California is on the leading edge of renewable energy in the United States, but will it be the next Germany? This web conference is designed to provide a variety of perspectives on the best model for ramping up the deployment of renewable energy in California and the U.S. Leading industry experts Sue Kately, Jigar Shah and Craig Lewis will discuss and debate the following topic areas and questions:

What is the relationship between a feed-in tariff (FIT)—such as that being debated in California—and power purchase agreements (PPAs), which—prior to the solar sector drop off—have been very successful?
• Can PPAs and FITs co-exist or are they competitive business models?
• Do they feed in to one another?
• Are the customers for PPAs and FITs the same or different?
• Which model is more effective in expediting the deployment of solar PV?

Pricing and the economics of solar projects
• Is the price of a FIT too high?
• Will money paid to companies come out of ratepayers’ pockets only to line the pockets of foreign module manufacturers?
• Will there be rate hikes? Is this fair, socially? Is it environmentally prudent?
• From the perspective of the customer, is it better to get a PPA and be guaranteed lower rates, but have system on site? To buy green power from the utility? Or, to use land owned for a wholesale project?

Political positions
• Who is for and against a feed-in tariff?
• What is the rationale for their position?
• What program designs are being championed?