Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Nuclear Power Plants Tighten Their Security

With a Senate vote on two nominees for commissioners of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) pending, there is unprecedented attention on this obscure regulator of interstate pipelines and electricity transmission. In 2005, Congress granted FERC additional authority to regulate electric grid reliability and security, but too often FERC has accommodated industry rather than enforce… Keep reading →

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A famous criminal defense lawyer was asked about how to hire a lawyer for a criminal defense case. Imagine, he was asked, that a relative was charged with a serious crime in a place where he didn’t know anyone. How would he go about finding a lawyer for his friend? The answer — hire the… Keep reading →

FERC, CFTC Agreement Finally Inked

CFTC And SEC Heads Testify Before Senate Appropriations Committee

The recent memoranda of understanding (“MOUs”) entered between the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (”CFTC”) made significant progress towards alleviating the long-time tension between the two agencies. On January 2, 2014, the FERC and the CFTC signed two MOUs on jurisdiction (“Jurisdiction MOU”) and information sharing (“Information Sharing MOU”)… Keep reading →

Hurricane Katrina Aftermath - Day 20

No doubt the Energy and Utilities industry has witnessed increasing complexity and significant challenges in recent years, centering around compliance issues, competitive pricing pressures, and business continuity. These issues, amongst others, will remain the focus for Board and Management’s corporate strategy and 2014 planning meetings around the world. Looking back on year 2013, and ahead… Keep reading →

Google Developers Event Held In San Francisco

“You’d think the thrill might wear off this whole renewable energy investing thing after a while. Nope—we’re still as into it as ever.” This week, Google announced an $80 million equity investment in six solar photovoltaic projects being developed by Recurrent Energy in Arizona and California. The deal marks the company’s 14th investment since it started eyeing project-level… Keep reading →

The Battle for FERC and the Future of Energy Security

Government Shutdown Continues Into Weekend

The failed nomination of Ron Binz to be the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which was formalized with his withdrawal from consideration last month, was unprecedented in Washington. The role of FERC has never been the subject of public of political interest – and I’d argue that few people (in Congress or otherwise)… Keep reading →

Australian Electricity Prices Surge 50 Percent In Five Years

Recent enforcement actions by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on alleged manipulation of US power markets are “alarming” and set a dangerous precedent that departs from previous cases, a Harvard professor and former International Association for Energy Economics president told energy traders gathered in New York City this week. FERC is endangering the functioning of… Keep reading →

Government Leaders Attend Clean Energy Summit In Vegas

Portland, Oregon-based law firm Stoel Rives announced Monday that Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Jon Wellinghoff will join the practice upon his departure from the regulator. Wellinghoff submitted his resignation on May 28, but no date has been announced for his departure. Stoel Rives is known for its energy law practice and claims to have… Keep reading →

NATO Summit Lisbon 2010 - Day 2

Canadian security agencies have been briefing representatives of energy companies who have obtained high-level security clearances, according to freedom of information documents obtained by the Guardian. “Meetings were officially billed to discuss ‘threats’ to energy infrastructure but also covered ‘challenges to energy projects from environmental groups’, ‘cyber security initiatives’ and ‘economic and corporate espionage’.” [Guardian]… Keep reading →

Endangered Blue Whales Spotted Off California Coast

It’s day two of the federal government shutdown, and there’s no real sense yet of how long it might last. In the meantime, investment bank Simmons & Co has helpfully laid out some possible effects on the oil and gas industry, depending on its duration. This could include delays to additional Department of Energy approvals for… Keep reading →

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