In a unanimous decision issued this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit sided with rooftop solar owners in a dispute over the jurisdictional scheme established by the Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURPA)....more
Part One -
As the 2020 election nears, the Democratic campaign has begun to talk policy specifics regarding energy and climate change. Although the Trump administration undertook to dismantle many Obama-era policies and...more
9/29/2020
/ Carbon Pricing ,
Clean Energy ,
Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) ,
Electricity ,
Energy Market ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FERC ,
Joe Biden ,
Political Campaigns ,
Political Candidates ,
Power Grid ,
Presidential Elections ,
PURPA ,
Renewable Energy ,
Supply Chain ,
Transmission Grid ,
Trump Administration ,
Wholesale
On April 18, 2019, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) granted Sunrun, Inc. (Sunrun) limited waivers of FERC’s filing requirements for obtaining qualifying small power production facility (QF) status under the...more
5/8/2019
/ Electric Generation Suppliers ,
Energy Sector ,
FERC ,
Filing Requirements ,
Homeowners ,
PURPA ,
Qualifying Facility ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Renewable Energy ,
Self-Certification ,
Solar Energy ,
Utilities Sector ,
Waivers
On August 31, 2018, NorthWestern Corporation (NorthWestern) petitioned the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) to revoke the qualifying small power production facility (QF) status of four wind projects...more
9/18/2018
/ Batteries ,
Comment Period ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
FERC ,
Public Comment ,
PURPA ,
Qualifying Facility ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Utilities Sector ,
Wind Power
On November 29, 2017, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) introduced H.R. 4476, the PURPA Modernization Act of 2017 (the “Act”), which, if enacted, would significantly change the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA)....more
12/8/2017
/ Bright-Line Rule ,
Competition ,
Electricity ,
Energy Costs ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Reform ,
Energy Sector ,
FERC ,
Proposed Legislation ,
PURPA ,
Qualified Energy Facilities ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
Renewable Energy ,
Utilities Sector
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the “Commission”) recently restored its quorum with the swearing in of Commissioners Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelson, but the casualties from the six-month, quorumless...more
9/18/2017
/ Electric Cooperative ,
Electric Generation Suppliers ,
Energy Sector ,
Federal Power Act ,
FERC ,
Grandfathered Status ,
Motion to Terminate ,
Power Companies ,
Power Purchase Agreements ,
PURPA ,
Quorum ,
Renewable Energy
On June 9, 2017, Beaver Creek Wind II, LLC and Beaver Creek Wind III, LLC (together, “Beaver Creek”) responded to a deficiency letter from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the “Commission”) staff seeking...more
On March 13, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced the Ratepayer Fairness Act (RFA). The RFA would amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to require that state public utility regulatory authorities and...more
On November 15, 2016, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order dismissing a petition for declaratory filed by two Maryland electric cooperatives requesting a FERC finding that regulations governing...more
11/22/2016
/ Community Shared Solar ,
Declaratory Rulings ,
Dismissals ,
Federal Power Act ,
FERC ,
Grid Energy Storage ,
Public Utility ,
PURPA ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
State Pilot Programs
On June 16, 2016, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the “Commission”) issued an order that is anticipated to increase the ability of electric cooperatives and municipally owned utilities to purchase power from...more
On January 4, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit issued a decision vacating a U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana order indefinitely staying a Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of...more
Congress passed the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) in 1978. It quickly proved controversial in practice, and remains so today. PURPA introduced competition to the electric industry by creating a market for...more
On November 6, 2015, the chairmen of several congressional energy committees and subcommittees sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or “Commission”) requesting that FERC convene a technical...more