FERC Makes Surprise Changes to PURPA, Overturning Precedent and Undermining Competition

WASHINGTON, D.C. – SEIA filed a Request for Rehearing today of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Broadview Solar decision, which changes the way power production capability is measured for solar Qualifying Facilities under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA).

Following is a statement from Katherine Gensler, vice president of regulatory affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association:

“This FERC ruling is problematic in many ways. From a process standpoint, FERC has inappropriately adopted a major policy change in a little-followed case a mere six weeks after FERC published a Final Rule on PURPA Implementation. In doing this, FERC once again has sided with big power industry interests and neglected its duty to promote the development of Qualifying Facilities under PURPA. During the four years the PURPA Implementation docket was open, neither FERC nor stakeholders made any proposals to change from an AC to DC methodology for solar QFs. 

“FERC’s decision to base capacity on the DC rating of modules, rather than the AC rating of the inverters inappropriately overturned long-established Commission precedent.

“This decision reeks of a concerted effort to slam policy through while no one was looking. FERC launched this surprise on the entire stakeholder community, and the decision threatens to upend the status of hundreds of solar projects already delivering clean electricity to the grid.”

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About SEIA®: 

The Solar Energy Industries Association® (SEIA) is leading the transformation to a clean energy economy, creating the framework for solar to achieve 20% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030. SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies and other strategic partners to fight for policies that create jobs in every community and shape fair market rules that promote competition and the growth of reliable, low-cost solar power. Founded in 1974, SEIA is a national trade association building a comprehensive vision for the Solar+ Decade through research, education and advocacy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org.

Media Contact: 

Morgan Lyons, SEIA’s Senior Communications Manager, mlyons@seia.org (202) 556-2872