The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on March 21 voted to establish a new Federal-State Current Issues Collaborative “to build on nearly three years of successful transmission-related task force discussions with state utility regulators and expand their efforts to energy sector issues where there are relevant jurisdictional connections or potential regulatory gaps,” FERC said.
The new collaborative, formed in conjunction with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, expands on the last three years of work of the Joint Federal-State Task Force on Transmission.
The collaborative will provide a venue for federal and state regulators to share perspectives, improve understanding and, where appropriate, identify potential solutions regarding challenges and coordination on matters that affect specific state and federal regulatory jurisdictions.
Potential topics include exploring where best to coordinate between state and federal regulators on issues ranging from electric reliability and resource adequacy to natural gas-electric coordination, wholesale and retail markets, new technologies and innovations, and infrastructure.
“The past three years of our Task Force work have proven just how important it is for FERC and state regulators to meet and expand our shared perspectives on important electricity sector matters that we all grapple with on a daily basis,” FERC Chairman Willie Phillips said. “I look forward to this expanded collaboration with our state colleagues.”
The Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric Transmission, established in 2021, had its final meeting in February 2024.
Since its first meeting in November 2021, the Task Force addressed numerous transmission-related topics, including regional transmission planning and cost allocation, generator interconnection, interregional transmission, oversight of transmission costs, physical security, grid enhancing technologies and siting.
The Federal-State Issues Collaborative will convene its first meeting this fall; it will expire in the fall of 2027.
The Collaborative structure will be similar to that of the Task Force: It will be comprised of all sitting FERC Commissioners and representatives from 10 state commissions to be nominated by NARUC, with two state nominees from each NARUC region. State members will serve one-year terms.
