Designing an Effective Feed-In Tariff for Greater Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Department of Water (LADWP) has set ambitious renewable energy goals that it is currently falling far short of achieving. Recently Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa set the goal of producing 150 mega-watts of local solar power as part of a broader set of renewable strategies. In response, LADWP proposed a local solar program—known as a feed-in tariff. This reports shows that neither LADWP’s proposed feed-in tariff nor Southern California Edison’s existing feed-in tariff will effectively contribute to these ambitious renewable energy goals. The purpose of this report is to provide guidance on how to design an effective feed-in tariff that is tailored to the needs of Greater Los Angeles.