OPC AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL

             With the District of Columbia electricity market continuing its transition from a regulated market to a deregulated market, OPC has increased its advocacy for District residential consumers at the federal level because with deregulation more decisions are made at the wholesale level. While OPC continues to advocate for consumers on the retail level by participating in rate cases and other proceedings before the District of Columbia Public Service Commission, monitoring the retail market and educating consumers, OPC recognizes that deregulation has meant that many key decisions affecting the electric industry now occur on the wholesale and federal levels. Prime examples are the cost of generation and transmission; which are now both largely determined at the wholesale level. While the D.C. Public Service Commission can establish Standard Offer Service rules and monitor the process, the Commission has no control over the generation rates that come out of the process. Decisions made by the Pennsylvania-New Jersey Maryland Interconnection ("PJM") and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") determine the cost of generation and transmission that are ultimately passed on to District ratepayers.

            PJM is the Regional Transmission Organization that coordinates the flow of energy in the Mid-Atlantic states and parts of the Midwest. Pepco has turned over operational control of its transmission lines to PJM. OPC is a voting member of PJM and is actively involved in its committees and working groups, which is the process by which decisions are made.

            FERC is the federal regulatory agency that regulates the wholesale market, approves transmission rates and approves the action of all the players on the wholesale level. For a list of cases at FERC in which OPC is involved click here.