E&E News by POLITICO: FERC strains to get big transmission plan moving

Cost allocation, or the idea of determining how much different states should pay for a regional transmission line, has been a hotly contested issue in recent years, said Karen Onaran, CEO of the Electricity Consumers Resource Council. The trade group represents large industrial customers of electric power. Onaran also previously spent a decade at the Edison Electric Institute, a trade group for utilities.

“I think there needs to be more detail and more guidance from FERC on how we identify exactly who the beneficiaries [of transmission lines] are, what the benefits are and how that is potentially calculated,” Onaran said, adding that more guidance could help avoid disagreements over costs.