U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introduced a bill that would exempt large loads served on islanded systems from federal economic regulations for the electric industry.

Expanding transmission can reduce electricity costs for consumers, but only if the buildout uses consumer welfare as the North Star and ignores narrow political or business interests, say Travis Fisher and Nick Loris.

Change is coming to FERC after Tuesday's election, but the policies the agency oversees are rarely top of mind during campaigns, so it is unclear how much will be different.

Former FERC Commissioner James Danly told a House Oversight subcommittee that federal subsidies overvalue some resources, while undervaluing others, putting the future of the grid at risk.