nuclear-news

These 11 energy associations are working together. Together, that is, against the Trump administration’s latest  energy policy directive.

On Monday, a coalition of 11 energy lobbying groups asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to delay issuing and enforcing a new rule issued by the Energy Department. Energy Secretary Perry had asked for FERC to streamline the rulemaking process but the groups want time to weigh in during the traditional comment period.

The coalition attracted some strange bedfellows, including renewable-energy lobbyists such as the American Wind Energy Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association and oil and gas heavyweights such as the Natural Gas Supply Association and the American Petroleum Institute……..

In a letter and proposed regulation, Perry asked FERC to consider issuing new rules to ensure that nuclear and coal-fired plants are compensated not only for the electricity they provide to homes and businesses, but for the reliability they add to the grid…….

What the groups have on their side: While technically housed under the Energy Department, FERC is an independent agency. In the case of Perry’s recommendations, the 5-member commission has the leeway to accept or reject them wholesale. By allowing no more than three commissioners to be from the same party, the commission is supposedly untethered from party influence.

What the groups have going against them: Or at least FERC was intended to be free of partisan politics. Two of FERC’s three commissioners, Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelson, were both appointed by Trump. And two more Trump nominees, Richard Glick and Kevin McIntyre, are up for consideration in the Senate……https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-energy-202/2017/10/03/the-energy-202-rick-perry-manages-to-unite-oil-gas-wind-and-solar-against-him/59d26c2030fb0468cea81cf1/?utm_term=.2033087c7243