Electric distribution engineering,
Renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, hydro and geothermal are receiving a great deal of focus since they are a clean and inexhaustible form of energy. This is particularly important in these times when many U.S. states have enacted renewable portfolio standards which mandate increasing levels of clean energy to be included in utility portfolios. Each type of renewable energy has its own benefits and challenges and each has received different treatment in terms of governmental and regulatory approaches concerning subsidies and tariffs. In Europe, directives that impose binding targets for renewable energy on each EU member state have set the stage for massive rollouts of a wide range of renewable energies including wind, PV, solar thermal, heat pumps, combined heat and power and microgeneration. Renewable energy will be an important part of the energy supply mix going forward and EEI's North American and European operations will continue to monitor and evaluate the many issues involved with its utilization.
