Appellate Briefs

D.C. Cir. No. 22-1221, et al. Order accepting tariff revisions, establishing an annual process for developing uniform planning criteria that SPP would use to evaluate the need for Zonal Reliability Upgrades in SPP’s regional transmission planning process.  Southwest Power Pool, Inc., 179 FERC ¶ 61,229 (2022), order on reh’g,181 FERC ¶ 61,053 (2022).

D.C. Cir. No. 22-1059 et al. Response in opposition to motion for stay pending appeal of Order granting in part, and denying in part, complaint, alleging that SPP erroneously assigned Tenaska approximately $66 million in network upgrade costs during a restudy of Tenaska’s Clear Creek Wind Project as part of SPP’s affected system study process.  Tenaska Clear Creek Wind, LLC v. Southwest Power Pool, Inc., 177 FERC ¶ 61,200 (Dec. 16, 2021); Notice of Denial of Rehearing by Operation of Law and Providing for Further Consideration, 178 FERC ¶ 62,087 (Feb. 14, 2022); Order On Compliance And Addressing Arguments Raised on Rehearing, 180 FERC ¶ 61,160 (Sept. 9, 2022)

D.C. Cir. No. 22-1096 Order on compliance filing, accepting revisions to PJM’s Financial Transmission Rights forfeiture rule, and declining to require refunds.  PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., 178 FERC ¶ 61,079 (2022), order on reh’g, 179 FERC ¶ 61,010 (2022).

S. Ct. No. 22-256 Response in opposition to a petition for writ of certiorari, seeking review of 6/21/22 D.C. Cir. opinion (in No. 20-5203) affirming federal district court dismissal, for lack of jurisdiction, of challenge by landowners to exercise of eminent domain authority by Mountain Valley Pipeline, alleging improper delegation of eminent domain authority from Congress to FERC under Natural Gas Act and improper sub-delegation from FERC to private entities.  

S. Ct. No. 22-90 Response in opposition to a petition for writ of certiorari, seeking review of 1/25/22 D.C. Cir. unpublished decision (in No. 20-1330), denying appeal of FERC order denying complaint in part (on NGL’s supply arrangements, Phillips 66 proprietary interconnection, and Phillips Pipeline’s prorationing policy). NGL Supply Wholesale, LLC v. Phillips 66 Pipeline LLC and Phillips 66 Co., 172 FERC ¶ 61,106 (July 9, 2020). 

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1493 Response to petition for D.C. Circuit rehearing of 8/2/22 decision of court, following briefing and oral argument, dismissing appeal of “conditional” FERC order which accepted 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 (Mar. 10, 2020) and 172 FERC ¶ 61,132 (Aug. 10, 2020),vreh’g denied by operation of law, 173 FERC ¶ 62,022 (Oct. 13, 2020).  

5th Cir. No. 22-60458 Response of FERC in Opposition to Petition for Writ of Mandamus.  Petition for writ of mandamus, that FERC has engaged in undue delay by not acting in timely manner in:  (1) EL21-56 – failure to act on a complaint filed 3/2/21; (2) EL17-41, et al. – failure to act on an ALJ’s initial decision issued 3/24/21; and (3) EL18-152 – failure to act on an ALJ’s initial decision issued 4/6/20.

D.C. Cir. No. 21-1214, et al. Order adopting the PJM Market Monitor’s Unit-Specific Avoidable Cost Rate, and granting PJM request for waiver of certain pre-auction deadlines in the event the Commission establishes a lower value for the replacement default offer cap. Independent Market Monitor for PJM v. PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., 176 FERC ¶ 61,137 (2021), order on reh’g, 178 FERC ¶ 61,121 (2022).

3rd No. 21-3068, et al. Response of Respondent FERC Opposing Petitioners’ Motion to Strike.  PJM proposed revisions to its Open Access Transmission Tariff, regarding application of the Minimum Offer Price Rule in its capacity market.  PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., Notice of Filing Taking Effect by Operation of Law (Sept. 29, 2021) (noting that Commission did not act on PJM’s filing “because the Commissioners are divided two against two as to the lawfulness of the change”), rehearing denied by operation of law, 177 FERC ¶ 62,105 (Nov. 29, 2021).

D.C. No. 20-1449, et al. Order accepting proposed tariff revisions, to (1) identify and include Asset Management Projects within the existing planning procedures of Attachment M-3 of the PJM Tariff and (2) include procedures for the identification and planning for end-of-life needs  (EOL Needs).  PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.

