RTO Insider Daily Headlines

RTO Insider Daily Headlines for October 1, 2026. In this episode: • FERC Conditionally Approves PJM Backstop Procurement, Delays Implementation (RTO Insider) FERC has approved the bulk of PJM’s Reliability Backstop Procurement but suspended its implementation for five months while it investigates whether several aspects fall short of being just and reasonable. https://www.rtoinsider.com/ferc-conditionally-approves-pjm-backstop-procurement-delays-implementation/ • Key Senators Present Bipartisan Permitting Reform Proposal (RTO Insider) The ambitious proposal ranges from expanded FERC permitting authority to safeguards from data center costs to time limits on certain review processes. https://www.rtoinsider.com/147080-breaking-news-key-senators-reach-bipartisan-permitting-reform-proposal/ • Appellate Decisions Highlight Requirements for Review of FERC Orders (RTO Insider commentary) Three decisions in the past year by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit — which hears most FERC cases — show parties must satisfy several threshold requirements before courts will consider the merits of a petition for review. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146930-appellate-decisions-highlight-requirements-review-ferc-orders/ • ROWE Appoints Inaugural Board of Directors (RTO Insider) The temporary body constituted to get the Regional Organization for Western Energy up and running voted to appoint the organization’s inaugural board of directors and approve a board member independence plan. https://www.rtoinsider.com/147071-rowe-independent-board-slate-approved/ • PGE Hours Away from EDAM Entry as CAISO Addresses Kinks (RTO Insider) Portland General Electric is ready to join CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market on Oct. 1 as the new market continues to grapple with new issues, many related to software. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146932-pge-hours-away-edam-entry-caiso-addresses-kinks/ • WRAP 1st Priority amid Western Market Shakeup, WPP CEO Says (RTO Insider) As the West’s day-ahead markets face a potential upheaval, the Western Power Pool remains committed to ensuring its resource adequacy program continues to deliver value to participants, the organization’s CEO said. https://www.rtoinsider.com/147073-wrap-priority-amid-western-market-shakeup-wpp-ceo/ • Planned Data Center on Utah Federal Land Sparks Concern (RTO Insider) Utah continues to be an attractive location for hyperscale data center projects despite state leaders moving to place regulatory guardrails on the massive artificial intelligence infrastructure projects in response to fierce public backlash. https://www.rtoinsider.com/147101-planned-data-center-utah-federal-land-sparks-concern/ • DOE Again Postpones Centralia, Craig Coal Unit Retirements (RTO Insider) The U.S. Department of Energy issued emergency orders to keep coal-fired power plants in two Western states open for another 90 days past their planned retirement dates — despite the units’ sparse generation since the extensions began. https://www.rtoinsider.com/147076-doe-again-extends-operation-coal-plants/ • NERC Reports CIP Exceptions Falling Across ERO (ERO Insider) NERC reported that the number of technical feasibility exceptions to the CIP standards continued to fall in its latest report on the TFE program. https://www.rtoinsider.com/147062-nerc-reports-cip-exceptions-falling-across-ero/ Chapters: 00:07 Introduction 00:14 FERC Conditionally Approves PJM Backstop Procurement, Delays Implementation 00:30 Key Senators Present Bipartisan Permitting Reform Proposal 00:43 Commentary: Appellate Decisions Highlight Requirements for Review of FERC Orders 01:01 ROWE Appoints Inaugural Board of Directors 01:16 PGE Hours Away from EDAM Entry as CAISO Addresses Kinks 01:30 WRAP 1st Priority amid Western Market Shakeup, WPP CEO Says 01:48 Planned Data Center on Utah Federal Land Sparks Concern 02:05 DOE Again Postpones Centralia, Craig Coal Unit Retirements 02:23 NERC Reports CIP Exceptions Falling Across ERO 02:35 Subscribe Read these stories and more at W-W-W dot R-T-O Insider dot com. Music provided by BreakzStudios.

