Section 210 of PURPA and solar-thermal-energy development: the current regulatory environment and suggestions for future action. Task III report

Technical Report · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6394723

Section 210 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) (16 U.S.C. Section 824a-3) (Attachment 1) was enacted to overcome certain institutional barriers and to provide a favorable, non-discriminatory regulatory environment for the integration of electricity-producing solar thermal and other qualifying technologies into the electric utility network. PURPA Section 210 is designed to reduce these institutional barriers for qualifying cogeneration and small power production facilities (QF's) - terminology which includes solar thermal facilities producing electricity for sale, if other prerequisites are met - by exempting certain QF's from economically burdensome legal requirements applicable to electric utilities, and by requiring utilities to offer to purchase electricity from, and sell electricity to, QF's at reasonable and non-discriminatory rates. The present and future PURPA Section 210 regulatory implications for solar thermal QF's are explored. The current PURPA Section 210 regulatory environment and its consequences for solar thermal energy development are outlined. Legislation pending before Congress to amend PURPA Section 210 is described. Possible amendments to PURPA Section 210 that might further stimulate construction and operation of economically sound solar thermal facilities are explored.

• Research Organization: Nossaman-Krueger and Knox, Washington, DC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-82AL19929
• OSTI ID: 6394723
• Report Number(s): DOE/AL/19929-T7; ON: DE83006992
• Resource Relation: Other Information: 2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATORY POLICIES ACT
RECOMMENDATIONS
LEGISLATION
OPERATION
REGULATIONS
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS
LAWS
NATIONAL ENERGY ACT
POWER PLANTS
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
140700* - Solar Thermal Power Systems
293000 - Energy Planning & Policy- Policy
Legislation
& Regulation