Business Planning for Environmental Markets and Commodities: Carbon Credits, Low Carbon Fuels and Renewable Energy

Summary

Many state and federal laws create "environmental markets" —that is, regulatory and voluntary markets for environmental benefits, denominated in particular commodities. This workshop will provide clarity and structure for understanding these markets and their commodities and the web of compliance and beyond-compliance issues that affect businesses and government as they address climate and energy concerns.

This course will cover three aspects of these related challenges:

• The policy frameworks that create certain environmental commodities—Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) for renewable fuels, and carbon offsets.
• The protocols, standards, and certification processes currently in use for these commodities.
• Incorporation of these commodities into business planning, project pro formas, and project development.

Topics at state and municipal levels, as well as on the national front, will include:

• Background and status of cap-and-trade systems, in particular, California's Assembly Bill (AB) 32 and its implications for regulatory and voluntary carbon markets, both inside California and nationally.
• The state of markets for Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), both for regulatory compliance with Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) laws in several states, as well as markets for voluntary RECs purchases.
• Review of state and federal mandates for alternative, renewable and low-carbon fuels, specifically the Low Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS) in California and elsewhere, and markets for Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) created by the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Contact Info