Federal Power Act
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Legal & Regulatory
Federal Grid Interventions Enter a Second Phase as DOE Extends Emergency Orders
The Trump administration’s unprecedented use of emergency grid authorities entered a second phase in August 2025, as the Department of Energy (DOE) extended three critical reliability orders. The measures signal that this year’s historic string of federal interventions—staked in Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act—are likely to continue beyond the traditional summer peak and […]
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Power
DOE Orders Fossil Units Online After Puerto Rico Blackouts, Citing Dispatchable Capacity Need
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has invoked emergency authority to compel Puerto Rico’s public utility to dispatch mothballed oil-fired and fossil-fueled power units, citing an imminent threat to grid reliability following two major blackouts in less than a month. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, acting on behalf of the DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, […]
Tagged in:- Energy resilience
- pr-erf
- Vegetation Management
- DOE
- Blackout
- Grid Deployment Office
- Puerto Rico
- transmission infrastructure.
- grid reliability
- power plant operations
- energy policy
- fossil generation
- PREPA
- oil-fired power plants
- Federal Power Act
- emergency orders
- Section 202(c)
- dispatchable capacity
- FEMA
- luma energy
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Legal & Regulatory
In Search of Middle Ground Between State Public Policy and Federal Regulation
The tension between state and federal lawmakers is ages old, with a history marked by periods of outright assault or relative peace. On Dec. 19, 2019, the quiet in the energy sector was broken by an order from
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Markets
DOE Issues Emergency Order to Alleviate California Power Crisis
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Sept. 6 took the rare but drastic action of issuing an emergency order under the Federal Power Act (FPA) to authorize the maximum operation of three natural gas–fired facilities on the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO’s) grid whose full capability had been stranded by federal air quality and […]
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Commentary
Structural Effects of Climate Change on the Utility Business
Developers and other sellers of electricity have traditionally viewed utilities as creditworthy counterparties. Utilities are longstanding institutions that provide a public service and receive a regulated
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News
States to FERC: Promote Market Designs That Recognize State Priorities
Attorneys general from 11 states ramped up pressure on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to recognize state policy goals as it makes decisions related to market design, siting of new gas pipelines and storage facilities, and grid reliability. The measure is the latest in a string of recent pushes by states to ensure federally […]
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News
Energy Secretary Should Use Discretionary Authority to Support Clean Coal Technologies
The threat to power grid resilience and reliability due to the continued retirement of coal-fired power plants has generated calls for immediate action. A severe weather event such as the “bomb cyclone” or
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Legal & Regulatory
A Legal Guide to Power Generation Mergers and Acquisitions
A myriad of issues come into play when parties execute power industry mergers and acquisitions. Part 1 of this two-part series examines what dealmakers need to know before making any transactions
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Legal & Regulatory
Official: FERC, Other Agencies Identifying ‘Critical’ Coal, Nuclear Plants
An official with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) told a nuclear industry group this week that the agency and Trump administration officials are trying to identify power plants they consider critical to the nation’s grid. The move is seen as part of the White House effort to prop up the struggling U.S. coal and […]
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Legal & Regulatory
[UPDATED] Trump Administration to Force Purchases of Coal, Nuclear Power
A draft memo circulated by the Trump administration before the National Security Council urges federal action to force grid operators to buy power from uneconomic coal and nuclear plants. Bloomberg on May 31 first pointed to the existence of the 41-page memo, which is dated May 29 and distributed Thursday. The memo outlines plans for a […]