Open Access#HowToPPA: An Examination of the Regulatory and Commercial Challenges and Opportunities Arising in the Context of Private Power Purchase Agreements for Renewable Energy
Author(s) -
Simon D. Baines,
Shaun Wrubell,
Jessica Kennedy,
Courtney Bohn,
Cassie Richards
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
alberta law review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1925-8356
pISSN - 0002-4821
DOI - 10.29173/alr2580
Subject(s) - renewable energy , procurement , context (archaeology) , government (linguistics) , business , government procurement , power (physics) , environmental economics , industrial organization , economics , marketing , engineering , electrical engineering , quantum mechanics , biology , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy , physics
In recent years, private companies in the United States have increasingly entered into power purchase agreements (PPAs) to procure renewable power from project developers. However, despite favourable market and regulatory regimes for the use of PPAs in Alberta, renewable energy procurement has largely remained the purview of government.
To facilitate the increased use of private PPAs in Canada, this article seeks to provide potential renewable energy project developers and customers with a better understanding of how these agreements operate. The authors “demystify” PPAs by reviewing the regulatory structures for PPAs in Alberta, analyzing the factors that might motivate parties to enter into a PPA, and discussing the key contractual terms common to most PPAs.