Retooling Energy Regulations: Who Decides?

On July 16, 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) revised its regulations governing qualifying small power producers and cogenerators under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA). PURPA was designed to reduce demand for traditional fossil fuels by encouraging the development of these small power producers and cogenerators. Yet, as regulation-mandated PURPA contracts expanded, many utilities (and ultimately, ratepayers) became saddled with expensive power contracts that over-charged for energy and were unnecessary. The new rule provides some added flexibility to state regulators and makes other changes designed to modernize PURPA. Join Anthony T. Clark, Senior Advisor at Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP and a former FERC Commissioner, and Travis Kavulla, Vice President for Regulatory Affairs at NRG Energy and former commissioner at the Montana Public Service Commission, to discuss the new PURPA rule and its potential implications for the energy market.Featuring: -- Anthony T. Clark, Senior Advisor at Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP and former FERC Commissioner-- Travis Kavulla, Vice President for Regulatory Affairs at NRG Energy and former commissioner at the Montana Public Service Commission-- Moderator: Adam Griffin, Constitutional Law Fellow, Institute for Justice