Electricity

Some power generators in PJM showed signs of ‘economic withholding’

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Platts

PJM Interconnection energy prices were lower in the first quarter of this year than in Q1 2014, but some generators showed signs of “economic withholding” in February, the market monitor said in a newly released report.
Monitoring Analytics, PJM’s IMM, concluded in its latest State of the Market Report — posted on the Monitoring Analytics website Monday — that the market produced competitive results in Q1.
Lower fuel prices, lighter loads and improved grid operations caused energy market prices to decrease significantly in the first quarter, Monitoring Analytics said, down 45.2% compared with the same quarter of…

Federal Government

US Supreme Court takes case on key FERC demand response rule

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Platts

The US Supreme Court said Monday it would take up whether a key rule on demand response compensation in wholesale energy markets should be upheld.
The high court granted petitions for a writ of certiorari by the Obama administration and others to review a lower court ruling on Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Order 745, which required that demand response resources receive locational marginal price in wholesale energy markets.
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit tossed out the order last year in a 2-1 decision, finding FERC, in issuing the order, had infringed on state jurisdiction over retail matters under the Federal Power Act.
The Supreme Court said it was granting review on two questions. First, the court asked whether FERC reasonably concluded that it had the legal authority “to regulate the rules used by …