NESCOE

Order 1000 Appeal to D.C. Circuit – Statement of Issues

Legal Document

Dated: June 15, 2015

Posted in:

Authored by:

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT

Emera Maine, formerly known as Bangor Hydro-Electric Company, et al., Petitioners,

v.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Respondent.

Case No. 15-1139, Consolidated with Case No. 15-1141

Non-Binding Statement of Issues of the New England States Committee on Electricity, Inc., the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the Department of Public Utilities of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, the State of New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission, and the Vermont Public Service Department

Pursuant to the Court’s May 15, 2015 order in Case No. 15-1141, Petitioners in Case No. 15-1141, the New England States Committee on Electricity, Inc., the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the Department of Public Utilities of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, the State of New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission, and the Vermont Public Service Department, hereby submit the following non-binding statement of issues in the above-captioned case:

1. Whether the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”)’s orders are arbitrary and capricious, or not otherwise in accordance with law in that they unlawfully depart from and, without an opportunity for notice and comment, expand the scope of FERC’s Order No. 1000, requiring the selection of public policy-driven projects in the region-wide transmission plan, rather than solely the establishment of procedures to consider (i.e., identify and evaluate) transmission projects driven by state and local public policy requirements.

2. Whether FERC acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner under 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(A) by failing to respond to arguments that the orders unlawfully departed from the Final Rule adopted in Order No. 1000, thus failing to engage in reasoned decision-making.

3. Whether in expanding the requirements of FERC’s Final Rule in Order No. 1000 from an obligation to consider public policies in transmission planning to an obligation to select policy-driven projects, the orders exceed the bounds of FERC’s jurisdiction under the Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. § 791a et seq., as well as constitutional boundaries that unambiguously reserve such authorities to the states by abrogating the role that the New England states have over the execution of their own state statutes and regulations.

Respectfully submitted,

New England States Committee onElectricity, Inc.:

/s/ Phyllis G. Kimmel
John Michael Adragna
Phyllis G. Kimmel
McCarter & English, LLP
1015 Fifteenth Street, N.W. Twelfth Floor
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 753-3400
jadragna@mccarter.com
pkimmel@mccarter.com

/s/ Jason Marshall
Jason Marshall
General Counsel
New England States Committee on Electricity, Inc.
655 Longmeadow Street
Longmeadow, MA 01106
(617) 913-0342
jasonmarshall@nescoe.com

Attorneys for the New England States Committee on Electricity, Inc.

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection:

/s/ Robert Snook
Robert Snook, AAG
Office of the Attorney General
Ten Franklin Square
New Britain, CT 06051
(860) 827-2657
Robert.Snook@ct.gov

Attorney for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority:

/s/ Clare Kindall
Clare Kindall, AAG
Department Head – Energy
Office of the Attorney General
Ten Franklin Square
New Britain, CT 06051
(860) 827-2683
Clare.kindall@ct.gov

Attorney for the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority

Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities:

/s/ Jeffrey M. Leupold
Cecile M. Fraser, Counsel
Jeffrey M. Leupold, Senior Counsel
Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
One South Station, Fifth Floor
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 305-3621
Cecile.Fraser@state.ma.us
Jeffrey.Leupold@state.ma.us

Attorneys for the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities

New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission:
/s/ F. Anne Ross
F. Anne Ross
General Counsel
New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission
21 South Fruit Street, Suite 10
Concord, New Hampshire 03301-2429
(603) 271-2431
f.anne.ross@puc.nh.gov

Attorney for the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission

Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission:

/s/ Leo J. Wold
Leo J. Wold
Assistant Attorney General
150 South Main Street
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 274-4400, ext. 2218
lwold@riag.ri.gov

Attorney for the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission

Vermont Department of Public Service:

/s/ Edward McNamara
Edward McNamara
Regional Policy Director
Vermont Department of Public Service
112 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620
(802) 828-4007
ed.mcnamara@state.vt.us

Attorney for the Vermont Department of Public Service