A coalition of business and environmental organizations in the Los Angeles area is proposing the nation's largest renewable energy feed-in tariff program.

The Solar Coalition, led by the Los Angeles Business Council,   and with support from local non-profit and environmental organizations including Global Green, the Sierra Club, and the United States Green Building Council, is calling for a 600-megawatt solar feed-in tarif -- the largest such program in the country.

Feed-in tariffs provide guaranteed, above-market market electricity rates for certain kinds of renewable electricity put on the grid. The incentive structure moves beyond net-metering, which allows rooftop solar panel owners, for example, to "zero-out" their electric bill at the end of the year, feed-in tariffs can actually be a net revenue generator if companies/individuals put enough on the grid.

"A solar feed-in tariff can be one of the easiest and fastest ways to make real progress towards the goals that Los Angeles has set for itself," says lead author and project manager at the Luskin Center of Innovation, Ryan Matulka."This type of program takes advantage of L.A.’s underutilized rooftop and parking lot assets to generate clean energy and jobs. If it is properly designed and implemented, it can be a win-win for all the stakeholders involved."

Via: Inhabitat
Photo: Oregon DOT via Flickr