{"document":{"slug":"abeyance-el26-72-isone","title":"Letter order granting the ISO-NE and PTO Administrative Committee joint abeyance motion","issued":"2026-08-14","accession":"20260814-3056","docket":"EL26-72-000","group":"Six large-load show-cause orders, one per RTO/ISO","filer":"FERC","kind":"letter order","file":"sources/originals/20260814-3056_EL26-72-000.docx","url":"https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_number=20260814-3056","sha256":"15e8b4fdf8a1667d478fddad21c574332a9a3c05bcf42636c99fb759a14c6e20","pages":null,"tokens":1603,"emptyPages":[]},"pages":[{"page":1,"startToken":0,"endToken":1603,"text":"196 FERC ¶ 61,132\nFEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION\nWASHINGTON, DC  20426\n\nAugust 14, 2026\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\tIn Reply Refer To:\nISO New England Inc. \nCentral Maine Power Company \nThe Connecticut Light and Power Company\nFitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company\nGreen Mountain Power Corporation \nMaine Electric Power Company \nThe Narragansett Electric Company\nNew England Power Company\nNew Hampshire Transmission, LLC \nNSTAR Electric Company\nPublic Service Company of New Hampshire\nThe United Illuminating Company \nUnitil Energy Systems, Inc. \nVermont Electric Power Company, Inc.\nVermont Transco LLC \nVersant Power \nDocket No. EL26-72-000\n\t\t\t\t\t\nISO New England Inc. \nOne Sullivan Road\nHolyoke, MA 01040\nAttention:  Margoth Caley\n\nDear Ms. Caley:\n\nOn June 18, 2026, the Commission initiated a show cause proceeding under section 206 of the Federal Power Act (FPA)[fn:2] (Show Cause Order).[fn:3]  The Show Cause Order directed ISO New England Inc. (ISO-NE) and the Participating Transmission Owners to explain why ISONE’s Transmission, Markets and Services Tariff (Tariff) remains just and reasonable and not unduly discriminatory or preferential without certain Tariff provisions addressing large loads and co-located loads, or propose Tariff revisions addressing the Commission’s concerns.  It also directed ISO-NE and the Participating Transmission Owners, within 60 days of the date of the order, to respond to the Show Cause Order and the briefing questions.  Responses to the Show Cause Order are due on August 17, 2026, with answers due 30 days after the responses are filed.[fn:4]  \nOn August 3, 2026, pursuant to Rule 212 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure,[fn:5] ISO-NE and Participating Transmission Owners-Administrative Committee (PTO-AC), on behalf of the Participating Transmission Owners,[fn:6] (Joint Movants) filed a joint motion to hold the above-referenced show cause proceeding in abeyance, in full, for 90 days, pending completion of ISO-NE’s stakeholder proceedings and submittal of an FPA section 205[fn:7] filing to address the Commission’s preliminary findings raised in the Show Cause Order (Abeyance Motion).  In this order, we grant the Abeyance Motion filed by Joint Movants and hold this proceeding in abeyance for                  90 days.  \nIn the Show Cause Order, the Commission stated that ISO-NE and the Participating Transmission Owners may request an abeyance, in whole or in part, for up to 90 days, “while they work through the stakeholder processes to develop FPA                section 205 filings to revise the Tariff to address the issues raised in this order.”[fn:8]  The Commission also stated that such requests must include:  “(1) a robust description of the content of a potential future filing under FPA section 205 and (2) a reasoned and specific explanation of when such a filing is expected to be made.”[fn:9]  \nJoint Movants state that the details of the future FPA section 205 filing will be subject to development and input received in the stakeholder process.[fn:10]  Joint Movants state that they anticipate presenting proposals at regularly scheduled New England Power Pool (NEPOOL) Markets, Transmission, and Participants Committees meetings.[fn:11]  Joint Movants state that there are Markets Committee meetings scheduled in August, September, October, and November; Transmission Committee meetings scheduled in August, September, and October; and a Participants Committee meeting scheduled in November.  Joint Movants state that the PTO-AC plans to act on Tariff revisions in October, and the NEPOOL Participants Committee would vote on the FPA section 205 proposal at its November meeting.  \nJoint Movants state that the filing will address the five categories of reform included in the Show Cause Order.  First, Joint Movants state that the FPA section 205 filing will address the need for a transmission service application process and study procedures, including the evaluation of alternative transmission technologies.[fn:12]  Joint Movants state that the filing will include a definition of large load based on the characteristics of ISO-NE’s transmission system, an application process, study procedures, ongoing operational requirements, and a pro forma transmission service agreement that apply to Eligible Customers seeking transmission service on behalf of large loads.  Second, Joint Movants state that the filing will include rules for transparency concerning the network upgrade costs to provide transmission service to Eligible Customers on behalf of large loads, including requirements for accessible data and guidelines for the type of information included, and a include a pro forma cost recovery agreement.