by ali nelson and linda walsh
The Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Rick Perry’s attempt to pass regulations that would help the coal industry was rejected by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in January, but it appears more is in the works.
Grid Resiliency Pricing Rule
Secretary Perry had issued a notice of proposed rulemaking for a “Grid Resiliency Pricing Rule” that directed FERC to issue a final rule requiring development of rules establishing wholesale electricity rates for “fuel-secure” generation units. The rule would have allowed eligible generation units to fully recover their costs, as long as the units provided essentially energy and reliability services to the grid and maintained a 90-day fuel supply on site to protect against supply disruptions caused by emergencies, extreme weather, and natural or made disasters.
