§824j–1 Open access by unregulated transmitting utilities

Summary

The federal energy agency (FERC) can make certain unregulated owners of interstate electric transmission lines offer transmission service to others. FERC can require them to charge rates like the ones they charge themselves and to give access on the same fair terms they use internally. An “unregulated transmitting utility” here means a company that owns or runs transmission lines used to move electricity between states and that fits the kind of entity listed in federal law. FERC must exempt utilities that sell no more than 4,000,000 megawatt‑hours a year, that do not own transmission needed to run an interconnected system, or that meet other public‑interest rules. Local distribution lines are not covered. If, after a hearing, an exemption clearly hurts system reliability, FERC must remove it. The same public‑utility rules for changing rates apply, FERC can send rates back for revision, and it cannot force states to break private bond rules or make a utility give up control of its lines to a transmission organization.