The Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has approved an amended power purchase agreement (PPA) that gives a solar developer more time to complete its project.
The amended sales agreement proposed by Idaho Power Co. and Grand View Solar One establishes an operating date of Jan. 12, 2013. The project, located 16 miles west of Mountain Home, Idaho, is expected to generate up to 10 average MW.
Idaho Power claimed the scheduled online date was Jan. 30, 2011. Grand View Solar One claimed it had a "rolling" scheduled operation date for which a deadline had not expired.
Under terms of the new agreement, Grand View Solar One has posted an $810,000 security for Idaho Power in case the project is not operating by Jan. 12, 2013. The developer also paid $475,000 in a construction deposit. However, the agreement states that if Idaho Power is the cause of any delays, the operation date can be extended to accommodate those delays without penalty to the developer.
PUC staff stated it is inappropriate to allow any qualifying facility under provisions of the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act to have a rolling scheduled operation date under which the project "can, in effect, unilaterally dictate when it wishes to come online."
