FERC Order 1920 could help move the bar significantly on more efficiently expanding the transmission grid, but its ultimate success depends on how it and other policies are implemented, stakeholders say.

Angst over looming load growth, cost increases and reliability headaches headlined the 76th annual New England Conference of Public Utilities Commissioners Symposium.

The ultimate future of FERC Order 1920 depends on rehearing, implementation and inevitable litigation, but after reading through the order itself in the past week, many stakeholders see it as an important step forward in expanding the grid.

FERC is set to vote on its long-awaited proposed rule on transmission planning and cost allocation for regional lines at a special open meeting May 13.

FERC appears to be nearing completion on its transmission planning rulemaking, with cost allocation rules and the federal ROFR among the issues at stake.

A growing chorus of stakeholders is hoping to see a final transmission planning rule from FERC sometime in the New Year, with a set of letters sent to the commission.

The study is intended to identify pressing transmission needs without offering specific solutions or taking into account federal and some state regulations.

The Department of Energy will put $1.3 billion into becoming the anchor off-taker for three interstate transmission projects totaling 3.5 GW of new transmission capacity.

Developing transmission in the West should involve a long-term, comprehensive plan instead of a localized piecemeal approach, speakers agreed at a Western States Transmission Initiative webinar.