FERC to Hold Technical Conferences on Compliance Implications of the EPA Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") announced that it will hold a series of technical conferences to discuss the implications of compliance approaches to the Clean Power Plan proposed rule. The rule was issued by the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") on June 2, 2014.

The Clean Power Plan requires states to lower the carbon emission intensity of their existing power plants. The proposed rule has been challenged by multiple critics already, including a 12-state coalition led by West Virginia, as well as the Murray Energy Corporation, which argued that the rule exceeds the EPA's authority under the Clean Air Act. The EPA General Counsel defended the proposed rule in a recent letter as not merely legal, but also mandatory.

FERC's technical conferences will focus on issues related to electric reliability, wholesale electric markets and operations, and energy infrastructure.

FERC will hold a National Overview technical conference on February 19, 2015. It will be led by FERC and will be free and open to the public. After The National Overview conference, FERC will hold three staff-led regional technical conferences: (i) on February 25, 2015 in Denver, CO for the Western Region, (ii) on March 11, 2015 in Washington D.C. for the Eastern Region, and (iii) on March 31, 2015 in St. Louis, MO for the Central Region.

See: Notice of Technical Conferences and Agenda for National Overview Conference.