia of Earth
Dr. Ida Kubiszewski is a Senior Lecturer at the Crawford School of Public Policy at Australian National University. She is also a co-founder and former-Managing Editor the Encyclopedia of Earth. Dr. Kubiszewki is currently working as the Managing Editor for a magazine/journal hybrid called Solutions. Solutions is an outlet for discussions focusing on solutions to the complex problems we are now facing in ... (Full Bio)
In an effort to encourage the development of renewable energy sources, Congress passed the Solar, Wind, Waste, and Geothermal Power Production Incentives Act in 1990. The legislation removed all size restrictions on small power generation facilities set by the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) in 1978.
The Act encompassed facilities using solar, wind, waste, or geothermal resources. In 1991, Congress amended the size-restriction section of the Act when it was found that, because of a technicality, only facilities exceeding a power production capacity of 80 megawatts were receiving the regulatory exemptions; after the amendment, the Act included facilities of all sizes.
This Act also amended the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 by requiring licensing of uranium enrichment facilities. These facilities came under stricter regulation because it was recognized that their activities could pose a significant threat to the quality of the human environment. Because of this new status, Congress required that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) before construction or operation of such a facility could begin.
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Geothermal power plant at the Geysers, CA. (Source: U.S. Department of Energy)
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