France Boosts Payments For Power From Renewable Sources - AFP

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France on Thursday announced major increases in rates for energy from renewable sources that has to be purchased by the state-owned electricity provider, EDF. Since February 2000, Electricite de France has been required to buy power from operators of renewable sources at a price set by the government, under a programme aimed at boosting clean energy.

Energy from waste biomass (rotting refuse from which methane is captured) will see a rate increase of around 50 percent to 14 cents of a euro (17.64 US cents) per kilowatt-hour (kWh), junior industry minister Francois Loos said here.

Payment for geothermal (drawing on heat from the Earth's crust) will rise from 7.6 to 12 euro cents (9.5 to 15.2 US cents) per kWh and from 7.9 to 15 euro cents (9.95 to 18.9 US cents) per kWh, depending on whether the energy is used for electricity or electricity and heating combined. Loos added that a new tarif had been created for wind generated by offshore turbines, of 13 euro cents (16.4 US cents) per kWh.

The existing rate structure for land-based wind turbines is being reviewed, in order to give incentives to operators who invest in high-efficiency equipment and place generators in areas where winds are average, as the windiest sites in France are already being harvested, he said. France's goal is to drive renewables' share of electricity generation from 14 percent as of today to 21 percent as of 2010.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/France_Boosts_Purchase_Rates_To_Spur_Renewable_Energy.html