Rob Bonta leads coalition urging court to uphold future-focused grid planning order
California – A group of state attorneys general, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, has joined a federal court case about the future of the country’s electric grid. They filed a multistate amicus brief that supports long-term regional transmission planning.
The filing, which was sent to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, backs Order No. 1920 from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. This order tells transmission providers how to get ready for changes in energy demand and how to split up the expenses of major infrastructure.
State leaders say that the directive sets practical, forward-looking standards that might make the system more reliable, cut costs in the long run, and assist bring in cleaner sources of electricity.
The rule’s goal is to meet expanding electricity needs while promoting collaboration across state lines and within energy markets. It does this by mandating providers to plan regionally over long periods of time and to routinely review those plans.
Officials believe that the way they are going about it is similar to how California plans things. Regulators stress that a modern transmission network is necessary to provide cheap electricity and help the move toward renewable energy sources like wind and solar. They say that making the system stronger would also assist lower greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector and prevent expensive, piecemeal infrastructure decisions that can make life harder for consumers.
In May 2024, FERC accepted the order. After that, it changed it twice because of requests from the government. The Fourth Circuit is now hearing a main case linked to Appalachian Voices that brings together legal challenges from a number of Republican-led states and conservative groups.
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Supporters of the rule say that it encourages replacing old facilities, takes into account the economic and dependability benefits of choosing projects, and has protections to keep costs from going over budget.
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Attorneys general from several states and the District of Columbia joined the brief, along with California and Massachusetts. This demonstrates that many of the jurisdictions that participated favor coordinated, long-term transmission planning as a strategy to make the energy system more stable and affordable.
“Advancing affordable, reliable, and clean energy should be about reducing costs to consumers and controlling the temperature on our planet’s thermometer. Long-term planning for the nation’s grid is commonsense and not a partisan issue,” said Attorney General Bonta.
“Order 1920 advances an efficient approach to long-term energy transmission planning. With today’s amicus brief, we welcome FERC’s effort and urge the Court to uphold Order 1920 which will support efficient and clean energy infrastructure for our future.”
