Public Advocates Fight Attempt to Fast-Track Fossil Fuels

The Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Earthjustice filed a protest at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) against the Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) unnecessary proposal to fast-track more gas power plants mostly at the expense of wind, solar, and battery storage projects.

Despite having no solid evidence of a capacity shortage, SPP claims that their proposed Expedited Resource Adequacy Study (ERAS) process is necessary to address rising capacity demands. SPP has a history of favoring thermal projects — including coal and gas — over renewable energy projects, and the structure of the ERAS process would make it virtually impossible for wind or solar facilities to participate in this new process. Right now, 81% of SPP’s interconnection queue is made up of clean energy projects.

Last month, FERC rejected a similar proposal from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which had the same name and purpose. FERC previously approved a controversial and related proposal from PJM, by a slim margin.

In response, Sierra Club Senior Attorney Greg Wannier issued the following statement:

“This proposal should ring massive alarm bells with federal regulators because it runs directly contrary to the open access principles that the Southwest Power Pool is required to follow and FERC is required to enforce. Real emergencies should be taken seriously, but they cannot be an excuse to discriminate. Despite the many times that gas-fired power plants have failed our communities during extreme weather, SPP is continuing to play favorites and find ways to add more expensive, toxic gas plants to its grid. SPP has not demonstrated that there will be a shortage of power that cannot be addressed through existing processes. This proposal is unnecessary, and it will cost SPP ratepayers in the end.”

Earthjustice Senior Associate Attorney Ada Statler provided the following comment:

“Rather than continuing to focus on the cheap, clean energy resources that have been waiting for years to interconnect to the grid, SPP is offering a handout to utilities to build unneeded gas plants and passing the bill to utility customers. FERC has a duty to protect consumers and the integrity of competitive markets by rejecting this deeply flawed proposal.”