Energy Roundtable
September 29, 2022, 2- 3 p.m. (ET)
Roundtable to discuss FERC’s Proposal to Reform Interconnection Procedures
The Office of Advocacy will host a roundtable to discuss the United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s proposed rule to modify interconnection procedures. The roundtable will take place on Thursday, September 29, 2022, from 2-3 p.m. (ET). Roundtable participation details will be provided upon receipt of RSVP.
RSVPs should be sent to Prianka.Sharma@sba.gov. The purpose of the roundtable is to gather specific small entity input and presentations on the proposed rule. Parties interested in making oral presentations during the roundtable should indicate this in their RSVP.
Agenda
2:00 p.m. – 2:05 p.m. Introductory Remarks
Prianka Sharma, Assistant Chief Counsel, Office of Advocacy
Dr. Elisabeth Newcomb, Regulatory Economist, Office of Advocacy
2:05 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Input from Interested Small Entity Stakeholders
Presentations made during this roundtable will not substitute for written comments directly from interested parties to FERC. Advocacy strongly encourages those entities specifically interested in this rulemaking to provide both oral presentations during the roundtable, and written comments to the rulemaking docket.
Roundtable meetings are open to all interested persons, with the exception of the press, in order to facilitate open and frank discussion about the impacts of Federal regulatory activities on small entities. Agendas and presentations are available to all, including the press. Anyone who wants to receive roundtable agendas or presentations, or to be included in the distribution list, should forward such requests to prianka.sharma@sba.gov. The purpose of these Roundtable meetings is to exchange opinions, facts and information and to obtain the attendees’ individual views and opinions regarding small entity concerns. The meetings are not intended to achieve or communicate any consensus positions of the attendees.
Small Entity Energy Roundtable
Issue for Discussion
September 29, 2022
FERC Seeks Comments on Proposal to Reform Interconnection Procedures
On July 5, 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) published a proposed rule to amend and reform interconnection procedures. Currently FERC requires that all public utilities that operate facilities used for the transmission of electric energy in interstate commerce have standard procedures, and a standard agreement for interconnecting generating facilities.
FERC states that it has not updated the Commission Orders concerning these procedures since their issuance. Significant changes have occurred since that time, including the emergence of new resources seeking to interconnect to transmission systems. FERC is therefore proposing several updates and/or modifications to the current procedures for interconnection including the following:
(1) Implement a first-ready, first-served cluster study process;
(2) Increase the speed of interconnection queue processing;
(3) Incorporate technological advancements into the interconnection process.
FERC states that the proposed rule would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities and therefore has not prepared an Initial Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis.
Written comments on the proposed rule are due by October 13, 2022.
- Read the proposed rule in the Federal Register.
- Submit written comments on the proposed rule. rule.
- Advocacy contact: Send an email to Prianka Sharma at prianka.sharma@sba.gov or call (202) 205-6938.