Appellate Briefs

D.C. Cir. No. 21-1126, et al. Order setting aside earlier order denying Broadview Solar’s application seeking Commission certification that proposed hybrid solar photovoltaic facility is a qualifying small power production facility pursuant to the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. Broadview Solar, LLC, 174 FERC ¶ 61,199 (2021), order on reh’g, 175 FERC ¶ 61,228 (2021).  

D.C. Cir. No. 21-1163, et al. Order dismissing, for lack of federal jurisdiction, filing of new rate schedule setting forth Cherokee’s proposed cost-based revenue requirement for Reactive Supply and Voltage Control from Generation Sources Service to Duke Energy Carolinas; interconnection agreement with PURPA qualifying facility subject to authority of relevant state authority. Cherokee County Cogeneration Partners, LLC, 175 FERC ¶ 61,002 (2021), order on reh’g, 176 FERC ¶ 61,069 (2021).  

D.C. Cir. Nos. 21-1122 and 21-1157 Order on show cause, finding that a liquified natural gas handling facility constructed at the Port of San Juan in Puerto Rico is subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act, and directing New Fortress Energy to file an application for authorization to operate the facility. New Fortress Energy LLC, 174 FERC ¶ 61,207 (2021), order on reh’g, 176 FERC ¶ 61,031 (2021).

D.C. Cir. No. 21-1166 Order conditionally accepting Installed Capacity (ICAP) Demand Curve reset -- proposed revisions defining the demand curves in the ICAP Market for the 2021/2022 Capability Year, and identifying the methodologies and inputs to be used for subsequent, annual updates  to the ICAP Demand Curves for the 2022/2023, 2023/2024, and 2024/2025 Capability Years. New York Independent System Operator, Inc., 175 FERC ¶ 61,012 (2021), notice of denial of reh’g by operation of law, 175 FERC ¶ 62,159 (2021).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1465, et al. [Supplemental Brief] Order Denying Complaint.  LSP Transmission Holdings II, LLC, et al. v. Midcontinent Indep. Sys. Operating, Inc., 172 FERC ¶ 61,098 (2020), order on reh’g, 173 FERC ¶ 61,202 (2020); Order on cost allocation for Market Efficiency Projects and selection process for Immediate Need Reliability Projects.  Midcontinent Indep. Sys. Operating, Inc., 172 FERC ¶ 61,095 (2020), order on reh’g, 173 FERC ¶ 61,203 (2020).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1421 [Supplemental Brief] Order denying complaint, alleging that MISO’s current location-based cost allocation method in the MISO tariff for Baseline Reliability Projects (BRPs) is not just and reasonable because it does not identify the beneficiaries of each BRP in a manner that is roughly commensurate with the BRP benefits received.  Coalition of MISO Transmission Customers v. Midcontinent Indep. Sys. Operator, Inc., 172 FERC ¶ 61,099 (2020), reh’g denied by operation of law, 172 FERC ¶ 62,179 (2020).

S. Ct. No. 21-848 Draft brief in opposition to Spire’s petition for a writ of certiorari to review 6/22/21 D.C. Circuit decision to vacate and remand FERC orders granting Spire pipeline certificate.  Spire STL Pipeline LLC, 164 FERC ¶ 61,085 (2018), order on reh’g,  169 FERC ¶ 61,134 (2019).

9th Cir. No. 16-70068 Orders on Western Energy crisis complaints challenging spot market contract rates in the Pacific Northwest.  Puget Sound Energy, Inc. v. All Jurisdictional Sellers, Opinion No. 537, 151 FERC ¶ 61,173 (2015), reh’g denied, 153 FERC ¶ 61,386 (2015). 

9th Cir. No. 16-70680, et al. Orders setting hearing and orders on initial decision, on remand from California v. FERC, 784 F.3d 1267 (9th Cir. 2015), affirming findings of ALJ in the Initial Decision, that sellers’ quarterly reporting violations did not mask manipulation or market power resulting in unjust and unreasonable prices, and that California Parties have not established a basis for ordering refunds.  State of California, ex rel. Bill Lockyer, Attorney General of Cal. v. British Columbia Power Exchange Corp., et al., 153 FERC ¶ 61,137 (2015) (order on remand setting hearing), order on clarification and reh’g, 157 FERC ¶ 61,154 (2016), order on reh’g, 157 FERC ¶ 61,023 (2016); 175 FERC ¶ 61,124 (2021) (order on initial decision), rehearing denied by operation of law, 176 FERC ¶ 62,046 (2021).  

