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FERC Rulings in Iowa Cases Have National Ramification for Small Wind Systems
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued two rulings in November that support the net metering provisions of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA). The rulings have national implications because they clearly establish small wind systems as qualifying facilities under PURPA. The first ruling rejected a waiver by the Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) in Cedar Rapids for a waiver from PURPA's net metering requirements for qualifying facilities.
The second ruling forces a CIPCO member to offer net metering to a farming family in Dana. This case involves the Midland Power Cooperative in Jefferson, which had disconnected service to the Swecker farm after failing to come to agreement on the rules and charges for interconnecting a 65-kW wind system to the grid in 1998. For background on the ruling, see the December 9 issue of a newsletter published by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council titled Connecting to the Grid.
Source: December 12 issue of Wind Energy Weekly.
