Republican lawmakers ask FERC to rethink PURPA
By Robert Walton, Utility Dive.
- Three Republican lawmakers have sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), asking the agency to schedule a technical conference to examine the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) of 1978 and to consider changes based on changes in the market in the last 40 years, Bloomberg reports.
- U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and U.S. Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Ed Whitfield (R-KY) are the legislators calling for changes to PURPA, which mandates utilities purchase energy from small renewable sources.
- The lawmakers say the rule is no longer necessary after decades of market evolution and advancements in renewable energy, and could be costing consumers billions of dollars.