As weather begins to cool, FERC's gas, power agenda heats up

As August comes to a close, Washington, DC, is ramping up again with energy issues before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. On the natural gas side, the commission could start answering longstanding questions about how it will evaluate pipelines and LNG facilities in the face of opposition and pressure to weigh climate change impacts. In terms of electric markets, FERC recently kicked off a new proceeding that could revamp its transmission policies to help connect more renewable energy sources to the grid. The commission will also examine PJM's proposed "focused" minimum offer price rule, a contentious proceeding aimed at limiting the exercise of buyer-side market power. Additionally, there have been several recent noteworthy actions pertaining to the US Department of the Interior's pause on new federal oil and gas leasing. Platts senior editor Maya Weber and editor Ellie Potter join DC bureau chief Chris Newkumet to discuss some of the major debates before FERC and the potential implications of an evenly split commission. Stick around after the interview for the Market Minute with Chris van Moessner for a look at near-term oil market drivers.