Appellate Briefs

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1262 and 20-1391 Order on cost allocation method for MISO’s share of the cost of certain interregional transmission projects with PJM. Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., 170 FERC ¶ 61,241 (2020), order on reh’g, 172 FERC ¶ 61,101 (2020).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1427 Order issuing certificate to MVP-Southgate, authorizing Mountain Valley Pipeline to construct and operate approximately 75.1 miles of natural gas pipeline and associated aboveground facilities in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and Rockingham and Alamance Counties, North Carolina. Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, 171 FERC ¶ 61,232 (2020), order on reh’g and stay, 172 FERC ¶ 61,261 (2020).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1453 Order on remand from Ameren Servs. Co. v. FERC, 880 F.3d 571 (D.C. Cir. 2018), on funding for interconnection with new generation.  Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., 164 FERC ¶ 61,158 (2018), order on compliance and reh’g, 169 FERC ¶ 61,233 (2019), order on compliance and reh’g, 172 FERC ¶ 61,248 (2020). 

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1236, et al. Order (1) accepting refund report dealing with market resettlements as a result of FERC orders accepting Amendment No. 60, California ISO’s proposed cost allocation for its must-offer generation requirement under its open access transmission tariff, and (2) ordering that interest be applied to the resettlements.  California Indep. System Operator Corp., et al., 168 FERC ¶ 61,127 (2019), reh’g denied, 171 FERC ¶ 61,109 (2020).  

D.C. No. 20-1422, et al. Order terminating a Federal Power Act section 206 investigation regarding ISO New England Inc.’s implementation of the exemption for immediate need reliability projects.  ISO New England Inc., 171 FERC ¶ 61,211 (2020), order on reh’g, 172 FERC ¶ 61,293 (2020).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1493 Order conditionally accepting tariff revisions, allowing selection of a storage facility as a transmission-only asset in the MISO Transmission Expansion Plan.  Midcontinent Indep. Sys. Operator, Inc., 170 FERC ¶ 61,186 (2020) and 172 FERC ¶ 61,132 (2020), reh’g denied by operation of law, 173 FERC ¶ 62,022 (2020).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1295, et al. Order rejecting PSCo’s proposed tariff revisions to its Large Generator Interconnection Procedures. Public Service Co. of Colorado, 171 FERC ¶ 61,115 (2020), order on reh’g, 172 FERC ¶ 61,297 (2020).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1330 Order denying complaint in part (on NGL’s supply arrangements, Phillips 66 proprietary interconnection, and Phillips Pipeline’s prorationing policy), and setting remaining issues (challenging Phillips Pipeline’s transmix rates and practices) for hearing.  NGL Supply Wholesale, LLC v. Phillips 66 Pipeline LLC and Phillips 66 Co., 172 FERC ¶ 61,106 (2020).  

D.C. Cir. Nos. 19-1224, et al. Order accepting tariff revisions related to winter reliability program for Forward Capacity Auctions.  ISO New England, Inc., 171 FERC ¶ 61,235 (2020), reh’g denied by operation of law, 172 FERC ¶ 62,095 (Aug. 20, 2020).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1289, et al. Order on compliance and remand, concerning prices paid for service under the 2013-2014 Winter Reliability Program.  ISO New England Inc., 171 FERC ¶ 61,003 (2020), order on reh’g, 172 FERC ¶ 61,164 (2020).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1388 Order approving California ISO-preferred approach for determining capacity procurement method (CPM) compensation for resources with cost offers above the soft offer cap.  California Independent System Operator Corp., 171 FERC ¶ 61,172 (2020), notice of denial of rehearing by operation of law, 172 FERC ¶ 62,052 (2020). 

D.C. Cir. Nos. 20-1104 and 20-1356 Order denying complaint and on initial decision, concerning alleged off-system sales that Entergy Arkansas made (1) in 2000, from its share of Grand Gulf, and (2) from 2000 to 2005, as Opportunity Sales that were later converted to Joint Account Sales.  Louisiana Pub. Serv. Comm’n v. Entergy Corp., 169 FERC ¶ 61,113 (2019), order on reh’g, 172 FERC ¶ 61,056 (2020); Louisiana Public Serv. Comm’n v. Entergy Corp., 165 FERC ¶ 61,022 (2018), reh’denied, 169 FERC ¶ 61,179 (2019).  

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1161, et al. Order authorizing Jordan Cove Energy Project to site, construct, and operate a liquefied natural gas export terminal and associated facilities in Coos County, Oregon, and authorizing Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline to construct and operate a new interstate natural gas pipeline system in Klamath, Jackson, Douglas, and Coos Counties, Oregon.  Jordan Cove Energy Project, L.P., and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, L.P., 170 FERC ¶ 61,202 (2020), order on reh’g, 171 FERC ¶ 61,136 (2020).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1206, et al. Certificate order authorizing Adelphia Gateway LLC to acquire, construct and operate natural gas pipeline facilities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  Adelphia Gateway, LLC, 169 FERC ¶ 61,220 (2019), reh’g denied, 171 FERC ¶ 61,049 (2020).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1286, et al. Order rejecting wholesale power supply contracts, subject to Mobile-Sierra “public interest” standard of review, without prejudice.  Wabash Valley Power Ass'n, Inc., 171 FERC ¶ 61,073 (2020), order on reh’g, 172 FERC ¶ 61,177 (2020).

D.C. No. 20-1324 Order, following evidentiary hearing and ALJ initial decision, concerning ratemaking (including return on equity) disputes relating to a project (the Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline Project) that was ordered and later cancelled by PJM.  Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline, LLC, et al., Opinion No. 554, 158 FERC ¶ 61,050 (2017), on reh’g, Op. No. 554-A, 170 FERC ¶ 61,050 (2020), on reh’g, Op. No. 554-B, 172 FERC ¶ 61,048 (2020).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1156 Order addressing complaints challenging the results of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s 2015/16 Planning Resource Auction for Local Resource Zone 4, and alleging exercise of market power.  Public Citizen, Inc., et al. v. Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., 168 FERC ¶ 61,042 (2019), reh’g denied, 170 FERC ¶ 61,227 (2020).

D.C. Cir. Nos. 20-1084 and 20-1297 Order, following evidentiary hearing and ALJ initial decision, concerning whether PG&E will unreasonably deny service to San Francisco upon expiration of the 1987 Interconnection Agreement between the parties.  City and County of San Francisco v. Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Opinion No. 568, 169 FERC ¶ 61,128 (2019), order on reh’g, 171 FERC ¶ 61,196 (2020).

D.C. Cir. Nos. 20-1033, et al. Approval of contested settlement, following court remands, of the assignment of cost responsibility for transmission facilities that operate at or above 500 kilovolts.  PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., 163 FERC ¶ 61,168 (2018), reh’g denied, 169 FERC ¶ 61,238 (2019), reh’g dismissed, 171 FERC ¶ 61,161 (2020).  

S. Ct. No. 19-1039 Amicus brief of the United States and FERC in support of vacating on jurisdictional grounds or reversing on the merits a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit related to condemnation suits filed by PennEast against the State of New Jersey pursuant to a FERC certificate under the Natural Gas Act.