FERC administrative law judges (ALJs) this week will bring together the three Northeast independent system operators (ISOs) and Southeast transmission owners in response to a recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order designed to establish a total of four regional transmission organizations (RTOs) in the United States, with one dedicated to each region: the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest and West.

FERC last week directed the three Northeast ISOs and the Southeast transmission owners to immediately participate in separate settlement discussions at FERC to create proposals for a single RTO in their regions, but it held off from ordering similar talks for the Midwest and West (see Daily NGI, July 12). The Southeast and Northeast settlement talks are scheduled to last 45 days.

FERC ALJ H. Peter Young last week issued a notice saying that confidential mediation related to the formation of a Northeastern RTO will begin this Thursday at Commission headquarters in Washington, DC. Young said that participants should be prepared to, among other things, establish a preliminary joint statement of contested issues or impediments to the Northeastern RTO’s formation and to formulate a proposal or competing proposals to create such an RTO, including intermediate milestones.

Meanwhile, ALJ Bobbie J. McCartney today will begin overseeing settlement talks related to the formation of a Southeastern RTO. McCartney directed Southwest Power Pool, GridSouth, Entergy and Southern Co. to participate in the settlement proceeding. At the same time, the ALJ encouraged parties involved in GridFlorida’s RTO proceeding to participate in the talks. Also, the ALJ urged the relevant state commissions, TVA, Santee Cooper and the Southeastern Power Administration to be present at the talks.

McCartney directed all parties in the proceeding to prepare a statement of key issues to be addressed, as well as suggested milestones and procedural schedules, for meeting FERC’s timeframe for the settlement talks.

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