On January 22, 2018, a New York state trial court largely rejected motions to dismiss various challenges to the state’s zero emission credit (“ZEC”) program established in 2016 by the New York Public Service Commission (“NYPSC”). The ZEC program, which is also being challenged in federal court, provides subsidies to financially struggling in-state nuclear energy generators. Although the court allowed five of the six claims against the program to proceed to trial, the court dismissed 56 of the 61 petitioners for failing to timely raise their challenges. Continue reading →

On January 12, 2018, FERC denied authorization to transfer a 1,159 MW coal-fired generation facility (“Pleasants Facility”) owned by Allegheny Energy Supply Company, LLC (“AE Supply”) to its affiliate, Monongahela Power Company (“Mon Power”).  After considering the applicable tests for affiliate transfers under the Federal Power Act (“FPA”), FERC determined that the parties’ proposed transaction was not in the public interest because it presented potential concerns of captive ratepayers cross-subsidizing non-regulated entities and because certain solicitation criteria were not met. The denial is without prejudice, so Mon Power and AE Supply may resubmit an application that corrects the shortcomings identified by FERC. Continue reading →