Electric

Commission's Responsibilities

• Approval of rates for wholesale sales of electricity and transmission in interstate commerce for jurisdictional utilities, power marketers, power pools, power exchanges, and independent system operators.
• Oversight of the issuance of certain stock and debt securities, assumption of obligations and liabilities, and mergers.
• Review of officer and director positions held between top officials at utility companies and certain firms with which they do business.
• Review of rates set by the federal power marketing administrations.
• Review of exempt wholesale generator status.
• Certification of qualifying small power production and cogeneration facilities.
• Issuance of permits to construct or modify certain electric transmission facilities within  National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors designated by the Department of Energy.

Safety & Inspections

Once Electricity projects become operational, safety is regulated, monitored and enforced by the state in which the project resides, with the exception of hydropower projects, for which FERC retains jurisdiction when they are operational.

Environment

While FERC has jurisdiction over non-federal hydropower projects, FERC has no authority over the construction or maintenance of other power-generating plants and has limited jurisdiction to authorize transmission lines related to hydropower projects.

The responsibility for authorizing the construction and maintenance of power-generating plants and transmission lines primarily resides with the state Public Utility Commissions.  The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) website provides information about each state Public Utility Commission.

However, FERC does have limited jurisdiction over the siting of certain electric transmission facilities located within National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors designated by the Department of Energy and to be used for the transmission of electric energy in interstate commerce.