OklahomaThe Oklahoma renewable energy industry could use some serious improvement coming into 2012.  It’s safe to say that Oklahoma has yet to give the solar industry any leadership with a renewable energy standard (RES). Only recently in May 2010 has Oklahoma adopted a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) with some pretty lack luster goals.

The goal of Oklahoma’s RPS has only set the bar at 15 percent of its energy generated by renewables by 2015 as compared to the nation’s renewable leader, California, who has established an RPS goal of 20 percent of their energy generated by renewables by 2010 (and met it) with even more ambitions to produce 33 percent by 2020. Also, there are no interim targets for their renewable energy production, and the goal of 15 percent doesn’t extend past 2015 essentially allowing for Oklahoma to fall back into a non-renewable dependence. This doesn’t even get to the limited number of incentives offered by the state to encourage renewable growth.

Although the state does have a net-metering program, and a fair amount of good incentives to commercial business to upgrade their facilities to zero carbon emissions, again Oklahoma falls well short by comparison to most states in the number of incentives, rebates, tax breaks, and loan programs that will only give consumers a reason to jump on the green band wagon.

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