Clifford S. Sikora

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On March 5, 2020, the United States Senate approved a motion to proceed on the American Energy Innovation Act (“AEIA”), S. 2657, after a cloture vote was called on the motion by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in order to move the bill to the Senate floor. However, on March 9, 2020, at least two measures to limit debate on the bill itself were rejected—opening the door for numerous floor amendments, including legislative language to limit greenhouse gas emissions that is projected to be offered by Senate Democrats.

The AEIA is a compendium of energy-related statutory provisions which was released in an omnibus, bipartisan legislative package on February 27, 2020 by Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Ranking Member Senator Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.). Senators Murkowski and Manchin offered a substitute amendment featuring the full text of the AEIA (Amendment 1407) after the motion to proceed was voted-out affirmatively, and they are acting as floor managers for the bill.

Among other things, the bill focuses on advancements and development of energy storage and hydropower resources. In particular, as described in greater detail below, the bill directs FERC to initiate a rulemaking on cost recovery for energy storage assets and extends authorization for certain incentives to develop generation at non-powered or already-powered dams. The Committee held approximately 12 months of hearings on many of the proposed legislation’s components. If enacted, the bill would constitute the first major piece of national energy legislation since the Energy Policy Act of 2005, after a twelve-year hiatus in significant congressional activity.
Continue Reading Bipartisan American Energy Innovation Act Being Considered on Floor of U.S. Senate

On January 31, 2020, FERC filed its brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (“D.C. Circuit”) responding to consolidated petitions challenging Order No. 841. Order No. 841—the agency’s 2018 rulemaking that established a regulatory framework for Electric Storage Resources (“ESRs”) including grid-level batteries—is widely hailed as the legal lynchpin for the very recent, significant penetration by ESRs into the U.S. electricity resource mix. Accordingly, the D.C. Circuit proceeding has been closely watched by industry stakeholders as the petitioners seek to vacate important parts of the rule facilitating ESR participation in wholesale markets.

Petitions for review were filed in July 2019 by: (1) the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (“NARUC” or “State Commissions”); and (2) jointly by the American Public Power Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Edison Electric Institute, and American Municipal Power, Inc. (“Utility Petitioners”). The Transmission Access Policy Study Group also filed a brief as intervenor in support of petitioners.
Continue Reading Battle Lines Drawn in D.C. Circuit Appeals of FERC Order No. 841

At a time of significant industry transformation driven by technological change and spurred on by environmental policy concerns, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or “Commission”) has now added a significant layer to the stack of policy debates – the future of transmission investment.  Many states have seized the initiative in terms of establishing preferable resource mixes for in-state customers, and are spearheading significant pushes for greater renewable and storage resource deployment.  FERC has now joined the fray by opening up the policy debate anew regarding how to spur (or whether to spur) additional transmission sector investment.  The FERC order described below focuses on regulatory and market rules impacting transmission investment (Docket No. PL19-3-000).  The agency also opened a companion docket requesting comments on the details of its policies regarding establishment of a public utility transmission owner’s stated return on equity (“ROE”) (Docket No. PL19-4-000).  The Washington Energy Report will provide detailed summaries of these orders via our blog.  FERC’s mention here of “an increased emphasis on the reliability of transmission infrastructure” (emphasis added) could signal an attempt to re-focus the U.S. Department of Energy’s resiliency concerns to an arena that gives FERC home-field advantage.  Lest the states forget, FERC controls the price of admission for a ticket to the interstate transmission network, and this open-ended fact-finding effort bears a high likelihood of impacting the price of such tickets (for a large portion of the continental United States).
Continue Reading Summary & Insight: Federal Policy Inquiry on Electric Transmission Incentives