The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or the “Commission”) issued an order on May 1, 2019 denying rehearing of its orders asserting concurrent jurisdiction with a bankruptcy court over wholesale power contracts. In January, prior to Pacific Gas & Electric (“PG&E”) filing for bankruptcy, NextEra Energy, Inc. and Exelon Corporation both filed complaints and petitions … Continue Reading
A North Carolina appeals court has reminded energy developers in the state of the importance of structuring a transaction so as not to trigger the state’s utility franchise laws. For one unfortunate developer, that reminder came in the form of disgorged revenues and potential monetary penalties. Earlier this month, on September 19, 2017, a North … Continue Reading
The Utah Public Service Commission (PSC) issued its decision today on PacifiCorp’s request to shorten the maximum term of power purchase agreements (PPAs) with qualifying facilities (QFs) from 20 years to three years. The PSC agreed to reduce the maximum term from 20 to 15 years, concluding: “We believe a 15-year term strikes the appropriate … Continue Reading
If you are drafting a liquidated damages clause that applies Texas law, a decision today by the Supreme Court of Texas might encourage you to hire an oracle. Because if you negotiate a liquidated damages provision in a "second-look" state without using the power of divination, you may be surprised when a once-reasonable estimate of damages becomes unenforceable because of subsequent changes in the market.… Continue Reading
The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) recently announced its Clean Solar Initiative Feed-In Tariff-II (FIT-II), a feed-in tariff program for solar projects between 100 kW and 2 MW in size and located in LIPA’s service territory. FIT-II is currently open for public comment, and will be effective only upon formal approval by the LIPA Board of … Continue Reading
In the wake of the extension of the production tax credit, my colleague Ed Einowski has analyzed a key challenge – the relative scarcity of available utility-scale power purchase agreement RFPs. Having a PUC-approved PPA in place is generally a prerequisite for securing financing for utility-scale wind projects. Here’s what he has to say: The … Continue Reading
Citing changes in market conditions, Southern California Edison (SCE) announced last week that it is beginning the process of reforming the standard Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) it uses for its California Renewable Energy Small Tariff (CREST) program. CREST is SCE’s feed-in tariff program for eligible renewable energy projects under 1.5 MW. The PPA for each … Continue Reading
On July 27, 2010, the Court of Appeals of Texas, Fifth District, Dallas, issued its decision in TXU Portfolio Management Company, L.P., v. FPL Energy, LLC, et al., 2010 Tex. App. Lexis 5905 (2010). The case arose when three FPL wind farms (the "Wind Farms") located in the McCamey area of West Texas experienced ERCOT-imposed … Continue Reading
From our colleague Michael O’Connell: On May 18, 2010, California and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to coordinate federal and state procedures and schedules for development of hydrokinetic projects off California’s coast. FERC previously entered MOUs for such coordination with Oregon, Washington and Maine. The California-FERC MOU provides … Continue Reading
On May 14, 2010, Salt Lake County, Utah will be releasing a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for a 1 MW solar project. If your company is interested in receiving the RFP as soon as it is released, you should register with BidSync (registration is free). About the Solar Project: It is anticipated that the initial … Continue Reading
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an important ruling clarifying how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) must apply the Mobile-Sierra doctrine. The Mobile-Sierra doctrine informs how FERC should evaluate whether a contract rate for energy is just and reasonable, and the doctrine provides that FERC’s sole concern should be whether the contract rates being challenged … Continue Reading
On October 12, 2009, the Public Service Commission of Utah ("PSC") joined the ranks of several other states in the west, including Oregon, when it established a docket to investigate whether, and the extent to which, certain third-party arrangements for renewable energy generation are subject to the PSC’s jurisdiction. www.psc.utah.gov/utilities/misc/miscindx/0999912indx.html, Pursuant to the notice, the PSC may … Continue Reading
SCE Solar PV Program: Back in June, the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) issued a decision authorizing Southern California Edison (“SCE”) to execute contracts for up to 250 MW of generation from solar PV facilities owned and operated by independent power producers through a competitive solicitation process. The CPUC decision required SCE to file an advice … Continue Reading
