On December 19, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (“Sixth Circuit”), in Electric Power Supply Association; PJM Power Providers Group v. FERC, held that the former Chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”), Richard Glick, exceeded his authority when he reinstated market design features including a stepped demand curve and an $850/MWh price ceiling for the PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (“PJM”) Reserve Market, without the backing of his colleagues.  This ruling was made by a split Sixth Circuit.  In addition, on February 7, the Sixth Circuit denied Petitioners’ request for panel rehearing of the opinion.Continue Reading Sixth Circuit Finds that FERC Overstepped its Authority on Voluntary Remand of PJM Reserve Market Design Changes

On December 20, 2023, FERC approved the California Independent System Operator Corporation’s (“CAISO”) proposal to establish the Extended Day Ahead Market (“EDAM”), which allows external Balancing Authority Areas (“BAAs”) to participate in CAISO’s day-ahead market. FERC also approved CAISO’s Day Ahead Market Enhancements (“DAME”) proposal, which establishes two new day-ahead market products: Imbalance Reserves and Reliability Capacity. FERC approved the CAISO’s proposals but rejected the proposed EDAM access charge without prejudice. CAISO must submit a compliance filing addressing FERC’s conditions within sixty (60) days of the Order.Continue Reading FERC Conditionally Approves CAISO Market Expansion

On December 1, 2023, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (“Third Circuit”) upheld PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.’s (“PJM”) latest minimum offer price rule (the “Focused MOPR”), denying challenges to both the substance of the rule and FERC’s “constructive” approval of the rule, which went into effect after the Commissioners deadlocked two-to-two and failed to issue a timely order accepting or denying the Focused MOPR. The Third Circuit held that a court’s review of FERC’s “action,” whether actual or constructive, proceeds under the same deferential standards in the Federal Power Act (“FPA”) and the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”), and encompasses the Commissioners’ mandatory statements setting forth their reasoning for approving or denying the filing. On the merits, the Third Circuit held that FERC’s acceptance of PJM’s Focused MOPR policy was not arbitrary and capricious, pointing to arguments laid out in then-Chairman Glick’s and Commissioner Clements’ Joint Statement supporting the Focused MOPR.Continue Reading Third Circuit Upholds FERC’s Approval of PJM’s Focused MOPR

On October 13, 2023, PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (“PJM”) submitted two filings with FERC proposing revisions to its Open Access Transmission Tariff (“Tariff”) and its “Reliability Assurance Agreement” (“RAA”) designed to improve resource adequacy and grid reliability. PJM requested the Commission to accept both filings concurrently, with an effective date of December 12, 2023, so that PJM may implement the proposed reforms for the upcoming Base Residual Auction (“BRA”) associated with the 2025/2026 Delivery Year.Continue Reading PJM Files Capacity Market Overhaul for Resource Adequacy and Grid Reliability

On June 15, 2023, FERC issued Order No. 895, adopting new regulations permitting regional transmission organizations (“RTO”) and independent system operators (“ISO”) to share, amongst each other, credit-related information of their market participants, and requiring RTOs/ISOs to adopt tariff or similar rules for providing credit-related information sharing in order to better assess market participants’ credit risks.Continue Reading FERC Adopts Regulations to Permit Credit-Related Information Sharing

On June 13, 2023, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security held a hearing on the “Oversight of FERC: Adhering to a Mission of Affordable and Reliable Energy for America.” The hearing focused on reliability and the transition from fossil fuel generation to renewable resources.Continue Reading House Subcommittee Holds FERC Oversight Hearing on Improving Reliability Through Energy Expansion, Interregional Transmission, and Backing Renewables with Fossil Fuels

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 retirements, (3) severe weather, and (4) subsidies, climate policies, and market signals that encourage more intermittent resources to come online.Continue Reading FERC Commissioners Answer to Senate Committee on Fleet Transformation and Other Pressing Issues

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 discuss the current state of the PJM capacity market, potential improvements, and related proposals to address resource adequacy.Continue Reading FERC to Convene Forum on PJM Capacity Market

On November 18, 2022, FERC accepted a September 19, 2022 proposal from the California Independent System Operator (“CAISO”) to correct “excessively high” payments being made to electric storage resources that are forced to discharge to meet state of charge requirements when providing ancillary services. The proposal also aims to encourage those resources to reflect opportunity costs through their ancillary services bids rather than energy bids.Continue Reading FERC Accepts CAISO Proposal to Correct Payment Overcollections by Storage Resources

On October 20, 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) issued an Order rejecting a request by the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) seeking a rehearing of a Justification Order.  FERC’s Order declining rehearing comes after an October 7, 2020 filing where Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (“Tri-State”) filed its justification for spot market sales that exceeded the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (“WECC”) soft price cap of $1,000/MWh during the summer months of 2020.  On May 20, 2022, the Commission issued an order finding that Tri-State had sufficient justification for certain spot market sales above the soft price cap but had not justified amounts charged above the relevant index price.  Ultimately, the Commission rejected the CPUC’s rehearing request.Continue Reading FERC Affirms Use of Certain Price Indices for Justifying Prices above WECC Soft Price Cap