Analysis of PURPA and Solar Energy

Technical Report · Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5381164· OSTI ID:5381164

The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) is designed to promote energy conservation, the efficient use of utility resources, and equitable rates. PURPA specifically directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to encourage small power production from renewable resources (and also cogeneration of electric energy as well as heat) by setting standards under which facilities qualify for interconnection, and guidelines for sales between utilities and independent facilities. The way FERC carries out this mandate may critically affect the development of solar alternatives to electric power production from fossil and nuclear resources. This report comments on proposed FERC regulations and suggests ways to encourage small power production within the PURPA mandate. In addition, some internal strains within PURPA are analyzed that seem to limit the effectiveness with which FERC can encourage independent facilities, and possible modifications to PURPA are suggested. 255 references.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 5381164
• Report Number(s): SERI/TR-434-484
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
CO-GENERATION
REGULATIONS
INTERCONNECTED POWER SYSTEMS
PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATORY POLICIES ACT
SOLAR ENERGY
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
LEGAL ASPECTS
LOAD MANAGEMENT
MODIFICATIONS
PRICES
PUBLIC UTILITIES
RATE STRUCTURE
RELIABILITY
SELLBACK
SIZE
TIME-OF-USE PRICING
DEUS
ENERGY
ENERGY SOURCES
LAWS
MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL ENERGY ACT
POWER GENERATION
POWER SYSTEMS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
STEAM GENERATION
policy and economy
co-generation
regulations
interconnected power systems
public utility regulatory policies act
solar energy
economics
electric utilities
legal aspects
load management
modifications
prices
public utilities
rate structure
reliability
sellback
size
time-of-use pricing
deus
energy
energy sources
laws
management
national energy act
power generation
140400* - Solar Energy- Environmental Aspects
299001 - Energy Planning & Policy- Solar- (1989-)