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Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso has challenged Federal Energy Regulation Commission Chairman Jon Wellinghoff’s plan for recusing himself from decisions involving Stoel Rives law firm clients before he leaves FERC for a position with that firm. Echoing concerns that others have raised, Barrasso asked why the chairman has not recused...

Payments to black start generators could increase by 27% to more than 500% under proposals scheduled to go to a stakeholder vote today. The System Restoration Strategy Task Force will vote through Nov. 20 on up to four alternatives to the current compensation method for black start units. An analysis...

AP South and the Cleveland interface attracted the most attention in PJM’s inaugural window for proposed market efficiency upgrades. PJM staff provided the Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee last week with a summary of 17 proposals ranging from $200,000 to $64 million. Merchant developer LS Power was the most ambitious, proposing...

Rep. Ed Whitfield Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) introduced legislation to block proposed regulations on greenhouse-gas emissions from new power plants and grant Congress authority to decide when a rule making for existing plants would take effect. The bill also would require the Environmental Protection Agency...

Gina McCarthy The Environmental Protection Agency started its 11-city “listening tour” in preparation for writing rules to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants. Some lawmakers have asked EPA to add sessions in coal mining states. In an interview with PBS, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy defended the agency’s plans. “Carbon...

The Supreme Court agreed decide whether to block key aspects of the Obama administration's plan aimed at cutting power plant and factory emissions of gases blamed for global warming. The justices will review a unanimous federal appeals court ruling that upheld the government's unprecedented regulation of carbon dioxide and five...

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week approved a new reliability standard that will allow PJM and other transmission planners to plan for “non-consequential” load loss following a single contingency. The rules, part of the North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s Transmission Planning Reliability Standard (TPL-001-4), includes limitations on the maximum...

Delmarva Power & Light Co. must defend itself against challenges to its formula transmission rate filings for 2011 and 2012, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruled last week. FERC unanimously rejected Delmarva’s claim that the challenges by municipal power agencies and electric cooperatives were impermissible on procedural grounds, though the...

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week reiterated its 20 MW threshold regarding purchase obligations from qualifying facilities as the panel’s two Republican members said the commission should rethink its approach. The commission ruled that PPL Electric Utilities Corp. must purchase excess power from a proposed 18.1 MW combined heat...

Edward Finley Former Colorado regulator Ron Binz withdrew from consideration as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission because opponents had succeeded in painting him as an environmental extremist, he said. Binz abandoned his candidacy Oct. 1 after he was unable to win any Republican support within the Senate Energy...