On January 5, 2022, FERC denied a motion of the Andrew Kittell Estate (“Kittell Estate”) to drop FERC’s enforcement action against GreenHat Energy, LLC (“GreenHat”) because of an October 1, 2021 revelation that FERC’s decisional staff had improperly communicated with FERC enforcement litigation staff (“Email Exchange”) regarding the GreenHat enforcement proceeding, potentially violating FERC’s Separation of Functions regulations (“January 5 Order”). In the January 5 Order, however, FERC abstained from deciding whether the Email Exchange violated Commission regulations, finding that “the conduct at issue here would not warrant the extraordinary remedy of dismissal,” which sparked a dissent from Commissioner Danly, who “would have explicitly found that the email exchange . . . was inappropriate, ordered the two attorneys barred from all future involvement in this matter, and directed Commission staff to conduct a robust, public investigation with findings to be set forth in a later Commission order.”
Continue Reading FERC Denies Motion to Drop Enforcement Action in GreenHat Proceeding, Sparking Dissent from Commissioner Danly
Miles Kiger
Applicants for Jordan Cove LNG Project Request FERC to Vacate Authorizations
On December 1, 2021, Jordan Cove Energy Project and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline (the “Jordan Cove Developers” or “Developers”) notified the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (the “Commission”) of their decision not to proceed with the Jordan Cove LNG project (“Jordan Cove Project” or “Project”) and requested that the Commission vacate the authorizations issued for the Project. The Jordan Cove Developers decided not to move forward because of concerns regarding their ability to obtain required state permits.
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FERC Issues Notice of Inquiry on Reactive Power
On November 18, 2021, FERC issued a Notice of Inquiry (“NOI”) inviting comments on reactive power capability compensation and market design. The NOI highlights various issues with reactive power filings that have resulted from significant changes to electric markets and the generation resource mix, including the potential for overcompensation. The NOI seeks comment on various aspects of reactive power compensation, as well as potential alternative approaches that could be used to develop reactive power capability revenue requirements. …
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PJM MOPR Replacement Takes Effect by Operation of Law; Commissioners Issue Separate Statements
On September 29, 2021, FERC recognized that PJM’s Minimum Offer Price Rule (“MOPR”) replacement proposal, previously filed with FERC on July 30, 2021, went into effect by operation of law after the Commission failed to act on PJM’s filing within the 60-day statutory deadline. FERC’s notice stated that FERC did not act on PJM’s filing because the Commissioners are divided two-to-two as to the filing’s lawfulness. Consistent with the Federal Power Act (“FPA”), the Commissioners each issued a statement explaining his or her view on PJM’s MOPR replacement proposal. Going forward, PJM’s MOPR replacement proposal has already been appealed based on an emergency request for rehearing of FERC’s September 29 notice. Additional requests for rehearing continue to be filed prior to the October 29 deadline.
Continue Reading PJM MOPR Replacement Takes Effect by Operation of Law; Commissioners Issue Separate Statements
FERC Rejects Reactive Compensation Settlement, Finding Methodology Flawed
On September 23, 2021, FERC issued an order rejecting a unilateral offer of settlement regarding the compensation for reactive power by Panda Hummel Station LLC (“Panda”) under Schedule 2 of the PJM Interconnection LLC (“PJM”) OATT, remanding the proceeding to the Chief Administrative Law Judge (“Chief ALJ”) to resume hearing procedures. FERC found Panda’s proposed methodology flawed and inconsistent with FERC policy. …
Continue Reading FERC Rejects Reactive Compensation Settlement, Finding Methodology Flawed
FERC Denies Cross-Sound Cable Company’s Application for Incentive Rate Treatment to Comply with IROL-CIP Costs
On August 31, 2021, FERC denied Cross-Sound Cable Company, LLC’s (“Cross-Sound Cable”) application for incentive rate treatment to create a regulatory asset to recover costs incurred between 2016 and 2021 to comply with Interconnection Reliability Operating Limits (“IROL”) Critical Infrastructure Protection (“IROL-CIP”) costs under Schedule 17 of the ISO-New England (“ISO-NE”) Tariff.
Continue Reading FERC Denies Cross-Sound Cable Company’s Application for Incentive Rate Treatment to Comply with IROL-CIP Costs
D.C. Circuit Upholds Use of Combustion Turbine as Reference Resource in PJM Capacity Market, Finds 10% Net CONE Adder Arbitrary and Capricious
On July 9, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (“D.C. Circuit”) denied in part and granted in part a petition for review of FERC’s orders accepting revisions to PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.’s (“PJM”) Forward Capacity Market (“FCM”). The Petition was filed by the Delaware Division of the Public Advocate, Maryland Office of the People’s Counsel, and the Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia (“Petitioners”). The Court upheld FERC’s use of a Combustion Turbine (“CT”) plant as the Reference Resource in approving the net Cost of New Entry (“net CONE”) calculation, and found that FERC’s approval of a 10 percent adder on Reference Resource’s assumed energy market offer was arbitrary and capricious. The Court remanded the case for proceedings consistent with its decision on the 10 percent adder.
Continue Reading D.C. Circuit Upholds Use of Combustion Turbine as Reference Resource in PJM Capacity Market, Finds 10% Net CONE Adder Arbitrary and Capricious
FERC Accepts NYISO Operating Reserve Pricing Proposal, Rejects Proposal for Procuring Supplemental Reserves
On June 23, 2021, FERC accepted in part and rejected in part the New York Independent System Operator’s (“NYISO”) February 2021 proposal to revise its process for procuring operating reserves throughout the New York Control Area (“NYCA”). FERC accepted NYISO’s proposed revisions to its Operating Reserves Demand Curve (“ORDC”), including revisions to certain shortage pricing values, subject to a compliance filing providing at least two weeks’ notice of the actual effective date of the revisions. NYISO subsequently submitted that compliance filing on June 29, 2021 noting an effective date of July 13, 2021. The June 23 order also rejected NYISO’s proposal to establish a process for procuring reserves in excess of quantities required by minimum reliability standards, without prejudice to NYISO submitting a more specific proposal in the future.
Continue Reading FERC Accepts NYISO Operating Reserve Pricing Proposal, Rejects Proposal for Procuring Supplemental Reserves
FERC Provides Guidance on Justification Filings for Sales Above the WECC Soft Price Cap
On June 17, 2021, FERC issued an order providing guidance on the means by which sellers in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (“WECC”) market can demonstrate that sales made above the $1,000/MWh soft price cap were just and reasonable. This guidance has been provided for sellers with pending justification filings, which have been granted 30 days to amend or supplement their filings accordingly, as well as any sellers making prospective justification filings. …
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FERC Maintains Order Directing Briefing Long After Authorizing Gas Facilities to Begin Operations, Prompting Dissent from Commissioner Danly
On May 19, 2021, FERC issued an order dismissing requests for rehearing of an order directing briefing (“Briefing Order”) about the operation of Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC’s Atlantic Bridge project after finding that requesting parties were not “aggrieved” under court precedent interpreting Section 19(a) of the Natural Gas Act (“NGA”). Commissioner James Danly wrote separately in dissent explaining his view that FERC’s request for briefing means that the determinations made in the Atlantic Bridge certificate order are no longer settled and that the certificate order is in fact no longer final. …
Continue Reading FERC Maintains Order Directing Briefing Long After Authorizing Gas Facilities to Begin Operations, Prompting Dissent from Commissioner Danly