Early next year, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a pair of cases, which could overrule the Chevron doctrine and thereby end nearly forty years of judicial deference to federal administrative agencies’...more
On September 5, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (“Ninth Circuit”), in Solar Energy Industries Association v. FERC, held that the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act (“PURPA”) gives FERC broad discretion...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Sept. 5, 2023, issued a critical ruling upholding certain reforms the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued in 2020 to its regulations implementing the federal...more
In a win for independent power producers, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ("D.C. Circuit" or the "Court") recently affirmed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's ("FERC's") "send-out"...more
On October 25, 2022, FERC declined to act on a petition for enforcement against California’s rules for solar installations implemented pursuant to the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (“PURPA”). As a result, ongoing...more
FERC issued two notable orders this spring in Irradiant Partners, LP (Docket No. EL22-8-000) and Dalreed Solar (Docket No. QF20-1037-002) that provide further guidance on qualifying facility (QF) certifications. Here are the...more
In a unanimous decision issued this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit sided with rooftop solar owners in a dispute over the jurisdictional scheme established by the Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURPA)....more
U.S. pledges to slash solar energy costs by 60% in a decade - U.S. News & World Report – March 25 - The Biden administration on Thursday set a goal to cut the cost of solar energy by 60% over the next decade as part...more
On March 19, 2021, a divided Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the “Commission”) reverted to its long-standing “send out” analysis for determining the “power production capacity” of a small power production...more
On March 19, 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or “Commission”) issued an Order Addressing Arguments Raised on Rehearing and Setting Aside Prior Order in Broadview Solar, LLC, 174 FERC ¶ 61,199 (2021)...more
On March 19, 2021, FERC set aside a September 1, 2020 order (“September Order”) that had upended 40 years’ worth of FERC precedent regarding how to determine the 80MW threshold for small power production qualifying facilities...more
Hydrogen has over the last century enjoyed repeated bouts of interest as a fuel source. Though these have repeatedly fallen flat, hydrogen-based production has recently enjoyed a renaissance, due to a trifecta of improving...more
FERC proposes transmission rating reform and upholds PURPA order - Bullet Utility Dive – November 20 - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last Thursday upheld its order overhauling its implementation of...more
Comments for FERC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Fuel Cell Energy Output (“NOPR”) are due tomorrow, November 25, 2020. In the NOPR, FERC proposes to modify its regulations for qualifying facility (“QF”) status under the...more
Part One - As the 2020 election nears, the Democratic campaign has begun to talk policy specifics regarding energy and climate change. Although the Trump administration undertook to dismantle many Obama-era policies and...more
FERC REVISES ANALYSIS FOR CERTIFICATION OF QUALIFYING FACILITIES - On 1 September, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order (172 FERC ¶ 61,194) denying an application from Broadview Solar, LLC to...more
On August 24, 2020, the Montana Supreme Court ruled that the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) failed to properly justify changes it approved for the standard-offer rates and contracts for small renewable energy...more
California power shortfall forces sweeping review of grid reliability strategy - Bullet S&P Global – August 21 - In an August 19 letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, the heads of the California Public Utilities...more
On July 16, 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the Commission) overhauled its regulations under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA), which had been largely unchanged since 1980....more
On July 16, 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) adopted Order No. 872, its Final Rule comprehensively rewriting its regulations for implementing the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA)....more
On July 16, 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) issued a final rule that largely adopts FERC’s proposed revisions to its regulations under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (“PURPA”)....more
FERC finalizes PURPA rule reforms - Bullet Power Magazine – July 16 - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has finalized a long-awaited rule revising regulations that govern qualifying small power producers...more
On July 16, 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or “Commission”) issued Order No. 872 (“Order”), a final rule that significantly revised its rules implementing the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of...more
A petition filed in April by the New England Ratepayers Association (NERA) has requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) reassess its authority over retail solar sales, stating that the federal...more
Democratic lawmakers recently submitted a letter urging the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reject a petition for declaratory order filed by the New England Ratepayers Association (NERA) that could impact state-run...more