A large confederation of consumer groups defended its complaint against local transmission planning processes, arguing FERC needs to address the issue of increasing spending in the often lightly regulated space.

FERC was flooded with comments on a wide-ranging complaint filed by electricity consumers seeking increased oversight of local transmission planning.

FERC Chair Mark Christie gave public remarks to NASEO's conference, laying out some of the major issues the agency will tackle under his leadership.

A wide ranging group of consumer organizations filed a complaint with FERC that seeks to rein in what they say is excess utility spending on transmission under local planning processes.