On June 18, 2020, FERC denied rehearing, but granted partial clarification, of a 2019 order addressing certain market power mitigation reforms proposed by the California Independent System Operator Corporation (“CAISO”). In particular, FERC again rejected CAISO’s “Net Export Limit” proposal to enhance local market power mitigation in the western energy imbalance market (“EIM”). As FERC reiterated in its order, the Net Export Limit proposal could allow EIM resource owners to limit dispatch during periods of market power mitigation, resulting in unjust and unreasonable market outcomes. Continue Reading FERC Denies CAISO’s Rehearing Request, and Grants Limited Clarification, Regarding CAISO’s EIM Net Export Limit Proposal

On July 1, 2020, FERC’s new rules for physical filings became effective.  The rules require that all physical filings and submissions delivered to FERC other than those sent via the U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”), be sent to an off-site security screening facility (see September 17, 2019 edition of the WER). Continue Reading FERC’s New Rules for Physical Filings Become Effective

On June 30, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (“D.C. Circuit”), sitting en banc, upset FERC’s long-used practice of granting itself more time to consider requests for rehearing of its orders by issuing “tolling orders.” FERC’s prior use of tolling orders prevented parties from seeking judicial review of a Commission order, but did not stay the effect of that order. The crux of the court’s decision is that the Natural Gas Act (“NGA”) gives FERC four express options to address a request for rehearing, all of which must be taken within thirty days, but deciding only to grant itself more time is not one of those options. The decision marks a sea change in FERC procedure, and raises a host of questions for pending and future proceedings under both the NGA and its companion statute, the Federal Power Act (“FPA”).

On July 2, 2020, FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee and Commissioner Richard Glick issued a joint statement requesting that Congress pass legislation “providing FERC with a reasonable amount of additional time to act on rehearing requests involving orders under both the Natural Gas Act and the Federal Power Act.”  The statement goes on to say that “any such legislation should make clear that, while rehearing requests are pending, the Commission should be prohibited from issuing a notice to proceed with construction and no entity should be able to begin eminent domain proceedings involving the projects addressed in the orders subject to those rehearing requests.”

Continue Reading In Significant Order on FERC Procedure, <em>En Banc</em> D.C. Circuit Rejects FERC’s Use of Tolling Orders under the Natural Gas Act, Raising Significant Implementation Questions for All Pending and Future Proceedings

On June 18, 2020, FERC denied a complaint by Anbaric Development Partners, L.L.C. (“Anbaric”) against PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (“PJM”) alleging that PJM’s transmission interconnection procedures denied meaningful open access interconnection service to Anbaric’s proposed offshore transmission projects (see December 11, 2019 edition of the WER). FERC’s June 18 order concluded that Anbaric failed to demonstrate that PJM’s transmission interconnection procedures are unjust and unreasonable, or that the requirements for merchant transmission projects are either inconsistent with open access transmission service or unreasonably limit transmission expansion. FERC also highlighted its upcoming technical conference to discuss offshore wind integration in organized markets (see June 24, 2020 edition of the WER). Commissioner Bernard McNamee issued a separate concurring statement in which he highlighted his support for the technical conference. Continue Reading FERC Denies Complaint Against PJM Over Denial of Interconnection Service to Transmission Projects Seeking to Connect Offshore Wind

On June 22, 2020, FERC issued a declaratory order confirming its view that it shares jurisdiction with the United States Bankruptcy Court (“Bankruptcy Court”) over transportation agreements between ETC Tiger Pipeline, LLC (“ETC Tiger”) and Chesapeake Energy Marketing L.L.C. (“Chesapeake”). As a result, aside from obtaining approval from the Bankruptcy Court to reject its contracts with ETC Tiger, Chesapeake must seek a determination from FERC as to whether a filed rate may be modified or abrogated under the Natural Gas Act (“NGA”). Continue Reading FERC Asserts Concurrent Jurisdiction with Bankruptcy Court over Natural Gas Transportation Service Agreements

On June 18, 2020, FERC issued an order finding that PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (“PJM”) has been inconsistently implementing Order No. 1000’s immediate need reliability project exemption and directed PJM to implement certain aspects of the exemption more fully and transparently. Concurrently, in separate orders, FERC concluded there was insufficient evidence to find that either Southwest Power Pool, Inc.’s (“SPP”) or ISO New England Inc.’s (“ISO-NE”) implementation of the immediate need reliability project exemption was unjust, unreasonable, or unduly discriminatory or preferential. Continue Reading FERC Finds PJM Not In Compliance With Order No. 1000 Immediate Need Reliability Project Exemption

On June 18, 2020, FERC issued a Notice of Inquiry (“NOI”) requesting comment on whether the currently-effective Critical Infrastructure Protection (“CIP”) Reliability Standards adequately address: (i) cybersecurity risks pertaining to data security; (ii) detection of anomalies and events; and (iii) mitigation of cyber security events. FERC also seeks comment on the potential risk of a coordinated cyberattack on geographically distributed targets and whether Commission action, including potential modifications to the CIP Reliability Standards, would be appropriate to address such risk. In addition, FERC staff issued a White Paper seeking comment on a potential new framework for providing transmission incentives to utilities for their cybersecurity investments. Continue Reading FERC Seeks Comment on Potential Enhancements to CIP Reliability Standards and Potential Transmission Incentives Framework for Cybersecurity Investments

On June 17, 2020, FERC issued two notices of upcoming technical conferences. First, a Commissioner-led technical conference is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30, 2020 to discuss considerations related to state adoption of mechanisms to price carbon dioxide emissions, commonly referred to as “carbon pricing,” in regions with FERC-jurisdictional organized wholesale electricity markets. Second, a staff-led technical conference will be held on October 27, 2020 to: (i) discuss whether existing transmission, interconnection, and merchant transmission facility frameworks in Regional Transmission Organizations/Independent System Operators (“RTOs/ISOs”) can accommodate anticipated growth in offshore wind generation in a manner that safeguards open access transmission principles; and (ii) consider possible changes or improvements to the current framework should they be needed to accommodate such growth. Continue Reading FERC to Convene Technical Conferences on Carbon Pricing and Offshore Wind Integration

On June 18, 2020, FERC issued an order directing New Fortress Energy LLC (“New Fortress Energy”) to show cause, within 30 days, why the liquified natural gas (“LNG”) handling facilities it constructed adjacent to the San Juan Combined Cycle Power Plant in San Juan, Puerto Rico, are not subject to FERC’s jurisdiction under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (“NGA”).

Continue Reading New Fortress Energy Directed to Show Cause Why Its LNG Facility is Not Subject to FERC Jurisdiction

On May 29, 2020, Shell Energy North America (US), L.P. (“Shell”) filed a petition asking FERC to interpret PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.’s (“PJM’s”) Tariff provisions regarding bilateral transfers of Financial Transmission Rights (“FTRs”). Shell’s petition stems from a pending breach of contract claim brought by GreenHat Energy, LLC (“GreenHat”) against Shell in Texas. Shell’s petition asks FERC to assert primary jurisdiction over GreenHat’s contract claim to allow Shell to seek dismissal of GreenHat’s suit. Continue Reading Shell Seeks FERC Interpretation of PJM Tariff to Assist on Texas Breach of Contract Claim