Posts from — May 2010

On May 20, 2010, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or the “Commission”) issued an order initiating a Section 206 Proceeding to investigate the price cap in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (“WECC”) outside of the California Independent System Operator Corporation (“CAISO”).  FERC’s inquiry is aimed at eliminating market distortions that might result from a difference in bid caps in CAISO markets and the spot market price cap in the rest of the WECC. [Read more →]

On May 20, 2010, FERC revised the contract reporting requirements for both intrastate natural gas pipelines providing service under Section 311 under the Natural Policy Act and Hinshaw pipelines operating under Section 1(c) of the Natural Gas Act (“NGA”), effective April 1, 2011.  The new rule increases the frequency of reporting, covers more transactions, establishes a new form to be used for reporting, and considers all of the filings to be public information.  [Read more →]

On May 18, 2010, the CAISO Board of Governors approved a revised transmission planning process in an attempt to provide transmission necessary to accommodate additional renewable generation.  The CAISO Board also approved new reliability rules for renewable energy resources.  [Read more →]

On May 18, 2010, the U.S. Senate approved by voice vote an amendment to the financial reform bill (S. 3217, the “Restoring America’s Financial Stability Act”), which would attempt to resolve the ongoing jurisdictional debate between FERC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). [Read more →]

On May 20, 2010, the FERC granted in part, and denied in part, Southern LNG Inc.’s (“Southern LNG”) petition for a declaratory order that the Commission would not regulate certain sale and lease activities if Southern LNG decided to reactivate the truck loading facilities at its liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) terminal at Elba Island, Georgia.  [Read more →]