Electricity Customer Alliance

This week, ECA released a new white paper, A Customer-Centric Agenda for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The piece examines how rapid growth in electricity demand—driven by AI, data centers, advanced manufacturing, and broader electrification—is straining regulatory and market structures that were not designed for this pace of change. It argues that without modernization, these mismatches risk undermining grid reliability and accelerating affordability challenges for customers. Against this backdrop, the paper frames FERC as a pivotal institution in aligning grid growth with American economic competitiveness and national security priorities, while ensuring that rising demand does not translate into rising costs for households and businesses. 

The article highlights recent FERC actions, including its directive to PJM to develop new transmission services for co-located large loads and the Department of Energy’s ANOPR on large-load interconnection, as early signals of a more customer-centric regulatory agenda. It argues these efforts should be expanded into a broader framework built around three pillars:  

1. Enabling “speed to power” for large customers in the near term; 

2. Ensuring large loads can be efficiently integrated into the grid over the long term; and 

3. Centering customer affordability through greater transparency and oversight. 

Electricity Customer Alliance

ECA submitted comments on the filing submitted by PJM Interconnection, which proposes a new long-term regional transmission planning process, called the Long-Term Regional Transmission Planning Protocol (“LTRTP Protocol”), along with revisions to its existing regional transmission planning processes, in compliance with FERC’s Order No. 1920. In the comments, ECA suggests that the Commission take a pragmatic approach to reviewing PJM’s compliance filing and ensuring that it is implemented quickly. ECA posits that the value of putting the key overarching features of the new LTRTP Protocol in place as soon as possible outweigh the value of any additional enhancements that could be achieved through months or years of successive compliance filings and litigation.

Electricity Customer Alliance

In a year defined by rapid load growth, affordability pressures, and the race to modernize the grid to win the AI race and support economic growth, the Electricity Customer Alliance stepped into a new phase of leadership—amplifying customer voices and advancing practical solutions across Congress, federal agencies, regional markets, and the states. Highlights from 2025 include:

-Strengthened ECA’s organizational structure and developed revised policy pillars focused on speed to power, long-term grid expansion and integration, and affordability and transparency.

-Expanded ECA’s impact on Congress by deepening bipartisan engagement, supporting hearings, and educating policymakers on rapid load growth and infrastructure needs.

-Shaped federal energy policy by advancing customer priorities at FERC, NERC, and DOE on load forecasting, transmission planning, reliability, and “speed to power” solutions.

-Influenced PJM market reforms by elevating customer perspectives on large-load integration, resource adequacy, governance, and cost management.

-Broadened state and cross-sector engagement by partnering with regulators, policymakers, and stakeholders to address affordability risks and grid modernization challenges, including hosting an affordability at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Annual Meeting and leading affordability and grid expansion for growth discussions with state energy officials.

-Unified customer voices nationwide by strengthening coordination across industrial, commercial, tech, and residential customers to deliver consistent, customer-driven policy recommendations.

Electricity Customer Alliance

ECA submitted reply comments on the Announced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking submitted to FERC by the Secretary of Energy in October. ECA’s reply comments further emphasize the need for consistent national guidelines, noting widespread concern that today’s fragmented and opaque practices slow “speed to power” and create cost-shift risks. We push back on efforts to narrow the scope of reforms, such as raising MW thresholds or asserting federal overreach, underscoring that a guidelines-based approach respects state authority while ensuring just and reasonable outcomes. We also highlight data center developers’ evidence showing that delays and inadequate processes hinder competitiveness in the global AI and manufacturing economy.

Electricity Customer Alliance

ECA submitted comments in response to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) RFI on “Accelerating Speed to Power/Winning the Artificial Intelligence Race.” In the comments, ECA urged DOE to prioritize high-value regional and interregional projects that cut congestion, lower costs, and support economic growth; advance flexible near-term power options; improve load-forecast transparency; and use its full authorities to support cost-effective, customer-benefiting solutions.

