I explore the environmental and economic value to be gained by using a greater proportion of renewable distributed generation, mainly solar, relative to centralized generation in the United States in this thesis. I explain the benefits of distributed solar, namely the reductions in environmental damage and the economic benefits for system owners. These benefits will are compared to the obstacles to renewable distributed generation adoption: the costs associated with installation, the political resistance from utilities and power producers, and the aspects of current energy infrastructure that limit wider adoption of distributed solar. I make recommendations for changes to utility strategy, as well as provide policy prescriptions at the local, state, and national level to incentivize distributed solar. These findings and suggested actions can help inform policymakers and utilities as they shape future U.S. energy infrastructure.

Burning trash should not be considered “renewable energy.” However, the federal government and as many as twenty-three states classify waste-to-energy recovery (WTE), or the incineration of garbage, as a renewable energy source that is eligible for a host of financial incentives. This paper discusses how WTE qualifies as an energy source that can be included in a state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), or regulations that require energy producers to source a specific percentage of energy production from renewable energy sources, claiming the same benefits as cleaner, more sustainable energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal power. Upon evaluating incentives and programs for which WTE is eligible, I will argue that WTE is neither an environmentally nor economically viable energy solution. By analyzing WTE policy in the state of Maryland, I examine how RPSs contribute to the longevity of this unsustainable practice, calling for an elimination of WTE from RPS policy and federal incentive programs.