A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to authorize the Secretary of Energy to promulgate regulations to allow electric utilities to use renewable energy to comply with any Federal renewable electricity standard, and for other purposes.

Summary: Support Renewable Energy Act of 2010 - Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, as it would be amended by the American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009 as reported to the Senate as an original measure on July 16, 2009 (S.1462), to revise the Federal Renewable Electricity Standard by expanding the definition of "renewable energy" to include energy produced through the use of customer-sited renewable energy equipment, including solar water heating, solar water and space heating or cooling, solar daylight and light-pipe technology, biogas, and ground source geothermal heat pump energy applications. Revises the Federal Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Credit Trading Programs by requiring the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to: (1) issue renewable energy credits equal to 100% of the electricity (or thermal energy expressed in an electricity-equivalent) displaced by qualifying renewable energy equipment; and (2) allocate such credits and credits for generators of electric energy produced through distributed generations facilities issued to the utility, project owner, and end user that paid for the purchase, installation, and maintenance of such equipment, on the basis of the cost incurred.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Support Renewable Energy Act of 
2010''.

SEC. 2. USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL RENEWABLE 
              ELECTRICITY STANDARD.

    Section 610 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 
(as added by section 132 of the American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 
2009) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (10) through (12) 
                as paragraphs (11) through (13), respectively;
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following:
            ``(10) Light-pipe technology.--The term `light-pipe 
        technology' means any equipment that uses a highly reflective 
        pipe that--
                    ``(A) has a solar collection component and 
                distribution lens at the respective ends of the 
                reflective pipe to transport visible solar radiation 
                from the collection point of the reflective pipe to 
                illuminate the interior of a building;
                    ``(B) does not generate net interior heat gain; and
                    ``(C) integrates automatic lighting controls to 
                adjust traditionally powered lighting to satisfy 
                building lighting requirements.'';
                    (C) in paragraph (13) (as redesignated by 
                subparagraph (A))--
                            (i) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) 
                        through (I) as clauses (i) through (ix), 
                        respectively, and indenting appropriately;
                            (ii) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as 
                        redesignated by clause (i)), by striking ``The 
                        term `renewable energy' means electric energy'' 
                        and inserting the following:
        ``The term `renewable energy' means--
                    ``(A) electric energy'';
                            (iii) in clause (ix) (as redesignated by 
                        clause (i)), by striking the period at the end 
                        and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iv) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) energy produced through the use of customer-
                sited renewable energy equipment, including--
                            ``(i) solar water heating;
                            ``(ii) solar water and space heating or 
                        cooling;
                            ``(iii) solar daylight and light-pipe 
                        technology;
                            ``(iv) biogas;
                            ``(v) ground source geothermal heat pump 
                        energy applications; or
                            ``(vi) another renewable energy source 
                        based on innovative technology, as determined 
                        by the Secretary through rulemaking.''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(14) Solar daylight.--The term `solar daylight' means a 
        system that--
                    ``(A) uses to convey or diffuse natural light into 
                a building--
                            ``(i) a prismatic or other lens;
                            ``(ii) glazing that amplifies sunlight;
                            ``(iii) reflectors; or
                            ``(iv) concentrators; and
                    ``(B) does not generate net interior heat gain.''; 
                and
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (H), by striking ``; 
                        and'' and inserting a semicolon;
                            (ii) in subparagraph (I)(iv), by striking 
                        the period at the end and inserting a 
                        semicolon; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(J) issue renewable energy credits equal to 100 
                percent of the electricity (or thermal energy expressed 
                in an electricity-equivalent) displaced by qualifying 
                renewable energy equipment, as described in subsection 
                (a)(13)(B); and
                    ``(K) allocate the credits described in 
                subparagraph (J) and credits for generators of electric 
                energy produced through distributed generation 
                facilities issued under subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) 
                to the utility, project owner, and end user that paid 
                for the purchase, installation, and maintenance of the 
                qualified renewable energy equipment, on the basis of 
                the share of the cost incurred.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``or (D)'' and 
                inserting ``(D), or (J)''.