The Next Generation of Renewables

1. The Next Generation of Renewables Frank Prager Vice President, Environmental Policy Xcel Energy October 20, 2009

2. Gas Customers 1.9 M Electric Customers 3.4 M

3. Renewable energy advantages No net emissions Important piece of portfolio of clean energy resources Colorado�s natural advantage under national climate program Generally high levels of public and political acceptance Little or no fuel price volatility Renewable energy challenges Availability Transmission Capital intensive Price Intermittency Key issue: Technological advancement

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6. Other Technologies Biomass Co-firing or stand-alone generation options Pine beetle situation has created a fuel supply, but access is a challenge Geothermal in Colorado Minimal resource exploration Promising technologies Energy Storage Addresses intermittency of wind and solar Options: Compressed air, battery (large scale or in electric vehicles), pumped hydro Competitive with natural gas? Biomass Co-firing or standalone generation (generation could be solid fuel boiler set up or gasification) Pine beetle crisis created fuel supply but access is a challenge (land ownership, lack of infrastructure (roads), gradient of land, seasons, etc.). Geothermal: Other states have benefited from federally funded geothermal exploration that was conducted in the early 70�s. Colorado was off the radar screen at that time. Since then, technologies have emerged which allow for the generation of electricity at a lower water temperature. However, there still needs to be more exploration in the state to find geothermal resources. There are emerging infrared exploration technologies that will help estimate water temperature without as much expensive drilling and exploration, but they can only take exploration part of the way. Biomass Co-firing or standalone generation (generation could be solid fuel boiler set up or gasification) Pine beetle crisis created fuel supply but access is a challenge (land ownership, lack of infrastructure (roads), gradient of land, seasons, etc.). Geothermal: Other states have benefited from federally funded geothermal exploration that was conducted in the early 70�s. Colorado was off the radar screen at that time. Since then, technologies have emerged which allow for the generation of electricity at a lower water temperature. However, there still needs to be more exploration in the state to find geothermal resources. There are emerging infrared exploration technologies that will help estimate water temperature without as much expensive drilling and exploration, but they can only take exploration part of the way.

7. Challenges Where to spend clean energy dollar? Repowering coal/natural gas? Renewable energy New wind energy? Distributed Solar/CSP? Other technologies Energy efficiency What combination of mandates and incentives? National natural gas supply issues? How to address intermittency? Integration of state and federal policy? Tax policy RPS

8. National Renewable Energy Standard American Clean Energy and Security Act RES targets: 6% in 2012/20% in 2020 Three quarters from renewables Companion to Cap & Trade Targets similar to other legislation (Bingaman, Markey) Energy efficiency alternative compliance option Key Xcel Energy issues: Controlling customer cost for both C&T and the RES Access to federal market regardless of state standards PTC/ITC Renewable Integration Credit

9. Renewable Integration Tax Credit RIC designed to offset costs of integrating intermittent renewable energy onto utility system Tax credit per kWh of intermittent (wind and solar) renewables, graduated based on percent of sales Designed to encourage more renewable and defray system costs of higher levels of integration

10. Xcel Energy Support for New Renewable Technologies Advanced technology programs SolarTAC Innovative Clean Technology program Energy storage demonstrations NREL/EPRI Partnerships Goal: Encourage development of more competitive renewable energy technologies Emission reductions Energy and capacity resource Carbon reduction strategy