3rd Cir. No. 21-3068, et al. PJM proposed revisions to its Open Access Transmission Tariff, regarding application of the Minimum Offer Price Rule in its capacity market.  PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., Notice of Filing Taking Effect by Operation of Law (Sept. 29, 2021) (noting that Commission did not act on PJM’s filing “because the Commissioners are divided two against two as to the lawfulness of the change”), rehearing denied by operation of law, 177 FERC ¶ 62,105 (Nov. 29, 2021).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1277, et al. Ameren Companies’ recovery of the costs of certain “Materials & Supplies” inventories in their cost-of-service formula rates for interstate electric transmission service.  Midcontinent Ind. Sys. Operator, Inc. & Ameren Ill. Co., Order Accepting Formula Rate Revisions, 171 FERC ¶ 61,090 (2020), reh’g denied by operation of law, 172 FERC ¶ 61,009 (2020); Midcontinent Ind. Sys. Operator, Inc. & Ameren Transmission Co. of Ill., Letter Order, 171 FERC ¶ 61,141 (2020), reh’g denied by operation of law, 172 FERC ¶ 61,010 (2020); Midcontinent Ind. Sys. Operator, Inc.

D.C. Cir. No. 21-1192, et al. Order denying complaint, alleging that New York ISO and Central Hudson failed to use reasonable efforts in processing Hecate’s interconnection request for its project, by applying an “inclusion practice” regarding the firmness of generator interconnection requests.  Hecate Energy Greene County 3 LLC v. Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp., 176 FERC ¶ 61,023 (2021), order on reh’g, 177 FERC ¶ 61,121 (2021).

5th Cir. No. 18-60575 Order on remand from El Paso Elec. Co. v. FERC, 832 F.3d 495 (5th Cir. 2016); filing, by members of WestConnect, in compliance with transmission planning and cost allocation requirements of Order No. 1000; responsibilities of public and non-public utility transmission owners.  Pub. Serv. Co. of Colorado, et al., order on remand, 161 FERC ¶ 61,188 (2017), reh’g denied, 163 FERC ¶ 61,204 (2018).

Midship Pipeline Company, LLC v. FERC 5th Cir. No. 22-60225 Order establishing procedures before an Administrative Law Judge, to determine (1) the methods and scope of remaining work activities that Midship must perform in order to restore the Sandy Creek Farms property, following construction of Midship’s Midcontinent Supply Header Interstate Pipeline Project and (2) the reasonable cost to complete such activities.  Midship Pipeline Co., 177 FERC ¶ 61,186 (Dec. 16, 2021), order on reh’g,) 178 FERC ¶ 61,202 (Mar. 24, 2022

D.C. Cir. No. 21-1139, et al. Order issuing a new license to continue operation and maintenance of the Conowingo Hydroelectric Project, a 570.15-megawatt project located on the Susquehanna River at river mile 10 in Lancaster and York Counties, Pennsylvania, and Cecil and Harford Counties, Maryland.  Exelon Generating Co., LLC, 174 FERC ¶ 61,217 (2021), order on reh’g, 176 FERC ¶ 61,029 (2021).

D.C. Cir. No. 21-1195, et al., Order on petition for declaratory order, determining that the proper rate for the Fairless Contract is the incremental rate for the MarketLink Expansion Project under Transco’s Rate Schedule FT.  Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co., LLC, 175 FERC ¶ 61,260 (2021), order on reh’g, 177 FERC ¶ 61,116 (2021).

5th Cir. No.

S. Ct. No. 21-1064 (filed 1/27/22) D.C. Cir. 20-1024 (filed 1/31/20) Implementation of Entergy bandwidth formula and calculations for 7-month period in 2005; applicability of 2009 tariff amendment.  Louisiana Pub. Serv. Comm’n, v. Entergy Services, Inc., 167 FERC ¶ 61,186 (2019), reh’g denied, 169 FERC ¶ 61,247 (2019).

D.C. Cir. No. 21-1226 Order dismissing petition for declaratory order, exercising discretion not to opine on proposed arrangement with QF on Holy Cross system and on dispute between Holy Cross and Public Service Company of Colorado.  Holy Cross Electric Association, Inc., 176 FERC ¶ 61,014 (2021); Notice of Denial of Rehearing By Operation of Law, 176 FERC ¶ 62,138 (2021).