Electricity cooperatives are an oft-overlooked part of the U.S. utility landscape. While some of the nation's municipal utilities like Los Angeles Department of Water and Power have a higher profile, the role of 905 electric cooperatives, many of which serve rural member-customers, is well-known. However, both municipal utilities and co-ops could emerge as major purchasers of renewable energy under a series of rulings by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Last June FERC ruled that a rural electric cooperative could enter into a contract to purchase electricity from renewable energy plants under the 1978 Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), despite a pre-existing, binding supply contract. PURPA created market access for independent power producers by requiring investor-owned utilities to purchase power from these producers, including renewable energy generators, if it costs less than the utility is calculated to pay for wholesale power. ...Den vollständigen Artikel lesen ...