Nov 19, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Imagining FERC under Biden

Ben Geman

Illustration of Joseph Biden standing on a globe — Photo illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's sole current Democrat thinks the GOP-led body has "done a disservice to state clean energy programs" with orders that critics say create barriers for zero-carbon power in key regional markets, via Greentech Media.

Why it matters: Richard Glick could be named the powerful commission's chairman under President-elect Biden. Comments at an American Council on Renewable Energy conference yesterday — reported by Greentech and Utility Dive — signal his priorities.

The big picture: His comments get to the controversy over FERC orders on regional power regulators' market construction.

Clean energy advocates blasted the "minimum offer price rule" for the regional power market that includes huge states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.
"A similar concept has informed FERC’s decisions to deny [New York Independent System Operator's] proposals to exempt state-preferred renewables and energy storage resources from buyer-side mitigation rules," Greentech reports.
He also wants FERC to make better use of existing authorities to spur the transmission build-out needed to help integrate renewables, per Greentech.

Where it stands: Two nominees for the five-member commission, Republican Mark Christie and Democrat Allison Clements, cleared the Senate's energy panel yesterday.

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Imagining FERC under Biden

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