Utilities Push Back as Old Law Triggers New Fight Against Solar
- Utilities from Idaho to North Carolina push back against Purpa
- Purpa forces utilities to buy clean power if it’s cheap enough
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A federal law dating to 1978 has opened up a new front in the solar wars.
The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, or Purpa, was enacted after the OPEC oil embargo to help bring new participants into the U.S. power industry. It forces utilities to buy electricity from companies that can beat the utility on the cost of new plants. The goal then: Boost the emerging natural gas industry as a viable option to fuel oil and coal.