On January 25, 2018, the Oregon Public Utility Commission (Oregon Commission) elected to take jurisdiction over a contract dispute between a qualifying facility (QF) Pacific Northwest Solar (PNW Solar) and Portland General Electric Company (PGE). The Oregon Commission became one of the only state agencies to conclude that it should resolve post-contract execution decisions and breaks from almost forty years of Oregon court case law in which QF contract disputes were resolved by the courts rather than an administrative agency. [Read more…]
Utah PSC Modifies Rocky Mountain Power’s Avoided Cost Methodology
February 1, 2018 By
On January 23, 2018, the Utah Public Service Commission (Utah Commission) adopted updates and revisions to Rocky Mountain Power’s avoided cost pricing methodologies for qualifying facility (QF) resources. Rocky Mountain Power will now offer renewable resources of the same kind or type a renewable avoided cost rate based on the costs of a similar or a “like” renewable resource. [Read more…]
PacifiCorp Stranded Cost Filing Rejected by Washington UTC
October 16, 2017 By
On October 12, 2017, PacifiCorp’s stranded cost tariff was rejected by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (Washington Commission). PacifiCorp proposed a tariff that would broadly charge departing customers removal costs as well as impose a significant exit fee to recover its alleged stranded costs. The Washington Commission’s order agreed in principle that customers that leave the utility’s service should pay for both removal costs necessary for their disconnection and stranded costs, but rejected PacifiCorp’s specific tariff concluding that stranded costs should be calculated on a case-by-case basis. [Read more…]
Oregon PUC requires PGE to Offer 15 Year Fixed Price QF Contracts
July 17, 2017 By
On July 13, 2017, the Oregon Public Utility Commission (Oregon Commission) ordered PGE to begin allowing qualifying facilities (QF) the option to enter into power purchase agreements (PPA) with fifteen years of fixed prices. The order was consistent with the Oregon Commission’s previously articulated policy that Oregon utilities must offer PPAs with fixed-price periods of fifteen years. [Read more…]
Washington UTC Approves PSE-Microsoft Renewable Direct Access Contract
July 16, 2017 By
On July 13, 2017, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (Washington Commission) approved a special contract between Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and Microsoft that was supported by a broad coalition of renewable energy advocates, independent power producers, environmentalists, ratepayer and low-income advocates, and the Commission Staff. [Read more…]
