DailyEnergyInsider covered FERC's extension of the due date for comments in the NERA's legal challenge of full net metering transactions. Read excerpts and the entire DailyEnergyInsider piece here. 

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Monday extended the due date for comments in the New England Ratepayers Association’s (NERA) legal challenge of full net metering transactions. Comments are now due by June 15 in NERA’s petition requesting FERC to “declare that there is exclusive federal jurisdiction over wholesale energy sales from generation sources located on the customer side of the retail meter” and to order that the rates fall under federal purview, contrary to the current standard that places these programs under state authority.

The 30-day extension fell short from several motions that were filed seeking a 90-day extension from the original due date of May 14 to Aug. 12, including from the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), which wanted additional time to respond to NERA’s filing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NARUC also stated that the 90-day extension would permit the group to develop its position and formalize comments following discussions at its Summer Policy Summit being held in July.

While numerous entities — including the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, the American Public Power Association, the New England Small Hydro Coalition, and Advanced Energy Economy, the National Association of State Energy Officials, and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, among others — supported NARUC’s April 28 motion, FERC sided with NERA’s opinion.

“In its answer, NERA states that, while it does not oppose a reasonable extension of time, 90 days is excessive, and an extension of between 30 and 60 days would be reasonable in these circumstances,” according to FERC’s May 4 Notice of Extension of Time. “Upon consideration, notice is hereby given that the comment date is extended by 30 days, to and including June 15, 2020.” NARUC is not pleased about FERC’s decision...

Read entire DailyEnergyInsider piece here.