RTO Insider Daily Headlines for September 30, 2026. In this episode: • MISO’s Market Monitor Needs a Record the Public Can Trust (RTO Insider commentary) MISO hired EY-Parthenon to examine how it oversees its Independent Market Monitor. Its preliminary findings have produced a disagreement worth resolving. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146949-miso-market-monitor-needs-a-record-the-public-can-trust/ • PJM Stakeholders Present Terms of Governance Changes (RTO Insider) PJM, several consumer advocates and a coalition of members presented the Members Committee with term sheets laying out how to rework the RTO’s governance and stakeholder process. https://www.rtoinsider.com/147011-pjm-stakeholders-present-terms-of-governance-changes/ • Wash. PUDs Settle with Feds over Canadian Entitlement Share (RTO Insider) Three Washington public utility districts have settled ongoing litigation with the federal government over their collective share of the Canadian Entitlement under the Columbia River Treaty between the U.S. and Canada. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146999-wash-puds-settle-feds-canadian-entitlement-share/ • NRC Authorizes TVA to Build 1st U.S. Small Modular Reactor (RTO Insider) The TVA said a construction date has not been set and cost-sharing negotiations with industry partners still are underway. https://www.rtoinsider.com/147009-nrc-authorizes-tva-build-1st-us-small-modular-reactor/ • Utilize Coalition Report Lays out Strategies for Increasing Grid Use (RTO Insider) The Utilize Coalition released a policy paper laying out how the effective use of transmission and distribution infrastructure can be measured over time. https://www.rtoinsider.com/147001-utilize-coalition-report-designing-state-programs/ Chapters: 00:07 Introduction 00:14 Commentary: MISO’s Market Monitor Needs a Record the Public Can Trust 00:28 PJM Stakeholders Present Terms of Governance Changes 00:43 Wash. PUDs Settle with Feds over Canadian Entitlement Share 00:58 NRC Authorizes TVA to Build 1st U.S. Small Modular Reactor 01:11 Utilize Coalition Report Lays out Strategies for Increasing Grid Use 01:24 Subscribe Read these stories and more at W-W-W dot R-T-O Insider dot com. Music provided by BreakzStudios.

RTO Insider Daily Headlines for September 29, 2026. In this episode: • The Next Frontier of Grid Resilience: Wildfire Prevention and Utility Asset Protection (RTO Insider commentary) The next frontier in grid asset protection is not simply responding to fires faster, but deploying targeted solutions that reduce the likelihood of ignition and spread before a fire starts, writes industry leader Wes Bolsen. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146163-next-frontier-grid-resilience-wildfire-prevention-utility-asset-protection/ • DTE Proposes Gas Plants, Storage, Renewables in IRP (RTO Insider) DTE Electric is pitching an all-of-the-above-except-coal energy mix in its 2026 Integrated Resource Plan, reaffirming its commitment to end coal use by 2032. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146928-dte-affirms-coal-phaseout-in-latest-irp-submission/ • FERC Approves $425K in NERC Penalties (ERO Insider) FERC approved penalties against TransAlta, NLPC and Pepco for violations of NERC reliability standards. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146922-ferc-approves-425k-in-nerc-penalties/ • IESO Proposes New Capacity Accreditation Method for Future Procurements (RTO Insider) IESO is recommending marginal reliability impact as its method for accrediting capacity in future procurements, moving away from its current reliance on unforced capacity. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146833-ieso-proposes-new-capacity-accreditation-method-future-procurements/ • PGE Says Oregon PUC Order on Holding Company Proposal is Too Strict (RTO Insider) Portland General Electric rejected the Oregon Public Utility Commission’s conditional order approving the utility’s proposed holding company structure, saying tighter controls on dividends would restrict “ordinary business activities” and limit necessary investments. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146926-pge-says-oregon-puc-conditions-holding-company-plan-too-strict/ • Texas Nuclear Summit Speakers See Bright Future for Industry (RTO Insider) Speakers at the third annual Texas Nuclear Summit reflected on the event's growth and discussed the potential for new nuclear power aided by federal government support. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146863-texas-nuclear-summit-bright-future-for-industry/ Chapters: 00:07 Introduction 00:14 Commentary: The Next Frontier of Grid Resilience: Wildfire Prevention and Utility Asset Protection 00:33 DTE Proposes Gas Plants, Storage, Renewables in IRP 00:49 FERC Approves $425K in NERC Penalties 01:01 IESO Proposes New Capacity Accreditation Method for Future Procurements 01:17 PGE Says Oregon PUC Order on Holding Company Proposal is Too Strict 01:36 Texas Nuclear Summit Speakers See Bright Future for Industry 01:50 Subscribe Read these stories and more at W-W-W dot R-T-O Insider dot com. Music provided by BreakzStudios.

