Feed in Tariffs are the most important tool for countries that are serious about expanding renewable energy.
Craig Lewis of the FIT Coalition in Palo Alto, CA, spoke to the Grand Vision energy network, in Traverse City, MI, about the benefits of Feed-In Tariffs, an effective way for a community to deploy alternative energy
A feed-in tariff is a policy tool that allows renewable energy generators to sell their power to utilities at a pre-determined, fixed price for a long period of time. Worldwide, 75% of solar PV and 45% of wind deployment are directly linked to feed-in tariffs.
See Energy Guru Paul Gipe’s description of how FITs could reshape post-nuclear Japan:
If Japan adopted an aggressive renewable energy policy like that of Germany, it could, within ten years, generate more than four times the electricity lost at the Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant, cutting the country’s reliance on nuclear power by one-half or more.
I would rather call them feed-in contracts, but hey they sound like a simple and effective idea. They ought to be available to homeowners as well.