Power Purchase Agreement

Learn what a power purchase agreement is, how it works, and why PPAs are central to modern renewable energy projects.

What is a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)? The strange little contract behind big energy projects

Illustration of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) connecting solar and wind energy projects with an electricity buyer through a glowing contract bridge.

A power purchase agreement, or PPA, is one of the most important contracts in modern energy — and one of the least understood. It is how solar farms get financed, how companies lock in electricity prices, and how power gets sold before it is even generated. Here is what a PPA is, how it works, and why it matters more than most people realize.