In a recent order, FERC pulled back, for now, its decision to sharply limit the ability of retail regulators to prohibit distributed energy resource (DER) aggregators from bidding retail customer demand response (DR) into wholesale markets. Instead, the issue will be considered in an ongoing inquiry that is addressing whether to totally eliminate the ability of retail regulators to keep retail DR resource offers out of FERC-jurisdictional wholesale markets.
Continue Reading FERC Reconsidering Limits On Retail Regulator Control Over Aggregating Demand Response
RTO
FERC Focusing On Electric Transmission Incentives
By Inside Energy on
Posted in Electricity Grid
FERC recently took two actions regarding its transmission rate incentives policies. FERC proposed to scale back an earlier proposed increase in the return on equity (ROE) premium allowed in the rates of transmission owners that join Transmission Organizations such as RTOs/ISOs and proposed to clamp limits on its term. The Commission also scheduled a workshop to address performance-based incentives for transmission technology deployment. Both actions were taken in the context of a March 2020 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) aimed at, in part, awarding rate incentives for certain beneficial transmission investments.
Continue Reading FERC Focusing On Electric Transmission Incentives
Wholesale Electricity Market Developments in the U.S.
By Inside Energy on
Posted in Electricity Grid
Significant developments have occurred recently in wholesale electricity markets in the lower Midwest and Western regions of the U.S.
Earlier this week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved a substantial expansion of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP). SPP is a FERC-regulated Regional Transmission Organization that administers the grid across a nine-state footprint in the south…
Regional Electricity Market Adopts Improved Design
By Inside Energy on
Posted in Electricity Grid
On March 1, the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), transitioned to a more sophisticated electricity market design that, according to SPP, is expected to realize up to $100 million in annual net benefits. SPP is a FERC-regulated Regional Transmission Organization that administers the grid across a 370,000 square mile, nine-state footprint in the south central…
Entergy Integration Makes MISO Largest RTO by Geography
By Bill Massey on
Posted in Electricity Grid
Entergy’s large transmission system and five operating companies in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and eastern Texas have been integrated into the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). This extends MISO’s footprint to 15 states from Canada down to the Gulf of Mexico, making MISO the largest Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) by geography. The integration adds about 18,000…