FERC Order 1000 & Public Policy Transmission Projects

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) Order 1000 addresses a wide range of policy issues including provisions that may prove beneficial to advance transmission projects for renewable energy and other merchant power projects. These provisions relate to limitations on incumbent utilities' right of first refusal to develop transmission projects, the requirement for regional transmission organizations to file tariff provisions related to policies and procedures for addressing cost allocation, and the inclusion of public policy considerations in the cost benefit analysis for transmission projects. The order extends the framework for cost allocation defined in Order 890, introduces public policy as a new component of the benefits assessment, and has new pro forma tariff requirements related to regional cooperation and cost allocation.