FERC Order 1000 as a New Tool for Promoting Energy Efficiency and Demand Response

In July 2011, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued Order No. 1000, the latest in a series of orders directed at improving federal transmission access, planning, and coordination. Order 1000 requires, for the first time, that electricity transmission providers engage in regionwide transmission planning, and further mandates that such planning consider how federal and state public policies affect transmission needs. Public utility transmission providers are now in the process of amending their operating tariffs to comply with this new order. It is therefore an important time for all those with an interest in the future of the electric grid to pay attention to how Order 1000 is being interpreted and implemented by various regions across the country