Today was a big day for the solar power industry at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). In its monthly open meeting, FERC announced two decisions that significantly impact the industry — one involving PURPA and the other related to PJM’s Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR). First, FERC reversed its Broadview Solar decision issued in … Continue Reading
The US Treasury will soon be $205,000 richer due to the payment of a civil penalty by American Transmission Company (ATC) related to violations of sections 203 and 205 of the Federal Power Act. ATC’s compliance failure stems from 21 transactions for which it had failed to file for authorization under section 203 and 29 … Continue Reading
Ameren is dusting off a discriminatory method for interconnection customers to fund network upgrades in the Midcontinent ISO region, using two past victories in support of its campaign. But there are key differences between this dispute and those before it, and FERC should deny Ameren's latest attempt to breathe life into the Option 1 funding that met its fate years ago.… Continue Reading
In agreeing to dismiss an historic effort to enforce PURPA, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission left a lump of coal for Qualifying Facility wind developers in Idaho. The agreement represents an apparent policy change at FERC, as well as a complete win for the Idaho PUC.… Continue Reading
Interconnection customers: be on notice. Your interconnection agreement may not be just a transmission provider service agreement that allows your project to interconnect with the transmission system. It may also be a rate schedule–your rate schedule–that you must file with FERC or suffer the consequences for violating the Federal Power Act. At last … Continue Reading
Our firm today announced that Jon Wellinghoff, Chair of the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC), will join Stoel Rives LLP upon completion of his service at FERC. As many of our readers will recall, Jon submitted his resignation to the President on May 28, 2013. No date has been announced for his departure from FERC. For … Continue Reading
An update from Marcus Wood, Jennifer Martin & Jason Johns: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) regulations provide that, for purposes of calculating a qualifying facility’s net capacity, generating facilities are considered together as a single qualifying facility if they are located within one mile of each other, use the same energy resource, and are owned … Continue Reading
On January 31, 2012, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) conditionally accepted additional reforms to the California ISO’s Generator Interconnection Procedures (GIP) that significantly change the rules that apply to developers seeking to interconnect power generation facilities in the California ISO’s balancing authority area. The decision continues the California ISO’s efforts to reform the GIP … Continue Reading
A legal update from our colleagues Steve Hall, Dina Dubson and Jason Johns: On December 7, 2011, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued an order holding that the Bonneville Power Administration violated Section 211A of the Federal Power Act by curtailing wind energy under BPA’s Environmental Redispatch policy and requiring BPA to file a revised transmission … Continue Reading
FERC Clarifies Qualifying Facility Restrictions in Sale/Resale Transactions On May 19, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") issued an order in Idaho Wind Partners I, LLC, a docket in which wind farm owners in Idaho petitioned FERC for approval of a unique transaction that would both provide eligible Renewable Energy Credits ("RECs") to a utility … Continue Reading
Yesterday, December 16, 2010, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) conditionally approved a proposal by the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO) that significantly changes how large transmission upgrades are funded across the MISO region. MISO’s proposal creates a new category of transmission projects called Multi-Value Projects (MVPs) for upgrades that are determined to enable … Continue Reading
IN THIS EDITION: FERC opens a rulemaking on variable energy resources. FERC extends the comment deadline in the appeals by wind farms registered for transmission reliability functions. FERC denies a petition to protect priority to interconnection capacity rights. FERC Opens Rulemaking on Intra-Hour Scheduling, Forecasting Requirements, and Integration Services for Variable Energy Resources The Federal … Continue Reading
From our colleague Michael O’Connell: On May 18, 2010, California and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to coordinate federal and state procedures and schedules for development of hydrokinetic projects off California’s coast. FERC previously entered MOUs for such coordination with Oregon, Washington and Maine. The California-FERC MOU provides … Continue Reading
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) highlighted smart grid technologies in its strategic plan for fiscal years 2009-2014 (the “Strategic Plan”). FERC found that our nation could potentially reduce peak electricity demand by up to 20% through the deployment of new technologies, including smart grid and demand response technologies. In the Strategic Plan, FERC is … Continue Reading
