Written by Lynn Doan. This article first appeared in Bloomberg News.
Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc. waded into an intensifying debate on Monday over whether U.S. coal and nuclear power plants should be paid for their ability to supply around-the-clock power.
U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry laid out a plan last month to create special payments for plants capable of stockpiling 90 days’ worth of fuel at their sites. In a filing made with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Monday, Tesla urged the agency to dismiss Perry’s proposal, saying it “completely excludes the benefits of energy storage and distributed energy resources.”
Tesla urges regulators to dismiss proposal to aid nuclear, coal plants. Source: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The Palo Alto, California-based electric car and battery company said the commission should instead “reprioritize” its efforts to allow for more energy storage to compete in wholesale power markets. It criticized Perry’s plan for “pre-determining” the kinds of resources that should receive payments.