RTO Insider Daily Headlines for September 28, 2026. In this episode: • Democrats Fume Over Data Center Development on Public Lands (RTO Insider) Congressional Democrats are ramping up opposition to the Trump administration efforts to potentially use thousands of acres of federal lands in the West to house data centers in the wake of the BLM’s recent approval of a controversial project in Nevada. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146841-democrats-fume-over-data-center-development-on-public-lands/ • Pathways Reveals Proposed ROWE Board Members (RTO Insider) The group standing up ROWE announced the names of five industry veterans poised to become the organization’s first board directors amid pressure to show it can provide independent governance over CAISO’s energy markets. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146741-pathways-announces-rowe-inaugural-board/ • Grid Operators Need Authority Budgets Before AI Agents Get More Power (RTO Insider commentary) Grid organizations should use AI aggressively where it improves forecasting, compliance, maintenance, planning and analysis. But as AI shifts from advising people to agents that can act across systems, the industry needs a harder limit on delegated power. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146165-grid-operators-need-authority-budgets-before-ai-agents-get-more-power/ • ISO Governance Speed is Not a Legal Abstraction; it's an Engineering Constraint (RTO Insider commentary) There's a cost to "shared governance" ISO gridlock that doesn't show up in a tariff filing: the physical grid does not wait for administrative consensus to finish forming, warns engineering analyst Mica C. Tufillaro. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146859-iso-governance-speed-not-legal-abstraction-engineering-constraint/ • Earthjustice Report Suggests Cost Allocation Methods for Large Loads (RTO Insider) Earthjustice has released a report by Energy Futures Group on how to allocate the costs caused by the addition of large loads like data centers. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146831-earthjustice-report-suggests-cost-allocation-methods-for-large-loads/ • FERC Reaffirms ROE Reduction, Refund Requirements for ISO-NE TOs (RTO Insider) Responding to a rehearing request by the ISO-NE transmission owners, FERC reaffirmed its reduction of the TOs’ base return on equity and its requirement for the companies to refund customers for the overcollection of funds dating back to 2011. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146828-ferc-reaffirms-roe-reduction-refund-iso-ne-tos/ • Storage Developers Face Evolving Challenges, Opportunities in ISO-NE (RTO Insider) While advancements in battery technology, increasing arbitrage opportunities and state programs are boosting the case for energy storage in ISO-NE, regulatory challenges continue to pose substantial barriers to development. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146697-iso-ne-storage-devs-face-evolving-challenges-opportunities/ Chapters: 00:07 Introduction 00:14 Democrats Fume Over Data Center Development on Public Lands 00:31 Pathways Reveals Proposed ROWE Board Members 00:46 Commentary: Grid Operators Need Authority Budgets Before AI Agents Get More Power 01:07 Commentary: ISO Governance Speed is Not a Legal Abstraction; it's an Engineering Constraint 01:26 Earthjustice Report Suggests Cost Allocation Methods for Large Loads 01:38 FERC Reaffirms ROE Reduction, Refund Requirements for ISO-NE TOs 01:58 Storage Developers Face Evolving Challenges, Opportunities in ISO-NE 02:15 Subscribe Read these stories and more at W-W-W dot R-T-O Insider dot com. Music provided by BreakzStudios.

