The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) on Wednesday gave notice of two technical conferences for the Fall of 2020 addressing cutting-edge issues related to the growth of renewable energy in the nation’s wholesale power markets. First, FERC announced a Commissioner-led technical conference to address carbon pricing in organized wholesale electricity markets. FERC will convene the conference to discuss industry considerations related to “state adoption of mechanisms to price carbon dioxide emissions” in regions with organized wholesale electricity markets that fall within FERC’s jurisdiction. The conference was made in response to a request made by a broad range of power generators, industry groups and think tanks asking FERC to hold a technical conference on this important and cutting-edge topic.

Second, FERC announced a staff-led technical conference regarding offshore wind integration in RTOs/ISOs. The conference will “discuss whether existing [FERC] transmission, interconnection, and merchant transmission facility frameworks in RTOs/ISOs can accommodate anticipated growth in offshore wind generation in an efficient and effective manner that safeguards open access transmission principles. The conference will also consider possible changes or improvements to the current framework should such changes or improvements be needed to accommodate such growth.

The technical conference on carbon pricing will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, from approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST at FERC's Washington D.C. headquarters or virtually, while the technical conference on offshore wind integration will take place Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020 from approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST at FERC's Washington D.C. headquarters or virtually. Both technical conferences will be open to the public.