The States

A conversation with the FERC Commissioner about why putting state regulators front and center in transmission planning is so important.

“We still are the most oil-dependent state in the nation and the most oil-dependent electricity systems. Our cost of energy remains extremely high. The sweet spot for these new technologies is it’s easier for them to be cost competitive here.”

“The Energy Transition Act is going to change the landscape for the Commission and utilities. We’re going from a firm power supply to alternative energy. That’s going to be a challenge to make sure you keep the lights on without any of the traditional firm power sources.”

“Energy decarbonization, reliability, and cost are the most urgent issues in front of the Commission. The common challenge behind all these issues is rapid change and an explosion of new technologies.”

“When I work with my colleagues, I make them understand how Native American tribes respond to issues we deal with on a daily basis and the living conditions. I also express my voice and vote on all utility matters for the whole State of New Mexico.”

“We recently established a new rule on Community Solar implementation, and other rulemaking dockets we hope to successfully complete include interconnection, grid modernization, and transportation electrification.”

“We’re showing progress by making headway on the backlog of rulemakings, filling key positions, being proactive instead of reactive. We want to make sure at the end of this calendar year, when we’re all termed out of office, we hand over the keys to an agency that is in a much better place than when we found it.”

Conversations with Chair Joseph Maestas, Vice Chair Cynthia Hall, and Commissioners Theresa Becenti-Aguilar, Stephen Fischmann, and Jefferson Byrd.

“The western region is 5 to 7 years away from a serious capacity shortfall. The major utility in Montana is predicting a 750-MW shortfall in capacity within 5 or 7 years, unless we come up with additional baseload generation.”

“Last November, my fellow Commissioners and I revised the rules to provide public access to renewable contract terms 18 months after the CPUC approves investor-owned-utility contracts (or 18 months after execution of contracts by other providers whose contracts do not require CPUC approval).”