FERC Advises EPA on Reliability Stemming From Air Toxics Standards, Smart Grid Roadmaps Should Look Beyond Electricity

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a Policy Statement describing how the Commission intends to advise EPA on the reliability impacts of EPA’s Utility Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (Utility MATS), which were issued in December 2011.  The Utility MATS rule requires existing electric generating units (EGUs) to come into compliance by early 2015, with the possibility of a one-year extension.  EPA has also indicated that it will allow any EGU that is critical to the reliability of the power grid to request an Administrative Order allowing it to operate for an additional year.  The Policy Statement outlines a process by which FERC will receive copies of AO requests and supporting information, review the impacts of Utility MATS on FERC-approved reliability standards, and advise EPA on individual AO requests. 

Ian Rowlnds has a interesting article in Smart Grid News on smart grid roadmaps.  Rowlands believes that these roadmaps need to look beyond the electricity sector and says many of the smart grid roadmaps being created today are prematurely limiting a broader discussion of the integration of smart grids with other resource, infrastructure and commodity systems in the future.  Viewed collectively, the roadmaps that have appeared to date point to some key defining characteristics with respect to a smart grid future:

•   Technologies to facilitate deployment of diverse electricity generation sources, including renewables, and energy storage facilities

•   Technologies to enable customer engagement with the smart grid 

•   Electrification of transportation

•   Electrification of space and water conditioning