Commercial, Industrial, Regulation, Sourcing Renewables  -  February 8, 2017

Wal-Mart among corporate supporters of Missouri bill to allow power purchase agreements

Seven large corporate energy buyers including Procter & Gamble, General Motors and Wal-Mart are hoping the third time is the charm for a Missouri bill that aims to allow such entities to enter into power purchase agreements from parties other than their utility. 

Midwest Energy News reported Feb. 7 that while this is the third year in which the legislation is being proposed, corporate support for its passage has never been higher. The publication quoted P.J. Wilson, director of Renew Missouri, which is supporting the bill, as saying PPAs are becoming more and more necessary due to increased corporate demand for renewable energy. 

"There are a whole lot of companies that would be interested in Missouri if not for the inability to get renewable energy" here, Midwest Energy News quoted Wilson as saying. 

Thus far, Procter & Gamble, General Motors, Wal-Mart, Unilever, General Mills, Target and Nestle have signed a letter supporting the PPA bill during this legislative session, and the Missouri Energy Consumers Group, an alliance of large electricity customers, is also supporting it, according to the publication.

Wilson told Midwest Energy News he expects more companies will sign onto the letter, which is currently circulating among state legislators. The bill has not yet been assigned to a committee. 

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