On August 5, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (“Eighth Circuit”) denied Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc.’s (“AECI”) petition for review of a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”)...more
On July 19, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (“D.C. Circuit”) issued an Order denying Tenaska Clear Creek Wind, LLC’s (“Clear Creek”) challenges to FERC’s orders allowing the...more
On June 27, 2024, FERC accepted Midcontinent Independent System Operator Inc.’s (“MISO”) proposed tariff revisions that sought to implement a downward-sloping Reliability Based Demand Curve (“RBDC”) in the MISO Planning...more
On June 27, 2024, FERC issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (“ANOPR”) regarding potential reforms to require transmission providers to use dynamic line ratings (“DLRs”) to encourage more accurate and transparent...more
At its May 23, 2024 open meeting, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NOPR”) proposing to establish a one-year “reasonable period of time” for certifying authorities to...more
6/11/2024
/ Clean Water Act ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
FERC ,
Final Rules ,
Hydropower ,
Infrastructure ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Proposed Rules ,
Section 401 ,
Water ,
Water Quality
At its May 23 open meeting, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR), proposing to establish a one-year “reasonable period of time” for certifying authorities to act on...more
6/5/2024
/ Clean Water Act ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
FERC ,
Final Rules ,
Hydropower ,
Infrastructure ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Proposed Rules ,
Section 401 ,
Water ,
Water Quality
On May 13, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) released its Order No. 1920 (Final Rule) to reform its policies regarding Regional Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation.1 The Final Rule follows...more
5/23/2024
/ Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) ,
Cost Allocation ,
FERC ,
Final Rules ,
Infrastructure ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Oil & Gas ,
Right of First Refusal ,
Transmission Grid ,
Transmission Lines ,
Transmission Planning
On April 25, 2024, FERC approved the California Independent System Operator Corporation’s (“CAISO”) request to increase its capacity procurement mechanism (“CPM”) soft cap offer from $6.31/kW-month to $7.32, which will become...more
On March 12, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld a prospective rule change to PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.’s (“PJM”) annual capacity auction but struck down attempts by PJM and FERC to apply the rule...more
On March 21, 2024, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing to consider President Biden’s three recent nominations to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or “Commission”): (1) David...more
4/8/2024
/ Administrative Agencies ,
Administrative Appointments ,
Biden Administration ,
Climate Change ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Assessments ,
FERC ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Infrastructure ,
Natural Gas ,
Natural Gas Act ,
NEPA ,
Nominations ,
Oil & Gas ,
Senate Committees
The Endangered Species Act regulations have become a political hot potato, with regulatory revisions occurring each time there is a change in administration. On March 28, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the...more
4/5/2024
/ Critical Habitat ,
Endangered Species ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Final Rules ,
National Marine Fisheries Service ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Section 7 ,
US Fish and Wildlife Service
At the February 15, 2024, FERC open meeting and in four orders issued the same day, FERC established a new policy governing its issuance of preliminary permits under section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act (“FPA”), pursuant to...more
On December 19, 2023, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) Grid Deployment Office released final guidance on how it will designate National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (“NIETC”) pursuant to Section 216(a) of the...more
On November 30, 2023, the Commission denied a waiver request and a request for remedial relief from Ridgeview Solar LLC (“Ridgeview Solar”). Ridgeview Solar had sought a waiver or remedial relief from the procedural deadline...more
12/29/2023
/ Energy Market ,
FERC ,
Infrastructure ,
Interconnections ,
PJM ,
Posting Requirements ,
Remedial Actions ,
Service Agreements ,
Solar Energy ,
Tariffs ,
Waivers
On November 17, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia Circuit (“D.C. Circuit”) denied petitions challenging FERC’s approval of recent changes to the PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.’s (“PJM”) Open Access...more
On November 16, 2023, FERC staff issued the 2023-2024 Winter Energy Market and Electric Reliability Assessment report, projecting trends and identifying considerations for energy markets and electric reliability for the...more
On October 30, 2023, FERC accepted the California Independent System Operator Corporation’s (“CAISO”) revisions to its wheeling tariff provisions. The revised provisions allow external load serving entities to obtain, in...more
On October 19, 2023, FERC issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (“NOPR”) proposing various changes to its Electric Quarterly Report (“EQR”) filing requirements. According to FERC, the proposed changes are designed to update...more
On September 5, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (“Ninth Circuit”), in Solar Energy Industries Association v. FERC, held that the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act (“PURPA”) gives FERC broad discretion...more
On July 28, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the Commission) issued Order No. 2023 (Order No. 2023 or Final Rule), which updates the procedures for interconnecting large generating facilities (20MW and above)...more
8/4/2023
/ Electric Generation Suppliers ,
Energy Market ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Reform ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
FERC ,
Final Rules ,
Infrastructure ,
Interconnections ,
ISO/RTO ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
Renewable Energy ,
SGIP
On May 26, 2023, the Commission accepted Southwest Power Pool, Inc.’s (“SPP”) proposed revisions to its Open Access Transmission Tariff (“Tariff”) to establish the “framework under which an electric storage resource may be...more
On March 3, 2023, the House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Energy, Climate Change, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) sent a letter to Acting FERC Chairman Willie...more
On May 4, 2023, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hosted all four FERC Commissioners for an oversight hearing to focus on reliability in the face of (1) cyber-attacks, (2) coal and natural gas plant...more
On April 19, 2023, FERC announced it would hold a forum to discuss the PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (“PJM”) capacity market. The Commissioner-led forum is scheduled for Thursday, June 15, 2023. There will be three panels to...more
On March 16, 2023, FERC granted a petition declaring that, should it issue orders pursuant to Sections 210 and 211 of the Federal Power Act (“FPA”), which would be required for a prospective project to interconnect Puerto...more