A Day in the Life of the Grid: July 21, 2011
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08 May 2012
by Paul Feldman
This snapshot of the hour-by-hour operation of a large regional transmission organization on a hot summer day illustrates the benefits of greater regional oversight of the transmission system and points the way to even greater benefits, as end-use customers gain the ability to interact with the regional wholesale market.
ISO ‒ the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator ‒ is an independent regional transmission organization that encompasses allor part of 11 states.
FERC, NERC Collide in Political Firestorm over Solar Flares and the Grid
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06 May 2012
by Kennedy Maize
A report issued by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. on dangers to the power grid posed by solar flares has been contradicted by other credible studies and caused consternation at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
new North American Electric Reliability Corp. analysis of the threat that solar storms pose for the US electrical grid has left some experts scratching their heads in mystification.
Read more: FERC, NERC Collide in Political Firestorm over Solar Flares and the Grid
Improving FERC's Penalty Guidelines: A Comparative Analysis
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09 Apr 2012
by Conrad Bolston
The Commission’s penalty guidelines must walk a narrow line between administrative efficiency, fairness, and its duties to the public to hold the regulated community to appropriate standards of conduct.
his paper analyzes the civil enforcement program of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by assessing its recently promulgated Penalty Guidelines. The Commission has stated that its primary goal is compliance, not deterrence or penalty.
Read more: Improving FERC's Penalty Guidelines: A Comparative Analysis
Finding Common Ground Between Consumer and Environmental Advocates
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02 May 2012
by Ralph Cavanagh and John Howat
Despite their sometime differences, there is both incentive and logic for consumer and environmental representatives to find agreement in such areas as revenue decoupling, prepaid service, and low-income energy services.
Read more: Finding Common Ground Between Consumer and Environmental Advocates
Mergers: Are the Promoters Ahead of the Regulators?
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21 Mar 2012
by Scott Hempling
In considering utility mergers, which are now unconstrained as to geography and the scope and effect of non-utility activities on utility service, regulators should develop tests that distinguish efficient from inefficient transactions, and that place less emphasis on short-term benefits and more on long-term accountability.
ection 203 of the Federal Power Act requires certain mergers and acquisitions to be “consistent with the public interest.” Since its 1996 Merger Policy Statement, FERC has applied this standard by assessing a merger’s effect on competition, rates, and the effectiveness of regulation. Does its approach need updating?
Read more: Mergers: Are the Promoters Ahead of the Regulators?
