FERC chair says commission lifted construction hold and approved NERC reliability package; staff to analyze competitive-bidding request

FERC Chair Sweat said the commission voted unanimously to lift a temporary hold on construction for certain projects and approved a package of NERC reliability standards, and that staff will review stakeholder requests about transmission procurement.

Chair Sweat told reporters the repeal was a corrective step tied to confidence in staff work: "the unanimous order that my colleagues and I voted on today repealing the hold on construction," he said, adding the decision reflected confidence in the Office of Energy Projects' technical and legal analyses.

The move follows recent court and agency developments raising questions about permitting and reviews. When asked whether a recent court ruling strengthened FERC’s confidence to remove construction restrictions, Chair Sweat called the 7 County decision "a huge win for improving permitting efficiency" but said the repeal was a separate, unanimous Commission action.

Callie Pattison of the Washington Examiner noted a Tuesday letter from 105 organizations, including the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, urging FERC to exercise authority to expand competitive bidding for transmission projects to address affordability and rising electricity prices. Chair Sweat said, "We are looking at it and analyzing it and seeing what we can do for our customers." He added the Commission treats correspondence that could lower consumer rates and improve reliability "very seriously."

Also at the briefing, the Commission approved a package of reliability standards recommended by NERC. Chair Sweat described the package as "part of our ongoing look at how we can improve reliability and give NERC the tools to ensure that our grid is reliable," and said the measures are intended to help operators manage emerging technical challenges.

What happens next: Chair Sweat said staff will continue to analyze stakeholder filings and correspondence and that the Commission will act as appropriate. He repeated that he would not prejudge pending filings and emphasized that further action will follow standard review processes and collegial Commission deliberation.