Volume 1 | May 2019

May 2019 Highlights

The FERC insight will give you a monthly snapshot of FERC news – you’ll get the latest news from the monthly

Commission meeting and schedules for upcoming conferences and Commissioners’ speeches/presentations, as well as

links to Commission orders, notices and new reports.

FERC Approves Freeport LNG Export Expansion Project

FERC has approved the construction of the Train 4 expansion at the Freeport LNG

terminal in Texas, marking the Commission’s fourth approval of a liquefied natural gas

(LNG) export project this year, following last month’s approval of the Driftwood and Port

Arthur projects, and February’s approval of the Venture Global Calcasieu Pass project. 

Read more>

Commission Affirms Order 841 Storage Rule

FERC has affirmed its February 2018 rule on electric storage participation in regional

electric power markets. This order provides important clarifications while affirming the

Commission’s efforts to remove barriers to the participation of electric storage resources

in the regional markets and to enhance competition, promote greater market efficiency

and help support the resilience of the bulk power system. Read more>

FERC Rescinds Policy on Notices of Alleged Violations

FERC has rescinded its 2009 policy on issuing Notices of Alleged Violations (NAVs)

regarding investigations. As it committed to do when it adopted the NAV policy, the

Commission has evaluated the effectiveness of the policy. Based on this evaluation,

today’s order concludes that the policy’s intended benefits have not materialized and the

Commission now has better tools for providing transparency and, thus, the NAV policy is

no longer warranted. Read more>

Summer 2019 Reliability and Energy Market Assessment

FERC staff presented the Summer 209 Reliability and Energy Market Assessment that

projects adequate reserve margins in all regions except ERCOT, growth in natural gas

demand due to new LNG export capacity and battery storage and wind/solar capacity

exceeding previous summer levels, with higher than average temperatures in the West,

South and East.

Report | Staff Presentation

FERC Staff Issues Energy Infrastructure Update for March 2019

This is a monthly review of infrastructure projects under FERC jurisdictional energy

infrastructure. Reports are primarily of an investigative and informational nature.

Report PDF | FERC Staff Reports

A Look Ahead May 23 – Chairman Neil Chatterjee Speaking Engagement: U.S. Energy

Association Annual Membership Meeting & Public Policy Forum

May 27, 2019 – Memorial Day holiday. All federal offices closed.
June 5 – Chairman Neil Chatterjee Speaking Engagement: 5th Washington Oil &

Gas Forum

June 20, 2019 – FERC Open Meeting (Free Webcast)

June 25-27, 2019 – Technical Conference on Increasing Real-Time and DayAhead Market Efficiency and Planning Efficiency and Enhancing Resilience

through Improved Software (Docket No. AD10-12-010) (Free Webcast)

June 27, 2019 – Technical Conference on Reliability of the Bulk-Power System

(Docket No. AD19-13-000) (Free Webcast)

Maria Farinella Named Chief of Staff

Chairman Neil Chatterjee has named FERC attorney Maria Farinella to the position of

Chief of Staff for the Commission.

“Maria’s long-standing career as an energy attorney, both at FERC for the past decade

and in private practice, makes her uniquely qualified to fulfill this key role,” the Chairman

said. “I want to thank Maria for her willingness to serve the Commission as my new Chief

of Staff and look forward to continuing to work with her as we tackle a number of big issues

before us at FERC.”

Maria has worked in several senior positions at FERC, including as a senior attorney in the

Office of the General Counsel’s Energy Markets Division from 2009-2011, and as a senior

legal advisor in the Office of the General Counsel’s front office from 2011-2019. She also

served as a legal advisor to Chairman Joseph Kelliher from 2007-2009. Maria is a

graduate of Smith College and American University’s Washington College of Law.

Decisions & Notices Delegated Orders & Notices | Notational Orders

Chairman and Commissioners at the May 2019 meeting.

Speeches & Social Media
Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur

provided a personal

retrospective at the Energy Bar

Association 2019 Annual

Meeting in DC on her time at

FERC and shared her views on

what makes FERC an effective

agency in the energy industry.

“To think that we are now in a position to be a net exporter. 

It's just incredible. It speaks volumes to what the gas revolution 

has done for the American economy, for the environment, 

and for the U.S. geopolitically.” 

~ FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee interview 

with Bloomberg Daybreak: Americas Anchor Alix Steel Video | Transcript

Commissioner Bernard

McNamee spoke at the Energy

Bar Association 2019 Annual

Meeting in DC on the importance

of his role as a Commissioner,

where he is an adjudicator rather

than advocate as well as the

importance of looking at the laws

and facts and making decisions

based on the record.

Commissioner Richard Glick

attended and spoke at the Water

Power Week conference to

discuss hydropower’s important

role & what FERC should do to

enable technologies, such as

hydro, to provide the flexibility

that will be needed to

accommodate the grid of the

future.
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