Husch Blackwell Energy & Natural Resources Industry Group’s Post

FYI: The Energy and Technology Committee wants to address the issue of fluctuating utility rates this session, along with revisiting the vetoed bill from last session concerning the testing of new technologies in the state.  #ctnewsjunkie #ctpolitics

Last week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved FERC Order 1920, a 1,300-page regulation that will transform how the U.S. power grid is planned and paid for. Now comes the hard part — turning those reforms into the thousands of miles of power lines the U.S. needs to transition from fossil fuels to clean, cheap, and reliable power. Clean energy investors, environmental groups, and grid reliability experts praised FERC’s two-member Democratic majority for crafting new rules that give the country a chance to build power lines at the rate needed to meet climate goals. Republicans in Congress — and at FERC itself — attacked the order as an attempt to force the cost of meeting clean energy policies onto unwilling states and utility customers. Legal challenges are almost certain to emerge. But supporters of FERC Order 1920 warned that roadblocks beyond lawsuits threaten the long-term benefits of the new transmission reforms. Perhaps the bigger challenge, they said, is making sure that the utilities, grid operators, and state regulators tasked with carrying out the reforms actually follow through over the coming years. FERC’s order applies most directly to the country’s regional grid operators, which manage transmission networks that provide electricity for about two-thirds of the U.S. population. With the exception of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the grid operator for most of the state, all these regional grid organizations must craft plans to comply with the order and submit them for FERC review by spring 2025. #ferc #transmissionreform #regionalgridoperators #ercot #energytransition #utilities #powerlines #renewablenergy

🌟 Exciting Developments in the Clean Energy Sector! 🌟 Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Judy Chang, David Rosner, and Lindsay See as Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) commissioners. This marks a significant step forward for our energy future, ensuring a full, bipartisan Commission ready to tackle the pressing challenges ahead. As an advocate for equitable climate investments and finance, I am particularly encouraged by this progress. The Commission's upcoming tasks—expanding interregional transmission, deploying advanced transmission technologies, reforming energy markets, and improving the interconnection process—are crucial. However, we must also prioritize equity in these efforts. It's essential that the clean energy transition is inclusive and just, ensuring that historically marginalized communities benefit from these advancements. By centering equity, we can create a sustainable future that uplifts all communities and addresses systemic disparities. Let's work together with Commissioners Chang, Rosner, and See to accelerate the clean energy transition in a way that is equitable, inclusive, and beneficial for everyone. #CleanEnergy #EquityInEnergy #RenewableEnergy #FERC #Sustainability #InclusiveFuture https://lnkd.in/ehJxBgCn

A bipartisan permitting reform bill was released on Monday. The proposed legislation supports FERC's authority to approve transmission lines and paves the way to require interregional transmission planning. If passed, the law would also require planners to consider advanced conductors and reconductoring in order to maximize current transmission capabilities. Read more about the new bill and the industry response in the article below. ⬇️ #FERC #Transmission #USEnergy #KinectSolar

There was major news last week on the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line, which has been delayed by over three years from its initial in-service date. Avangrid (the project developer) has sued NextEra for antitrust violations, alleging that the company has committed "anticompetitive, unfair and deceptive business practices to foreclose competition for the supply of wholesale electricity on the ISO New England marketplaces." NextEra owns several large generation resources in the region and has almost certainly profited from the higher wholesale electricity costs that have resulted from NECEC's delay. The lawsuit includes a long list of accusations, including "overt acts that constitute monopolization, attempted monopolization, civil conspiracy, intentional interference with contract, sham petitioning, dark-money deception, and false and misleading statements." Avangrid alleges damages of at least $350 million, and is seeking three times the damages, plus interest and legal costs. The saga outlines one of the key challenges for transmission development in the region and in the country: incumbent generators can use a wide range of regulatory, legal, and political mechanisms to gum up the development process, potentially delaying or blocking projects. Transmission expansion will be crucial to the clean energy transition, so clean energy advocates would be smart to learn from this fight. I'm curious if the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office will take action on behalf of ratepayers in the state. The delay appears to have cost ratepayers well over $500 million, along with a likely increase in power system emissions. The AGO declined to comment on this, so we'll see where it goes. Check out the full story here at RTO Insider LLC: https://lnkd.in/et8mFMwC

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's revision of its regional transmission planning policies will completely transform how U.S. grid projects are planned and paid for, but the agency's approach will invite plenty of compliance and legal challenges. https://lnkd.in/efWSx73e

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is about to announce major changes in how the costs of expanding the US transmission grid are shared. The decision is crucial for the country's shift to clean energy but is tangled in political and policy conflicts, especially regarding whether states without clean energy policies should pay for grid expansions benefiting clean energy states. The current lack of federal mandates for state cooperation has led to a backlog of clean energy projects waiting to connect to the grid. FERC's decision could unlock significant renewable energy capacity but raises concerns about costs, likely in the tens or hundreds of billions. Debates also center on defining transmission benefits, with some advocating for mandatory assessment of broader benefits like carbon emission reductions. Grid regions like MISO have adopted expansive benefit assessments, while others like PJM face challenges in reaching consensus due to political differences. There's also concern about states vetoing regional transmission costs, as seen in PJM's proposed plan. This raises questions about equitable cost-sharing and the effectiveness of opt-in structures in ensuring reliable transmission. FERC's final decision will significantly impact the US energy landscape, but challenges remain in implementation, potential legal battles, and evolving political dynamics within FERC. https://lnkd.in/euvtTE_3 #Transmission #EnergyTransition #OdinGlobal

“Our electricity system is run by a dizzying array of players—many of whom are heavily influenced by incumbent fossil generators—who routinely ignore each other’s regulatory objectives and design energy market rules to protect their own financial interests,” write Prof. Shelley Welton and co-authors, Alexandra Klass, Joshua Macey, and Hannah Wiseman at Utility Dive. The U.S. power grid is under enormous stress and reliability issues will continue to get worse, they explain, and proper governance is crucial. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eU8eVCPP

🏛️ This week, the U.S. House of Representatives hosted Energy Week, focusing on policies that will have a meaningful impact on the energy sector. From bills safeguarding hydraulic fracturing to nullifying proposed BLM rules, Energy Workforce President Tim Tarpley discusses what was on the agenda and why it matters. 🔍 SEC Rule On Hold: Litigation surrounding the newly released SEC rule has already begun. Tim's analysis dives into the intricacies of Liberty Energy's successful temporary stay that could impact the future of climate-related disclosures. Read the latest: https://lnkd.in/gRYHM8aV #EnergyPolicy #SEC #HouseEnergyWeek #IndustryInsights

There's one issue this election where we're seeing a remarkable amount of alignment: energy affordability and reliability. The issue brought together two energy sector heavy hitters and former FERC commissioners Jon Wellinghoff and Neil Chatterjee. They write that FERC Order 2222 is a significant step towards opening grid markets to DERs, which can increase grid flexibility, reduce costs, and improve reliability. But the ultimate success of Order 2222 will be determined by the extent to which grid operators and policymakers - in states of all political stripes - actually leverage it. Learn more about the bipartisan appeal of distributed power plants in this joint op-ed. https://lnkd.in/ge7sM4AG #CleanEnergy #Sustainability #GreenEnergy #EnergyTransition #PowerGrid