Energy Policy Act of 2005 and Its Impact on Renewable Energy Applications in USA

The US Energy Policy Act of 2005 will impact the applications and R&D efforts for every type of renewable energy source. A part of the bill has the stated purpose of achieving energy self-sufficiency by the year 2025 within the US, Canada, and Mexico. This bill also has provisions for anyone wishing to connect to the existing power grid at the distribution level and sell power to a utility or other entity including incentives for generation of electricity from certain types of sources. This paper will provide a comprehensive review and describe the impact this bill has on several types of renewable energy presently being considered for practical applications, its effect on the electricity market, national electrical grid, and perhaps the future of how electricity will be delivered in the US.