By Hudson Sangree

FERC on Tuesday gave its blessing to the merger of Columbia Grid and Northern Tier Transmission Group to form NorthernGrid, a vast transmission planning region stretching across eight Western states (ER20-882, et al.).

The commission approved the latest revisions to the transmission tariffs filed by NorthernGrid’s seven members: PacifiCorp, NorthWestern Energy, Avista, Puget Sound Energy, Idaho Power, MATL and Portland General Electric.

All the “filing parties’ proposed tariff revisions are hereby accepted, effective April 1, 2020,” FERC wrote.

In late December, FERC had sent the latest round of proposed tariff changes back to the parties, agreeing with independent transmission developer LS Power that the utilities failed to meet Order 1000’s requirement to show the new transmission planning region would do better than the status quo. (See FERC: NorthernGrid Merger Needs More Work.)

FERC also said more information was needed to show the tariff revisions complied with Order 1000’s principles of openness and coordination in transmission planning.

A major sticking point raised by LS Power was that the tariff changes, as drafted, would have required developers to submit proposed projects before the regional planning process identified transmission needs.

FERC agreed. “We find that this structure deprives developers and stakeholders of a sufficient opportunity to propose solutions in response to needs identified through the regional transmission planning process,” the commission wrote, rejecting the proposal without prejudice and inviting the parties to refile after correcting deficiencies.

The parties filed their proposed revisions to their respective Open Access Transmission Tariffs on Jan. 28.

Among the changes, the parties “added a new 60-day window after posting [a regional transmission needs] draft study scope for stakeholders to submit additional data,” FERC said. The change “provides a meaningful opportunity for transmission developers to submit project proposals after enrolled party needs have been identified.”

LS Power again protested, saying the 60-day window failed to address the concerns it raised, and with which FERC agreed, before.

FERC rejected the argument, saying developers would have opportunities to propose projects in accord with Order 1000.

“We … find that the proposed regional transmission planning process complies with Order No. 1000’s requirement to conduct a regional analysis to identify whether there are more efficient or cost-effective transmission solutions to regional transmission needs,” FERC wrote.

That includes “an affirmative obligation to analyze whether such transmission solutions exist regardless of whether potential transmission solutions have been proposed by transmission developers or stakeholders,” it said.