On January 7, 2016, the Utah Public Service Commission (the Utah Commission) issued an order rejecting PacifiCorp’s (dba Rocky Mountain Power) proposal to shorten the qualifying facility (QF) contract term from twenty to three years. The Commission instead lowered the contract term to fifteen years. The order is a victory for non-utility owned renewable energy generators in Utah. [Read more…]
Washington Commission Rejects PacifiCorp PURPA Change
November 16, 2015 By
On November 12, 2015, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (the Washington Commission) issued its final order in PacifiCorp’s Washington avoided cost case. The Washington Commission rejected the company’s proposal to eliminate capacity payments. The Washington Commission concluded that some sort of capacity payment was warranted because PacifiCorp’s projected market prices did not reasonably account for the company’s full avoided costs. [Read more…]
Idaho Commission Limits PURPA Contract Terms
August 25, 2015 By
On August 20, 2015, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (Idaho Commission) issued an order shortening the contract term for certain new and renewing qualifying facilities (QF) to two years. The decision is a major loss for wind and solar QFs, and all projects sized 10 megawatts (MW) and above. Non-wind and solar QFs under 10 MWs will remain eligible for long term contracts at published avoided cost rates. It is likely that the Idaho Commission’s order will significantly reduce the development of new wind and solar in Idaho, which was experiencing record growth. [Read more…]
FERC Sides with Oregon Wind Farm Against PGE
February 6, 2015 By
On January 22, 2015, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order that granted in part and dismissed in part a complaint filed by PáTu Wind Farm (PáTu) against Portland General Electric Company (PGE). FERC agreed with PaTu’s essential complaint that PGE may not refuse to accept PáTu’s net electric energy output that is delivered to PGE’s system. FERC also: 1) dismissed PáTu’s arguments that PGE violated FERC’s standards of conduct; and 2) concluded that PáTu should seek monetary reparations in court or before the Oregon Public Utility Commission (Oregon Commission) rather than FERC itself. [Read more…]
New Oregon Avoided Cost Rates and Contracts
December 18, 2014 By
The Oregon Public Utility Commission (Oregon Commission) has approved new standard contracts and rates for qualifying facilities (QFs) that sell their power to Portland General Electric Company (PGE), PacifiCorp, and Idaho Power Company (Idaho Power). These new rates and contracts are only available to QFs that have the right to sell power to utilities under the Oregon and federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) and that have a maximum output of 10 megawatts (MW) or lower. PGE’s new contracts and rates were approved on December 16, 2014, while PacifiCorp’s and Idaho Power’s were allowed to go into effect in August 2014. PGE’s and PacifiCorp’s avoided cost rates and contracts provide new options for eligible renewable energy QFs to sell their electricity to these utilities. [Read more…]
