Our Work
Who We Work With
FERC
NERC
Congress
EPA
DOE
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) oversight of wholesale electricity markets and transmission planning affect large industrial energy consumers. FERC’s mission is implementing and enforcing laws that protect consumers by ensuring reliable service at just and reasonable rates. Many large manufacturers are directly connected to the transmission grid and are impacted by a host of FERC policies and tariffs, including the terms and conditions of interconnection agreements and mandatory reliability standards. Many ELCON members also buy power directly from FERC jurisdictional ISOs and RTOs. ELCON and its members regularly meet with commissioners and key staff to ensure the views of large industrial consumers are understood.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), as the federally-recognized Electric Reliability Organization, establishes and enforces the standards for the reliable planning and operation of the North American electric grid. ELCON is the only national group representing manufacturers at all levels within NERC. ELCON staff and member companies serve on many key NERC Committees and provide written policy input to the NERC Board on a regular basis with the goal of minimizing the burden of NERC regulations on members and its effects on consumer costs.
The U.S. Congress is responsible for reforming national energy and environmental policies and regulations Beginning with the creation of the Federal Power Commission in the 1920s (now FERC) to the enactment of the Energy Policy Acts of 1992 and 2005, Congressional action on energy policy has had a significant impact on the delivery and price of electricity for industrial consumers. Meeting with key Members and staff, testifying before Congressional Committees, and providing policy input to the Senate and House energy offices, ELCON works to make sure that Congress protects large industrial consumers of electricity.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rules on the electric utility industry have a profound impact on the cost of the reliable supply of electricity. The EPA administers a number of federal regulations that affect the electric rates paid by industrial consumers and is currently developing significant regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by energy producers. ELCON, often partnering with other associations and trade groups, works with the EPA so that these regulations are developed and implemented in the most cost effective and efficient manner possible.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) mission is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. The DOE studies the needs of the electric transmission grid and provides recommendations on efficient planning and siting of transmission infrastructure and is tasked with allocating government funding for transformative energy technologies and programs. ELCON, working with the DOE’s Grid Deployment Office and the Office of Manufacturing and Supply Chains, ensures large industrials benefit from these programs through lower consumer costs.