FERC nominees vow focus on reliability; DOE's LNG permit pause could end in 2025

TOP NEWS

➤ FERC picks vow focus on reliability, downplay climate role in gas decisions

President Joe Biden's nominees to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reassured senators at a March 21 hearing they would prioritize reliability if confirmed and downplayed the role of climate considerations in FERC's natural gas project decisions.

➤ LNG permitting pause in 'rearview mirror' by early 2025 – US energy secretary

US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm suggested the Energy Department would end its pause on issuing key LNG export licenses for new projects by this time next year.

➤ Energy industry urges US permitting reform; Manchin says deal 'back on track'

Energy executives are crossing their fingers for a breakthrough on a long-sought major infrastructure permitting overhaul after US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) told the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston that a bipartisan deal on legislation was "back on track" and "so close."

➤ European wind industry turns corner on permitting, but much work remains

The European wind industry hailed the region's efforts to accelerate project permitting after a record year of new installations in 2023, though developers on the ground also cautioned that the bottlenecks are far from being solved completely.

➤ FERC annual report details surge in US energy production after turbulent 2022

US energy market fundamentals were strong in 2023 as the nation became the world's largest exporter of LNG, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's annual State of the Markets report.

POWER POLICY & REGULATION

– FERC affirms generator interconnection reforms to clear US clean energy backlog

– FERC-state task force expands reach to examine matters beyond transmission

– US ocean agency scales back offshore wind lease area in the Gulf of Maine

– Hydrogen's green premium not a deterrent for some industry players

– Lawsuits against SEC climate rule moved to 8th Circuit Court of Appeals

– ISO New England highlights need for transmission investment

GAS POLICY & REGULATION

– 16 US states challenge White House pause on LNG export permits

– Bipartisan US bill to put geothermal drilling 'on equal footing' with oil, gas

– FERC to dig deeper into shipper complaint about pipeline capacity bundling

– FERC approves 2 natural gas pipeline projects on monthly meeting agenda

– Judges probe FERC reasoning on Transco's Regional Energy Access pipe expansion

– AI-powered gas demand growth more promising than LNG – EQT CEO Rice

STATE POLICY & REGULATION FOCUS

– Vt. state House advances bill accelerating utilities' climate goals

– Md. senator defends legislation that revamps retail electric choice

– Massachusetts launches office dedicated to energy transition

– Texas power demand surge challenges regulators, market participants

– Texas muni CPS Energy to retire 859 MW of gas-fired generation in March 2025

– Texas chamber study finds anti-ESG laws raise bond costs, cut tax revenues

CHART SPOTLIGHT

Utility-scale solar installations in the US increased by 80% in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the same time the year before as the industry took advantage of the benefits of the first full year of the Inflation Reduction Act.

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RRA REGULATORY FOCUS

– Focus on FERC – Transmission costs, equity returns tested amid pending shakeup

– Wis. governor appoints another member to utility regulatory body

– Energy rate case activity volume remains brisk in face of elevated inflation

– Commonwealth Edison seeks to address regulatory uncertainty with new grid plan

– Wash. regulators grant PacifiCorp multiyear rate hike, coal cost recovery

– With new grid plan filing, Ameren seeks to assuage commission's prior concerns

Quoted

"Summer 2025 through 2029 could become very tight [in Texas] due to the desire of more plant operators to retire older, less-efficient units with worse spark spreads and high offer curves. I worry that any unit replacement would not come fast enough due to turbine build time coupled with the likelihood of some lawsuits from environmental groups who could stymie the fast replacement of older thermal units. Overall, this could further exacerbate the number of summertime hours that real-time locational marginal prices are high and might also spur a greater number of conservation alerts." — Campbell Faulkner, chief data analyst at interdealer commodity broker OTC Global Holdings, after City Public Service of San Antonio, Texas, said it plans to retire 859 MW of gas-fired capacity by the end of March 2025.

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