General Information

Mergers and Sections 201 and 203 Transactions

The Commission is responsible for determining whether merger and corporate applications are consistent with the public interest. In making its determination, the Commission examines a merger’s effect on competition, rates and regulation, and the potential for cross-subsidization. The Commission's screening approach to mergers, reviews for horizontal competitive concerns, and establishes guidelines for vertical competitive analysis, and establishes filing requirements for mergers that potentially raise vertical market power concerns.

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Required Filers

A list of Required Filers by region is provided here. Required Filers are responsible for registering their company and keeping their registration information current.

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Annual Charges

The Commission receives an annual appropriation from Congress to defray its operating costs and recovers 100 percent of this appropriation through the collection of annual charges and filing fees. These annual charges and filing fees are assessed to recover costs incurred by the Commission in the performance of its regulatory responsibilities.

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Addressing the 2000-2001 Western Energy Crisis

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's wide-ranging response to the 2000-2001 Western Energy Crisis is a detailed and complex narrative. It still is unfolding to this day. A review of Western Energy Crisis Settlements and a Chronology of FERC's Actions and Remedies follows.

Learn more about the 2000-2001 Western Energy Crisis

Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) Reform

The Commission proposes to remedy undue discrimination by increasing the clarity and transparency in the rules applicable to planning and use of the transmission system, and to address ambiguities and the lack of sufficient detail in several important areas of the pro forma OATT.

Learn more about Open Access Transmission Tariff Reform

Integration of Renewables

The use of renewable energy resources to generate electricity has the potential to be a cost-effective means not only to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also to diversify the fuels used to generate electricity.

The Commission will continue to pursue market reforms to allow all resources, including renewable energy resources, to compete in jurisdictional markets on a level playing field. These efforts could include amendments to market rules, the modification or creation of ancillary services and related policies, or the implementation of operational tools that support the reliable integration of renewable resources. By implementing these or other reforms, the Commission's actions have the potential to increase the amount of electricity being produced from renewable energy resources.

DSIRE: Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency
EERE: DOE, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
LBNL: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

Smart Grid

To help support the modernization of the Nation's electric system consistent with Title XIII of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the Commission is focusing on issues associated with a smarter grid.

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Smart Grid advancements will apply digital technologies to the grid, and enable real-time coordination of information from generation supply resources, demand resources, and distributed energy resources (DER). The Commission's interest and responsibilities in this area derive from its authority over the rates, terms, and conditions of transmission and wholesale sales in interstate commerce, its responsibility for approving and enforcing mandatory reliability standards for the bulk power system in the United States, and a recently enacted law requiring the Commission to adopt interoperability standards and protocols necessary to ensure smart-grid functionality and interoperability in the interstate transmission of electric power and in regional and wholesale electricity markets.

Characteristics of a Smart Grid as Described by Title XIII of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

The increased use of digital information and controls technology to improve reliability, security, and efficiency of the electric grid.
The dynamic optimization of grid operations and resources, with full cyber-security.
The deployment and integration of distributed resources and generation, including renewable resources.
The development and incorporation of demand response, demand-side resources, and energy efficiency resources.
The deployment of "smart" technologies (real-time, automated, interactive technologies that optimize the physical operation of appliances and consumer devices) for metering, communications concerning grid operations and status, and distribution automation.
The integration of "smart" appliances and consumer devices.
The deployment and integration of advanced electricity storage and peak-shaving technologies, including plug-in electric and hybrid electric vehicles, and thermal storage air conditioning.
The provisioning to consumers of timely information and control options.
The development of standards for communication and interoperability of appliances and equipment connected to the electric grid, including the infrastructure serving the grid.
The identification and lowering of unreasonable or unnecessary barriers to the adoption of smart grid technologies, practices, and services.

Recent News

Sunshine Notice | November 2024 Commission Meeting

FERC Staff Issues Request for Comments Regarding Large Loads Co-Located at Generating Facilities Technical Conference

FERC Issues Agenda and Notice for First Meeting of Federal-State Current Issues Collaborative

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