Rail Belt reliability organization certified; open-access RTO tariff under review after lengthy hearing

Committee members heard an overview of the Rail Belt Reliability Council (RRC) and the Rail Belt Transmission Organization (RTO), including the recent regulatory history and active tariff proceedings.

Claire Knutsenlada told the committee that the RRC was certified on Sept. 23, 2022 under chapter 46 of the Alaska Administrative Code and required to return in six years for review. The RRC filed an initial budget and tariff that were suspended for further investigation in late 2022; the commission ultimately approved a tariff including a surcharge on Nov. 17, 2023. Knutsenlada said the commission has approved 18 reliability standards to date, with additional standards in process.

On the RTO, Knutsenlada described that House Bill 307 created the RTO framework and that the RTO filed an application on Dec. 20, 2024. After motions and briefing from intervenors including the Alaska Public Interest Research Group (ACPIRG), the commission granted the RTO application May 6, 2025. The RTO later filed its initial nondiscriminatory open-access transmission tariff (TA1-8001). The commission received 11 petitions to intervene and held a 15-day hearing beginning Feb. 17, 2026 to build a record; Knutsenlada described the hearing as producing a substantial record the commission is reviewing, with a final decision expected by June 4, 2026.

Committee members asked whether the tariff will cover the backbone transmission system and raised concerns that portions of the rail-belt transmission could be excluded; Knutsenlada said the tariff and the backbone definition are under adjudication and that the commission is reviewing the legislative record, testimony and more than 3,300 pages of hearing transcript.

The commission emphasized the complexity and breadth of the record and declined to offer hypothetical outcomes while the docket is active.