The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a notice of inquiry seeking public comment on whether to reform any of its rules or procedures as the nation's generation portfolio expands to include more variable energy resources such as wind, solar or non-storage hydro generating plants.
According to FERC, the increased use of renewables presents unique challenges to the electric power industry, such as location constraints and limited ability to dispatch, but also offers benefits such as low marginal energy costs and reduced greenhouse gas and other emissions.
‘We are seeing a rapid expansion in the use of renewable energy technologies around the country that have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and electricity costs for consumers,’ FERC chairman Jon Wellinghoff said in a statement. ‘To accommodate that expansion, it is our job to ensure that FERC has in place the market and operational reforms necessary to ensure that all wholesale electricity tariffs are just, reasonable and not unduly discriminatory.’
SOURCE: FERC
