This update features policy, regulatory, legislative, and regional developments in Connecticut and New England. The policy updates are compiled by the CPES New Energy Professionals Team. If you are interested in learning more about the New Energy Professionals, the Policy Committee, or if you have ideas for future policy updates, we would welcome your input and feedback. Please send comments to Kathryn Dube, CPES Executive Director, via email: kdube@ctpower.org.

In this Update:

• Secretary Perry Grants FERC 30-Day Extension on Grid Resiliency Pricing Proposal

REGIONAL AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

Secretary Perry Grants FERC 30-Day Extension on Grid Resiliency Pricing Proposal
On December 8, 2017, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Rick Perry granted the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) a 30-day extension to act on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) issued by DOE on September 28.  The DOE proposal directs FERC to impose rules on Commission-approved ISOs and RTOs “to ensure that the reliability and resiliency attributes of generation with on-site fuel supplies are fully valued.”  The proposal specified that the Commission was to take action on the proposed rule within sixty days of its publication in the Federal Register, which occurred on October 10, 2017.  In his letter to Secretary Perry, FERC Chairman Kevin McIntyre requested a 30-day extension, noting that the Commission had added two members in the past two weeks and received more than 1,500 comments on the DOE proposal.  For McIntyre, an extension was “critical to afford adequate time for the new Commissioners to consider the voluminous record and engage fully in deliberations.”

The extension granted by Secretary Perry gives FERC until January 10 to act on the DOE proposal.