Microsoft, Walmart, Best Buy, IKEA, Staples and 13 other companies have asked the Virginia State Corporation Commission to create “an explicit legal framework” for expanding access to renewable energy from utilities and third party suppliers, according to Virginia.com.
The request came in a letter that was a public comment on a request by Appalachian Power for “a voluntary, 100 percent renewable energy rider” that is before the commission. The story says that the companies see the request as an attempt to tamp down competition from third parties.
The story says that rules and laws around power purchase agreements with third parties are fuzzy. It says that the trade group maintains that Appalachian wants to engineer a situation in which the total amount of renewable power in the state does not increase:
The trade association partly opposes the rider because APCO is relying on existing wind and hydroelectric power in its portfolio, all from other states, to meet the renewable requirements rather than building new renewable generating capacity.
The letter was filed last week.