FERC officials and RTO executives still had more questions than answers this week regarding the Department of Energy’s (DOE) plans for rescuing at risk nuclear and coal plants.

The Republican majority at FERC narrowed the circumstances under which it will estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from natural gas pipeline projects.

FERC will review how it enforces the 1978 Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), with the commission’s treatment of the 1-mile rule a likely focus.

Congress will be watching FERC’s review of its policy on licensing natural gas pipelines very closely. Any changes FERC makes are unlikely to please all members, however.

FERC approved ISO-NE’s two-stage capacity auction to accommodate state renewable energy procurements.

FERC approved the PJM proposal to reduce by almost 90% the number of bidding locations for virtual transactions.

Resilience, pipelines and PURPA topped the discussions at the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners’ (NARUC) winter meetings.

FERC ordered RTOs and ISOs to revise their tariffs to allow energy storage resources full access to their markets.

FERC Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur visited the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and discuss the Mountain West Transmission Group’s desire to join SPP.

FERC Commissioner Neil Chatterjee acknowledged he has suffered some growing pains in his transition from Capitol Hill partisan to FERC commissioner.