Western governors say FERC decision will improve access for renewable energy to grid, reduce risk of outages (4/25/07)

Western governors say FERC decision will improve access for renewable energy to grid, reduce risk of outages

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 25, 2007 
Contact: Doug Larson, 303-623-9378

DENVER - Western governors today commended the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for taking key actions aimed at improving the reliability of the Western power grid, preventing power outages and ensuring access to transmission lines for the region's vast renewable resources.

In decisions issued late last week, the commission:

• approved a proposal to delegate responsibilities for developing and enforcing mandatory grid reliability standards in the West to the Western Electricity Coordinating Council;
• agreed with Western states, Canadian provinces and the power industry that centers created to ensure grid reliability throughout the West should be independent of transmission owners and qualify to receive mandatory funding for their operations;
• approved a unique proposal by the California Independent System Operator that will enable the construction of transmission lines to reach renewable resources, such as wind and geothermal.

Western governors established a clear path some time ago that would ensure our electric power system is reliable and utilizes diverse resources. We thank the commission members for implementing steps necessary to achieve our goals, said Gov. Mike Rounds (S.D.), chairman of the Western Governors' Association.

Western governors successfully pressed for a federal law requiring mandatory electricity reliability standards and ensuring that a Western electricity reliability organization would have major responsibility for writing and enforcing standards to meet the region's specific needs.

It is critical that the people who are impacted by power outages have a say in determining the reliability of the power system serving them, said WGA's Vice Chairman, Gov. Dave Freudenthal ( Wyo.)

Reaching many of the West's vast, clean-energy resources will require significant transmission investments, Freudenthal said. In approving the California ISO proposal and an earlier transmission access order, FERC has recognized that both efficient use of the grid and future expansion are needed. We expect the commission will cooperate with the states as we seek those expansions.

Additional information about the WGA's energy policies is available on the Web at WGA Policies.

The Western Governors' Association is an independent, nonprofit organization representing the governors of 19 states and three U.S.-Flag islands in the Pacific. Through their Association, the Western governors identify and address key policy and governance issues in natural resources, the environment, human services, economic development, international relations and public management.

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