(SEIA, 25 July 2018)

Representative Peter Welch (Democrat-Vermont) and Representative Ralph Norman (Republican – South Carolina) have introduced legislation, H.R. 6538, that will allow the General Services Administration (GSA) – an independent federal agency which oversees the “basic functioning” of the federal government such as procurement- to enter into 30 year renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPAs). Currently, only the U.S. military may enter into PPAs that last longer than 10 years. SEIA, the Solar Energy Industries Association, has expressed support for such a legislative measure and its President and CEO, Abigail Ross Hopper, stated that “this bill will help save taxpayer dollars by allowing all federal agencies to take advantage of the significant cost savings currently enjoyed by the U.S. military through the use of long-term PPAs.”

Further information on this bill can be found here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/6538