U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, joined two other lawmakers on Monday in asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to examine the implementation of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA).
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), chairman of the Energy and Power Subcommittee, also called for FERC to convene a technical conference to take a comprehensive look at PURPA.
“Electricity markets, generation technologies and investments in the electric grid have changed substantially since PURPA was enacted nearly 40 years ago as part of President Carter’s energy plan,” the trio said in a letter to FERC. “Since then, competitive electricity markets and open access policies have emerged and matured, expanding the markets for new-generation sources, particularly renewable-energy resources.”