RTO Insider Daily Headlines for September 25, 2026. In this episode: • Energy Storage Marks Another Strong Quarter (RTO Insider) A new report shows battery storage installation soaring in the United States and the average duration of installed batteries growing longer. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146261-second-quarter-us-energy-storage-report/ • Second Judge Blocks N.Y. Climate Change Superfund Act (NetZero Insider) New York’s attempt to charge fossil fuel companies $75 billion in compensation for climate damage has been shot down by a second federal judge. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146727-ny-climate-change-superfund-act-struck-down-again/ • NYISO Breaks Down Summer System Conditions (RTO Insider) New York had 10 days with a system peak load of over 27,000 MW this summer, NYISO reported to stakeholders at the end of August. https://www.rtoinsider.com/142327-nyiso-breaks-down-2026-summer-season-performance/ • Fixing PJM’s Real Problem: Interconnection Delays (RTO Insider commentary) PJM's interconnection queue for reviewing and approving requests wasn’t flexible enough to handle the increased volume in recent years and has seized up, writes Tom Rutigliano of the NRDC. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146711-fixing-pjms-real-problem/ • Trump Administration Prioritizing Large-Scale Energy Storage (RTO Insider) The Trump administration has spent the past year course correcting its policies on energy storage, making it a top priority in its efforts to lower energy costs as the buildout of data centers and the artificial intelligence industry strains the nation’s aging power grid, according to a senior Department of Energy official. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146721-trump-administration-prioritizing-large-scale-energy-storage/ • Ariz. Utilities’ Day-ahead Market Choices Face Fresh Scrutiny (RTO Insider) An Arizona regulator has asked utilities in the state for updated analysis on their choice of day-ahead market — including the impact of Bonneville Power Administration potentially switching from SPP’s Markets+ to CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146709-ariz-utilities-day-ahead-market-choices-face-fresh-scrutiny/ • Experts Debate Restructuring vs. Vertical Integration at AEI (RTO Insider) The return of major load growth has brought back basic debates about how to economically regulate the power industry, and the American Enterprise Institute gathered a group of experts to discuss the topic. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146725-experts-debate-restructuring-versus-vertical-integration-at-aei/ • CISA, FBI Warn of Attacks on ICS Integrators (ERO Insider) Federal agencies said malicious cyber actors may be targeting third-party industrial control system integration services. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146714-cisa-issues-ics-integrator-guidance/ • DOE Awards $1.9B for 31 Grid Modernization Projects (RTO Insider) Recipients are expected to reconductor or replace more than 1,500 miles of transmission lines and add grid-enhancing technologies to nearly 21,000 miles. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146729-doe-announces-speed-power-transmission-grants/ • MISO Asks FERC for Queue Restudy Cutback, 1-shot Exit Ramp for 2022 Projects (RTO Insider) MISO has filed a plan with FERC to reduce restudies in its interconnection queue and hand out a one-time pardon for generation proposals that entered its queue in 2022, allowing them to exit without consequence in late 2026. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146694-miso-asks-ferc-queue-restudy-cutback-one-shot-exit-ramp/ • IESO Finalizes Long Lead-Time Procurement Changes as Registration Opens (RTO Insider) IESO has finalized changes to its Long Lead-Time request for proposals, including a mechanism to replace unsigned or disqualified awards, new contract language allowing it to share project progress reports with the Ontario government and revisions to storage requirements. https://www.rtoinsider.com/146715-ieso-finalizes-long-lead-time-procurement-changes/ Chapters: 00:07 Introduction 00:14 Energy Storage Marks Another Strong Quarter 00:25 Second Judge Blocks N.Y. Climate Change Superfund Act 00:38 NYISO Breaks Down Summer System Conditions 00:50 Commentary: Fixing PJM’s Real Problem: Interconnection Delays 01:08 Trump Administration Prioritizing Large-Scale Energy Storage 01:29 Ariz. Utilities’ Day-ahead Market Choices Face Fresh Scrutiny 01:48 Experts Debate Restructuring vs. Vertical Integration at AEI 02:04 CISA, FBI Warn of Attacks on ICS Integrators 02:16 DOE Awards $1.9B for 31 Grid Modernization Projects 02:31 MISO Asks FERC for Queue Restudy Cutback, 1-shot Exit Ramp for 2022 Projects 02:52 IESO Finalizes Long Lead-Time Procurement Changes as Registration Opens 03:13 Subscribe Read these stories and more at W-W-W dot R-T-O Insider dot com. Music provided by BreakzStudios.