,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #abcc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #f1       
#bjae,mr4 ,wyden introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to 
amend the ,public ,utility ,regulatory  
,policies ,act of #aigh to expand the   
electric rate-setting authority of      
,states4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act   
may be cited as the ,,purpa's           
,legislative ,upgrade to ,state         
,authority ,act or ,,purpa ,,plus ,act4 
#b4 ,findings ,congress finds that--    
7#a7 section #baj of the ,public        
,utility ,regulatory ,policies ,act of  
#aigh 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #hbd;a-#c7--  7,a7 
established a new class of nonutility   
generators known as qualifying          
cogeneration facilities and qualifying  
small power production facilities2 and  
7,b7 encouraged the development of      
alternate sources of energy with the    
requirement that utilities purchase     

energy offered by qualifying facilities2
  7#b7 since the date of enactment of   
that section1 materials and designs for 
qualifying facility technologies have   
advanced and placed renewable resources 
and cogeneration facilities within the  
reach of more consumers1 including      
technologies such as--  7,a7 solar      
photovoltaic panels2  7,b7 small wind   
turbines2  7,c7 storage technologies to 
support renewable energy2  7,d7 small   
hydroelectric generators on existing    
dams1 diversions1 and conduits2  7,e7   
hydrokinetic generators2  7,f7 gas      
microturbines2  7,g7 steam-cycle        
turbines2  7,h7 ,stirling engines2  7,i7
 fuel cells2 and  7,j7 biomass boilers2 
7#c7 ,states need additional regulatory 
flexibility and authority to be able to 
incentivize the qualifying facilities2  
and  7#d7 the avoided cost caps on      
qualifying facilities should be removed 
so that ,states can set the rates for   
qualifying facilities of not more than  
#b megawatts capacity4  #c4 ,state      

authority to incentivize qualifying     
facilities ,section #baj7;b7 of the     
,public ,utility ,regulatory ,policies  
,act of #aigh 7#af ,u4,s4,c4            
#hbd;a-#c7;b77 is amended in the last   
sentence by inserting before the period 
at the end the following3 1 except that 
the rule shall provide that a ,state    
regulatory authority or nonregulated    
electric utility1 acting under ,state   
authority1 may set rates that exceed the
 incremental cost of alternative        
electric energy for purchases from any  
qualifying cogeneration facility or     
qualifying small power production       
facility of not more than #b megawatts  
capacity4