Whitehouse, Markey, Welch, Levin Lead Call for Further Action on Key FERC Renewables Rule

Press Release

Eighteen Senators, led by Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), are calling for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to finalize guidance on a rule to grow a more flexible and resilient grid by allowing Americans to connect their rooftop solar, wind, and energy storage devices to the electrical grid. Reducing energy market barriers for distributed energy resources (DERs) will increase the security and resiliency of the grid and potentially lower costs for consumers. Whitehouse and Markey have previously led colleagues in pressing the FERC to finalize this guidance to establish proper technology-neutral market rules. Congressmen Peter Welch (D-VT) and Mike Levin (D-CA) are leading the companion to this letter in the House.

"FERC has the opportunity and authority to ensure that proper technology-neutral market rules are put forward to reduce barriers for DER participation in our grid," the Senators write in a letter to FERC. "The changes proposed in the DER rulemaking will not only help improve the reliability and resilience of the bulk power system by providing operators with new local tools to manage unanticipated events, but potentially lower costs for consumers. We are encouraged by Chairman Chatterjee's recent comments where he empathized the role that innovation and new technologies will play in improving the function of our grid."

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