September 17, 2020
FERC adopts big utilities’ narrative in PURPA ruling
According to Jason Burwen, vice president of policy at the Energy Storage Association (ESA), the switch from using net output to using aggregate capacity for QF eligibility limits certain solar plus storage configurations. As a result, some solar plus storage configurations might trend smaller or reduce the use of storage, if they seek QF status.
“This is not an optimal outcome for the grid,” Burwen added. “We should be encouraging more storage, not less, and taking advantage of available interconnection capacity.”
That said, the ESA does not see this order as significantly slowing the installation of solar plus storage. “Not only is solar plus storage still eligible for QF status at smaller project sizes, but more solar plus storage is being installed without seeking QF eligibility. Since standalone storage has grown and been deployed profitably without securing QF status to date, we see this mostly as a lost opportunity for additional growth,” Burwen said.
For its part, the Energy Storage Association plans to work with FERC to achieve clarity on the eligibility of storage as a QF, including when paired with solar.
