Introduction
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) published its Combined Notice of Filings #1 on January 14, 2026, in the Federal Register, Volume 91, Number 9. This notice compiles a range of submissions received by the agency between December 2025 and January 9, 2026, encompassing accounting requests, complaints, and electric rate filings. Issued by FERC's Office of the Secretary, the document serves as a public alert to stakeholders about new dockets, allowing opportunities for intervention, protests, or comments by specified deadlines, typically set at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. This routine publication underscores FERC's role in overseeing interstate electricity transmission, wholesale power sales, and natural gas transportation, ensuring transparency in a sector critical to national energy security and economic stability. The notice's significance lies in its reflection of dynamic industry activities, from tax credit transactions to tariff revisions, amid evolving regulatory landscapes influenced by clean energy transitions and market expansions.
Overview of Filing Categories
The notice organizes filings into distinct categories, each addressing specific aspects of energy regulation under FERC's jurisdiction. Accounting requests, for instance, involve proposals for how companies record financial transactions related to energy assets. Complaints and compliance filings allow parties to challenge or ensure adherence to FERC rules, while electric rate filings propose changes to tariffs that govern wholesale electricity pricing and services. This structure facilitates public engagement, as interested parties can access details via FERC's eLibrary system and file interventions under Commission Rules 211, 214, or 206.
A notable accounting filing under Docket AC26-19-000 comes from Entergy Services, LLC and System Energy Resources, Inc., submitted on January 8, 2026. It proposes accounting entries for the sale of nuclear production tax credits by Entergy Arkansas, LLC and others to unaffiliated third parties, linked to prior dockets ER25-2890 and ER25-2899. This reflects the industry's use of tax incentives under the Internal Revenue Code to support nuclear energy, a low-carbon source amid climate goals.
In the complaints category, Docket EL26-39-000 features a filing from Gaston Green Acres Solar, LLC and others against PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., dated January 8, 2026. The complainants request a shortened comment period, fast-track processing, and alternative relief, likely addressing interconnection or market access issues in PJM's regional transmission organization (RTO) framework.
Key Electric Rate Filings and Amendments
The bulk of the notice consists of electric rate filings under Section 205(d) of the Federal Power Act, which allows utilities to propose rate changes effective after a 60-day notice period unless suspended by FERC. Several dockets involve responses to deficiency letters, where applicants provide additional information to address FERC inquiries. For example, in Dockets ER17-1840-001 and others, CPV Canton Mountain Wind, LLC and affiliates responded on January 8, 2026, to a December 16, 2025, deficiency letter, pertaining to market-based rate authorizations essential for competitive wholesale power sales.
Other filings propose new or amended tariffs. Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP) submitted revisions in Docket ER26-988-000 on January 9, 2026, to clarify language related to its RTO expansion, effective April 1, 2026. This could facilitate broader regional integration, building on SPP's role in managing transmission across multiple states. Similarly, PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. filed in Docket ER26-980-000 to revise its tariff, operating agreement, and reliability assurance agreement regarding generation deliverability and capacity emergency transfer limits, effective March 10, 2026.
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. appears in multiple dockets, including ER26-991-000 and ER26-993-000, where it seeks to file new rate schedules and cancel existing ones effective in February 2026, with requests for expedited action. These changes may relate to cooperative utility operations in the Western U.S., adapting to member needs or market shifts.
Background and Legal Context
FERC's authority stems from the Federal Power Act of 1935, which empowers the agency to ensure just and reasonable rates for interstate electricity transmission. Precedents like FERC Order No. 888 (1996), which promoted open access transmission, and Order No. 1000 (2011), emphasizing regional planning, provide the framework for many of these filings. For instance, complaints like the one against PJM often invoke Section 206, allowing FERC to investigate and remedy unjust practices.
Key players include regional entities like PJM and SPP, which operate wholesale markets serving millions, and utilities such as Entergy and Tri-State, managing generation and transmission. Political forces, including the push for renewable integration under the Inflation Reduction Act's tax credits, influence these submissions. Perspectives vary: industry groups may view tariff revisions as necessary for efficiency, while consumer advocates, like the Maine Office of Public Advocate in Docket ER20-2054-000, challenge them to protect ratepayers from undue costs.
Implications for Energy Markets
These filings signal short-term adjustments, such as updated accounting for tax credits that could lower costs for nuclear operators, potentially stabilizing wholesale prices. Long-term, RTO expansions and interconnection amendments may enhance grid reliability and renewable integration, addressing challenges like variable solar and wind output.
Different viewpoints emerge without consensus. Utilities argue for flexibility in rate designs to recover investments, citing rising infrastructure needs. Environmental groups emphasize clean energy transitions, while regulators balance competition with reliability. No single perspective dominates, but these dockets invite stakeholder input to shape outcomes.
Conclusion
In summary, FERC's January 14, 2026, notice encapsulates a snapshot of regulatory activity, from tax credit accounting to tariff amendments, reflecting the sector's adaptation to market and policy demands. Potential next steps include FERC reviews, possible hearings, or orders by comment deadlines in late January 2026. Ongoing debates may center on equitable cost allocation and grid modernization, with challenges like integrating new technologies persisting as the industry navigates federal oversight.
