Montana case could set FERC precedent for paired storage treatment under PURPA

Utility Dive: A Montana utility case pending before federal regulators could set a precedent for how energy storage facilities paired with renewable generation will be treated under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), a 1978 law intended to increase competition in power generation.

This summer, Northwestern Energy asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to revoke qualifying facility (QF) status under PURPA for four wind-plus-battery facilities a developer is trying to site in its Montana service area. The federal law compels utilities to purchase power from QFs.

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