Electricity Customer Alliance

ECA submitted comments on the Announced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking submitted to FERC by the Secretary of Energy in October. ECA agrees that FERC action is urgently needed to address the rapid growth of large electricity loads—from AI data centers to onshored manufacturing—while protecting affordability and reliability for all customers. ECA emphasizes three priorities: enabling flexible, near-term “speed to power” options that allow large loads to fund their own growth; planning for efficient long-term integration of these loads into the grid to lower systemwide costs; and strengthening transparency, accountability, and customer representation in transmission planning, rate decisions, and market governance. Together, these steps will ensure the U.S. can meet economic and national-security imperatives without imposing undue costs on consumers.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

President Trump has named Laura Swett Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

“I am honored to serve as Chairman of FERC and grateful for President Trump’s confidence in me to advance America’s energy priorities at such a critical moment in our Nation’s history. I look forward to working with my colleagues and FERC’s excellent staff to continue the Commission’s crucial mission of ensuring reliable and affordable energy for all consumers,” Chairman Swett said.

Chairman Swett was nominated by President Trump on June 2, 2025, and confirmed by the Senate on October 7, 2025, to serve on the Commission for a term expiring on June 30, 2030

By Jeff Dennis

Regulators should ensure electric utilities pursue transmission innovations like high-performance conductors rather than simply reinvesting in older technologies.

Electricity Customer Alliance

Washington, D.C. — The Electricity Customer Alliance (ECA) congratulates David LaCerte and Laura Swett on their Senate confirmations to serve as Commissioners on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

“A full, five-member FERC is essential for advancing the decisions needed to meet today’s energy affordability and economic growth priorities,” said Jeff Dennis, Executive Director of the Electricity Customer Alliance. “Electricity demand is surging from Artificial Intelligence development and growth in advanced manufacturing and electrification, while electricity costs are rising for customers everywhere. ECA looks forward to working with Commissioners Swett and LaCerte, alongside the full Commission, to advance regulatory approaches that cost-effectively grow the grid and expand market opportunities to meet these new demands while ensuring that all customers have access to affordable and reliable energy.”

Electricity Customer Alliance

Washington, D.C. — The Electricity Customer Alliance (ECA) congratulates David Rosner on being named Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

“ECA is looking forward to working with Chairman Rosner and the Commission to ensure the grid and markets evolve to quickly deliver needed power supplies and greater innovation while maintaining reliability and ensuring energy affordability for all customers during this time of growing electricity demand,” said Jeff Dennis, ECA Executive Director.

Electricity Customer Alliance

Washington, D.C. — The Electricity Customer Alliance (ECA) congratulates David LaCerte on his nomination by President Trump to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

“We look forward to working with Mr. LaCerte and the rest of the Commission to prioritize customer focused innovation and flexibility, affordability, and reliability as our energy system evolves to meet the demands of artificial intelligence, electrification, manufacturing, and industrial growth,” said Jeff Dennis, ECA Executive Director.

Department of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released its Report on Evaluating U.S. Grid Reliability and Security. The report fulfills Section 3(b) of President Trump’s Executive Order, Strengthening The Reliability And Security Of The United States Electric Grid, by delivering a uniform methodology to identify at-risk regions and guide Federal reliability interventions. 

Electricity Customer Alliance

Washington, D.C. — The Electricity Customer Alliance (ECA) congratulates Laura Swett on her nomination by President Trump to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). “We look forward to working with her and the rest of the Commission to advance customer-centric solutions that support the power system expansion our nation needs to meet the demands of a growing digital economy while keeping energy affordable for all customers,” said Jeff Dennis, ECA Executive Director.

“ECA also thanks Chairman Christie for his service as Chairman,” Dennis added. “Chairman Christie has amassed a truly remarkable record of public service and will be remembered as a resolute voice for energy consumers, raising consumer cost and reliability concerns to the top of the agenda during his time leading FERC and the Virginia State Corporation Commission.”

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today released staff’s 2025 Summer Assessment on the outlook for energy markets and electric reliability during the June to September time frame.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today launches Data.FERC.gov, a new, website designed to streamline public access to FERC information, records, and data.

Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission

As representatives of the States of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, we are pleased to share the attached Strategic Action Plan on Interregional Transmission prepared by the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission.

PJM Interconnection

(Valley Forge, PA – May 2, 2025) – PJM has selected 51 projects that can come online quickly and provide more than 9,300 MW of reliable capacity through the Reliability Resource Initiative.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Commissioner Phillips served as Chairman of FERC from January 3, 2023, until January 20, 2025.  He was sworn in as a Member of the Commission on December 3, 2021.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), and its Regional Entities said today that the country’s Bulk-Power System performed well during successive cold weather events in January 2025, without major issues in either the natural gas or electric systems.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announced new updates and features to its website that focus on the cost consumers pay for power as well as how reliable that power is.