FERC, NARUC Launch Forum on Reliability, Environment

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), an organization representing state public service commissioners, joined forces to launch a forum to explore reliability issues that could crop up as a result of new and pending environmental rules for the power sector.

The first meeting of the Forum on Reliability and the Environment is expected to take place on Feb. 7 during the NARUC Winter Committee Meetings in Washington. FERC Commissioners Cheryl LaFleur and Philip Moeller will be the federal co-chairs of the workshops, and NARUC First Vice President Philip Jones of Washington and Treasurer David Ziegner of Indiana will be the state co-chairs.

“FERC and NARUC initiated the Forum as part of an effort to determine how prepared the electric utility industry will be to meet upcoming rules and requirements on emissions reductions,” the entities said in a joint statement. “With significant investment in utility infrastructure predicted over the next several years, the Forum will let Federal and State regulators discuss these issues in an open and transparent venue.”
 
The planned workshops follow a recent NARUC resolution that called for a dialogue among FERC, the states, and the Environmental Protection Agency to allow for a meaningful assessment of and response to reliability issues.

NARUC has repeatedly said that the most critical mission of a state regulator is to ensure reliable electricity service is provided at a reasonable price.

“With the significant amount of investment needed in the utility infrastructure regardless, these workshops will give all of us an opportunity to discuss the critical issues the utility sector faces,” said First Vice President Jones. “Many States have taken steps in preparation of Federal environmental rules, so this Forum will allow us to learn from what has already been done. It will also give State commissioners an opportunity to bring the concerns of our consumers to a higher level.”

Sources: FERC, NARUC