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1343, et al. Various orders concerning a cost-of-service agreement (Mystic Agreement) among Constellation Mystic Power, Exelon Generation Company, and ISO New England. Constellation Mystic Power, LLC, 164 FERC ¶ 61,022 (2018), 165 FERC ¶ 61,267 (2018), 172 FERC ¶¶ 61,043, 61,044, and 61,045 (2020), and 173 FERC ¶ 61,261 (2020).

D.C. Cir. Nos. 21-1120, et al. Order denying Turlock/Modesto petition for declaratory order requesting that FERC declare that the California State Water Resources Control Board waived its authority under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.  Turlock Irrigation District, et al., 174 FERC ¶ 61,042 (2021), order on reh’g, 175 FERC ¶ 61,144 (2021).  

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1379 Order granting authorization of the Alaska LNG Project under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act.  Alaska Gasline Development Corp., 171 FERC ¶ 61,134 (2020), order on reh’g, 172 FERC ¶ 61,214 (2020).

D.C. Cir. No. 22-1011 Answer of Respondent FERC in Opposition to Petition For Stay.  Petition for extraordinary writ, pursuant to All Writs Act, to stay effectiveness of ISO New England Inc., 178 FERC ¶ 61,001 (Jan. 3, 2022), pet. for agency reh’g and stay pending (filed Jan. 10, 2022)

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1512, et al. Orders granting requests for extension of time to complete pipeline construction, and partially lifting stop work order and allowing certain construction to proceed.  Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, 173 FERC ¶ 61,026 and 61,027 (2020), orders on reh’g, 173 FERC ¶ 61,222 (2020), and 173 FERC ¶ 61,252 (2020). 

D.C. No. 20-1079, et al. Consolidated appeals of 6 orders addressing alleged violation of PJM-NYISO Joint Operating Agreement, and unduly discriminatory effects on New Jersey ratepayers, resulting from cost allocation for Bergen-Linden Corridor Project and merchant transmission providers’ related conversion of Firm Transmission Withdrawal Rights to Non-Firm Transmission Withdrawal Rights. New Jersey Bd. of Pub. Utils. v. PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., et al., 163 FERC ¶ 61,139 (2018), reh’g denied, 170 FERC ¶ 61,180 (2020), and related orders.

No. 20-1256, et al. Order on Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association’s petition for declaratory order, seeking guidance from the Commission to provide certainty regarding Tri-State’s jurisdictional status and the Commission’s exclusive regulatory jurisdiction over Tri-State, and as to whether state regulatory proceedings are preempted.  Tri-State Generation and Transmission Ass’n, Inc., 170 FERC ¶ 61,224 (2020), and 172 FERC ¶ 61,173 (2020), order on reh’g, 173 FERC ¶ 61,097 (2020).

D.C. Cir. No. 21-1106 Order affirming ALJ Initial Decision, that Texas Eastern did not violate the Natural Gas Act, its tariff or Commission regulations, and acted reasonably in repairing outages in 2014 and 2016 on Texas Eastern’s offshore pipeline system in the Gulf of Mexico.  Peregrine Oil & Gas II, LLC v. Texas Eastern Transmission, LP, 173 FERC ¶ 61,246 (Dec. 17, 2020), reh’g denied by operation of law, 174 FERC ¶ 62,114 (Feb. 19, 2021).

D.C. Cir. No. 20-1499 Order accepting new Facility Service Agreement, governing interconnection funding in MISO. Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., 171 FERC ¶ 61,075 (2020), order on reh’g, 173 FERC ¶ 61,037 (2020).

D.C. Cir. Nos. 21-1214, et al. Answer Of Respondent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission In Opposition To Motion To Expedite Consideration

9th Cir. No. 20-72432, et al. Waiver of state authority under section 401(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act to issue water quality certification regarding the relicensing of various hydroelectric projects.  Nevada Irrigation District, 171 FERC ¶ 61,029 (2020), order on reh’g, 172 FERC ¶ 61,082 (2020); Yuba County Water Agency, 171 FERC ¶ 61,139 (2020), order on reh’g, 172 FERC ¶ 61,080 (2020); Merced Irrigation District, 171 FERC ¶ 61,240 (2020), reh’g denied by operation of law, 172 FERC ¶ 62,098 (2020).