Renewable energy sources - biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, and wind - provide substantial energy and electricity in the West. For example, roughly one third of California's electricity comes from these renewable sources. Much of this power was built under federal and state laws that provided incentives for new renewable energy production.

Today, with California and the West facing an energy crisis, state and federal legislators are looking again for measures that will help rapidly expand new renewable energy production. Through both grid connected and distributed systems, renewable energy could contribute thousands of megawatts of new power and improve the reliability of the system. There are several proposals pending before Congress to encourage investment in these technologies through tax and financial incentives, such as the Senate Republican and Democratic energy bills.

Representatives from the renewable energy industry discussed the proposals pending before Congress, and their potential to encourage new investment in renewable power production. The expert panel was moderated by Carol Werner, Executive Director for the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, and included: