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By Kathy Larsen The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has begun regular information-sharing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission after several years of wrangling and pressure from the Senate to make good on promises of cooperation. The CFTC is now sending FERC its Large Trader Report on a routine basis so...

By Kathy Larsen Responding to concerns raised by last spring’s sabotage of a Pacific Gas and Electric substation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has ordered development of reliability standards to protect the grid from physical attack. The North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s standards, due in 90 days, do not have...

“It’s kind of a national crisis,” an Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientist said about the systems vulnerable to shock from climate change. In a report for the Department of Energy to inform the third annual National Climate Assessment, the Oak Ridge author identifies vulnerabilities and challenges to energy systems, including...

PJM officials told members last week they want to accelerate the schedule of the quadrennial review of the Cost of New Entry (CONE) by two months. The proposed change would move the deadline for staff recommendations to May 15 from July 15 and the projected FERC filing to Oct. 1...

Heather Zichal A White House official dampened expectations that the Environmental Protection Agency will issue a greenhouse gas rule for existing power plants by the June 1 date set by the president last summer. Heather Zichal, deputy assistant secretary to the president for energy and climate change, said it would...

The Markets and Reliability and Members committees last week approved revisions to the Operating Agreement to allow PJM to share non-public operational information with natural gas pipelines and local distribution companies. The changes were prompted by FERC Order 787, which sought to increase coordination of the natural gas and electric...

By Ted Caddell and Rich Heidorn Jr. An energy trading firm that has been the subject of a FERC investigation for more than three years without being charged has decided to go on offense by releasing documents it says proves it has been unfairly hounded. The dispute provides a case...

Kevin (L) and Rich (R) Gates Kevin and Rich Gates are identical twins — and as they proudly note on their website — former Eagle Scouts who were principals in the investment funds under investigation by FERC. Both hold chemical engineering degrees from the University of Virginia and now serve...

WASHINGTON -- A panel headed by former CIA and NSA chief Michael Hayden today recommended an expansion of the electric industry’s cybersecurity efforts, saying the current efforts by FERC and NERC fail to protect the distribution system. The Bipartisan Policy Center panel recommended creation of an industry-led body, modeled on...

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week clarified its 2013 rule opening the ancillary services markets to more competition from electric storage. Order 784 was designed to improve competition and transparency in ancillary services markets at a time when the growth of wind power and other intermittent sources is increasing...