The EPA last week issued the first-ever federal regulations on the handling and storage of coal ash, pleasing utilities and disappointing environmentalists by declining to classify the material as hazardous waste.

PJM officials are seeking to postpone generation retirements — or accelerate planned new generation — to help the RTO ride through potential shortages next winter.

FERC will hold four technical conferences next year to discuss the effects of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan on reliability and wholesale electricity markets.

News briefs on the federal agencies that impact those doing business in the RTO footprints. This week, we highlight the Energy Department, the Interior Department, NERC and the NRC.

Utilities and independent power producers said the EPA should delay or eliminate the interim goals in its proposed Clean Power Plan.

Janet McCabe said last week that the EPA had met with more than 300 groups since releasing its proposed Clean Power Plan in June.

RGGI generally supported the EPA's proposed Clean Power Plan and suggested other areas of the country could follow its lead.

PJM called for a reliability “safety valve” in the EPA's proposed Clean Power Plan to ensure provisions for minimizing reliability impacts on the grid.

NYISO: The EPA's proposed Clean Power Plan threatens reliability in New York City due to the city’s frequent dependence on local oil-fueled generators.

SPP and MISO warned of a reliability crisis if the EPA's proposed Clean Power Plan isn’t eased to account for up to 134 GW of generation retirements by 2020, most of them coal-fired units.