Energy Regulatory Developments Update for February 2025

“`markdown
February 19, 2025 | Stoel Rives LLP

Regulatory Update for February 19, 2025

Covering the week of February 10, 2025, our energy regulatory team has compiled a summary of recent state and federal energy regulatory developments to keep you informed about key energy regulatory matters across the United States. The Stoel energy regulatory team is available to answer any questions regarding these updates.

Presidential Executive Orders

On February 18, President Trump issued the Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies Executive Order, which mandates that all “independent regulatory agencies,” as defined by 44 USC 3502(5), including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, must submit all “proposed and final significant regulatory actions” to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs within the Executive Office of the President for review before publication in the Federal Register.

Additionally, this Executive Order requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish performance standards and management objectives for the heads of independent agencies, report periodically to the President on their performance, and ensure that independent regulatory agencies adhere to the President’s policies and priorities. The heads of these agencies are also instructed to appoint a “White House Liaison” and to submit their strategic plans to the OMB for clearance before finalization.

Stoel Rives is actively monitoring the energy sector’s response to executive orders and other actions taken by the administration. For more information on the energy-related Executive Orders we are tracking, please visit Stoel Rives Executive Orders.

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)

Proposed Decisions and Resolutions:
No updates to report.

Voting Meeting:
The CPUC will hold a voting meeting in Sacramento, California, on February 20, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. The agenda includes the following energy-related items:

• Item 3: Res G-3612 (SoCalGas Biomethane Contracts)
  This resolution addresses SoCalGas’s request for approval of three biomethane procurement contracts under the Renewable Gas Standard (RGS). It approves the contract with Organic Energy Solutions (OES) while rejecting the contracts with Anew Climate due to non-compliance with short-term procurement requirements.

• Item 6: Res E-5363 (PG&E 2024 Local Resource Adequacy Procurement)
  This resolution approves PG&E’s resource adequacy agreement for a new energy storage facility, which will help meet multi-year local resource adequacy obligations.

• Item 7: Res E-5373 (Self-Generation Incentive Program Tax Credit)
  This resolution approves a proposal involving SoCalGas, PG&E, SCE, and the Center for Sustainable Energy regarding the new Residential Solar and Storage Equity budget, aimed at maximizing federal tax credits for eligible projects.

• Item 15: Res E-5370 (PG&E MTR Renewable Resource Contracts)
  This resolution approves four contracts totaling 750 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity and 578.7 MW of battery storage capacity aimed at meeting PG&E’s mid-term reliability requirements.

• Item 34: R.25-02-XXX (Energy Resource Recovery Account and Power Charge Indifference Adjustment Policies)
  This order initiates a rulemaking process to consider changes to rules and processes related to the Energy Resource Recovery Account (ERRA) and the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA), focusing on improving utility forecasting and procurement plan activities.

California Independent System Operator (CAISO)

Stakeholder Initiatives:
Upcoming meetings and deadlines include discussions on the Interconnection Process Enhancements, the 2024 Transmission Plan Deliverability Allocation Report, and the Storage Design and Modeling initiative.

• Cluster 15 Application Status:
  All applicants were notified of their application status as of February 12, 2025.

• 2025-2026 Transmission Planning Process:
  CAISO will host a hybrid public stakeholder meeting on February 26, 2025.

California Energy Commission (CEC)

2024 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) Update:
The CEC is developing its 2024 IEPR Update, with a meeting scheduled for March 17, 2025, to consider adoption of policy recommendations.

Electrification Summit:
The CEC will host the second annual Electrification Summit on March 11-12, 2025, focused on various themes including healthy buildings and clean industry.

Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEVs):
On January 14, 2025, the CEC issued a request for information regarding vandalism’s impact on EV charging reliability.

California Air Resources Board (CARB)

CARB held a meeting on February 18, 2025, discussing funding plans for clean transportation incentives. A public workshop on hydrogen production is scheduled for February 25, 2025.

Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC)

On February 20, 2025, the MPUC will continue hearings regarding Xcel Energy’s integrated resource plan and will address various agenda items at its meeting on February 28, 2025.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

FERC will hold its Open Meeting on February 20, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. eastern time.

For ongoing updates and insights into energy regulatory developments, subscribe to our Renewable + Law Blog.
“`