ECA Leads Letter to FERC Regarding Ohio People’s Counsel Complaint

November 17, 2023

ECA sent a joint letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) complaint with R Street Institute, Clean Energy Buyers Association, Electricity Consumers Resource Council, Maryland Office of People’s Counsel, New Jersey Division of the Rate Counsel, Public Citizen, and Southern Environmental Law Center. The letter recognized the regulatory gap identified in the OCC complaint and proffered four opportunities to close the regulatory gap, including conducting local transmission oversight, reforming formula rates and prudence practices, clearly defining “local” projects, and supporting an independent transmission monitor.

ECA Sends Letter to House Energy and Commerce Committee Requesting Collaboration to Improve Grid Reliability and Organized Electricity Markets

September 27, 2023

This letter acknowledged that the ECA would like to work with the House E&C Committee, in a bipartisan fashion, to help develop electricity market reforms and reliability policies that support the U.S.’ manufacturing resurgence, improve governance and operation of organized electricity markets, and address concerns with transmission planning inefficiencies, especially local transmission planning and costs. 

ECA Joins Comments to FERC Supporting Ambitious Generator Interconnection Reform

June 8, 2023

ECA joined R Street Institute, Electricity Consumers Resource Council, National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, Industrial Energy Consumers of America, and American Chemistry Council to submit comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on June 8, 2023, supporting ambitious generator interconnection reform, including 1) re-examining the role of regional transmission planning to drive cost-effective network upgrades; 2) considering a focused interconnection study approach that uses transparent, realistic study assumptions; 3) pursuing mechanisms that require or motivate best queue management practices; and 4) simplifying deliverability requirements, expanding information tools, and ensuring commercial readiness requirements are not unduly burdensome.

Actions

ECA and Other Electricity Customer Groups Submit Load Forecasting Letter to FERC Ahead of Technical Conference

May 30, 2025

ECA, joined by the Electricity Consumers Resource Council (ELCON), Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates Inc (NASUCA), Coalition of MISO Transmission Customers (CMTC), and PJM Industrial Customer Coalition (ICC), submitted a joint letter urging the FFERC to launch a collaborative process with states to improve the transparency, accuracy, and consistency of load forecasts.

ECA Submits Comments to FERC Highlighting Existing Regulatory Gap with Current Local Transmission Practices

March 23, 2023

ECA, joined by Citizens Utility Board of Illinois, Electricity Consumers Resource Council, Maryland's Office of People's Counsel, New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel, People's Counsel for the District of Columbia, Public Citizen, and R Street Institute, submitted comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on March 23, 2023, demonstrating that current local transmission practices, including unclear jurisdictional coverage, inadequate information, and flawed prudency mechanisms, lead to elevated and unnecessary transmission costs with little transparency, accountability, or regulatory oversight for electricity customers and proffers recommendations to address these challenges. 

Coalition Letter Urges Appropriations Committee to Fund DOE’s Wholesale Electricity Market Program

May 24, 2022

Twenty-seven associations, organizations, and companies sent a letter to the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, and House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee on May 24, 2022, urging the Committees to provide robust funding for the U.S. Department of Energy's Wholesale Electricity Market Technical Assistance and Grants program.  

Coalition Letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee

September 13, 2021

Fifteen associations and organizations sent a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on September 13, 2021, supporting the funding for electric transmission funding, including providing $100 million for organized wholesale electricity markets in the Committee's portion of the Build Back Better Act.   

Coalition Letter Urges DOE to Support Wholesale Electricity Markets during IRA and BIL Implementation

November 18, 2022

Thirty-one associations, organizations, and companies sent a letter to the Department of Energy on November 18, 2022, urging the Department to explore every opportunity to join states to develop and improve wholesale electricity markets as they implement the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

State Legislators Discuss State-led Efforts around Organized Wholesale Markets

September 1, 2021

Six state legislators from Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon sent a bipartisan letter to the leadership of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee on September 1, 2021, highlighting their recent efforts enacting legislation that would allow their respective states to evaluate and/or develop organized wholesale electricity markets and discussing the benefits of collaborating with the Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity, which maintains the necessary tools and expertise, including grid, economic, and emission modeling, moving forward. 

Coalition Letter Urges Congress to Support Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity Market Interoperability and Infrastructure

July 21, 2021

Nineteen associations and organizations sent a letter to Senate and House leadership on July 21, 2021, urging Congress to establish a dedicated program at the DOE-OE to provide technical and financial assistance on a voluntary basis to states for efforts related to wholesale market buildout, as part of the ongoing discussions around grid modernization and energy infrastructure.  

Coalition Letter Urges Congress to Expand Wholesale Electricity Markets

March 17, 2021

Twenty associations and organizations, representing commercial, industrial, and residential consumers, sent a letter to the leadership of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, House Energy and Commerce Committee, Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, and House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee, on March 17, 2021, calling on Congress to expand and strengthen competitive wholesale electricity markets as it considers federal policy to improve the resiliency of the nation’s power grid. 

ECA Sends Letter to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to Request Future Collaboration to Enhance Grid Reliability and Resiliency

May 20, 2024

ECA sent a letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee commending the Committee for holding a hearing on the growing demand for electric power in the U.S. The letter also suggests that ECA should collaborate with the Committee in the future to develop policies that will enhance grid reliability and resiliency of the existing grid while ensuring that the grid can meet the growing demand in the U.S.

Coalition Letter Urges Congress to Expand and Improve Wholesale Electricity Markets

May 19, 2020

Fifteen associations and organizations sent a letter to the leadership of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee on May 19, 2020, highlighting legislative language to expand, improve, and modernize the nation’s competitive wholesale electricity markets would simultaneously reduce consumer costs and foster new business opportunities that can create jobs and grow the economy. 

ECA Sends Letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committees to Support Funding DOE’s Wholesale Markets Technical Assistance and Grants Program

May 8, 2024

The coalition letter, signed by more than 20 organizations, asks Congress to fully fund the Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget request for the Department of Energy’s Wholesale Markets Technical Assistance and Grants program to continue to support and expand activities initiated in FY 2023 and FY 2024 to address electricity market services and the value of organized markets in driving reliable, resilient, and low-cost energy.

Coalition Letter Urges FERC to Address Wholesale Electricity Markets

June 12, 2019

Thirteen associations and organizations sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on June 12, 2019, urging the Commission to encouraging the evolution of competitive wholesale electricity markets as part of their upcoming regulatory agenda and activities.