[fn:13]  Third, Joint Movants state that the filing will include co-location rules and ensure that behind-the meter generation (BTMG) cannot be netted with load behind the same point of interconnection for the purpose of determining Regional Network Service charges for co-located loads configured in a BTMG arrangement.[fn:14]  Joint Movants also state that ISO-NE plans to develop transmission services available to Eligible Customers on behalf of co-located loads that recognize the ability of co-located loads to limit withdrawal from the transmission system under certain conditions.  Fourth, Joint Movants state that the filing will develop rules for flexible transmission services such as:  (1) interim non-firm network transmission service; (2) permanent firm contract demand transmission service; and (3) permanent non-firm contract demand transmission service.[fn:15]  Fifth, Joint Movants state that the filing will develop a process to study generating facilities serving electrically proximate and co-located large loads, including a definition of electrically proximate large load.[fn:16]  \nOn August 4, 2026, the Commission issued a notice requiring answers to the Abeyance Motion to be submitted by August 7, 2026.[fn:17]  The New England States Committee on Electricity filed a timely answer in support of the Abeyance Motion.\nWe grant the Abeyance Motion filed by Joint Movants.  Consistent with the Show Cause Order, Joint Movants have provided a robust description of the filing that the entities anticipate making, provided a date by which they intend to make such filing, and described the on-going stakeholder process, including stakeholder vote dates.  Such a stakeholder process will provide ISO-NE, the Participating Transmission Owners, and other stakeholders an opportunity to consider region-specific solutions to the concerns raised in the Show Cause Order.  Joint Movants state that they intend to submit an FPA section 205 filing by November 16, 2026. \nAccordingly, to allow ISO-NE’s stakeholder process to continue so that Joint Movants can make the anticipated described filing, we will grant the Abeyance Motion filed by Joint Movants.  We will hold this FPA section 206 proceeding in abeyance, in full, including responses to the Show Cause Order and briefing questions, for 90 days.  Therefore, responses to the Show Cause Order will be due on November 16, 2026, and answers to responses will be due on December 16, 2026.  \nIf ISO-NE or Participating Transmission Owners submit an FPA section 205 filing  addressing the Commission’s preliminary findings in the Show Cause Order on or before November 16, 2026, then the obligation of the respondent(s) who have made such an FPA section 205 filing to file a response to the Show Cause Order will be suspended, and this proceeding will continue to be held in abeyance pending further Commission directive in this proceeding.  \nTo the extent that ISO-NE and/or Participating Transmission Owners intend to request in their FPA section 205 filing that the show cause proceeding be terminated in full or in part if the Commission accepts the filing, we encourage ISO-NE and/or Participating Transmission Owners to explain, with specificity, which of their proposed Tariff revisions they believe resolve all or some of the Commission’s preliminary findings in the Show Cause Order, and whether the Commission should terminate the Show Cause Order, in full or in part.\nWhile we expect ISO-NE and/or Participating Transmission Owners to implement these tariff revisions as expeditiously as possible, we encourage ISO-NE and/or Participating Transmission Owners to propose an effective date that takes into account the necessary time to implement the proposed Tariff revisions and accommodate existing commercial arrangements.\nBy direction of the Commission. \n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\n\nCarlos D. Clay,\nDeputy Secretary.\n\n\n\n\nFootnotes\n[fn:2] 16 U.S.C. § 824e.\n[fn:3] ISO New Eng. Inc., 195 FERC ¶ 61,215 (Show Cause Order), errata notice,               196 FERC ¶ 61,012 (2026).\n[fn:4] Id. P 34.\n[fn:5] 18 C.F.R. § 385.212 (2025).\n[fn:6] The Participating Transmission Owners include:  Town of Braintree Electric Light Department; Central Maine Power Company; Chicopee Municipal Lighting Plant; Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative; Connecticut Transmission Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative; Eversource Energy Service Company on behalf of The Connecticut Light and Power Company, Public Service Company of New Hampshire and NSTAR Electric Company; Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company; Green Mountain Power Corporation; The City of Holyoke Gas and Electric Department; Town of Hudson Light and Power Department; Maine Electric Power Company; Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company; Town of Middleborough Gas & Electric Department; The Narragansett Electric Company; New England Power Company; New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, Inc.; New Hampshire Transmission, LLC; Town of Norwood Municipal Light Department; Town of Reading Municipal Light Department; Shrewsbury Electric and Cable Operations; Town of Stowe Electric Department; Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant; The United Illuminating Company; Unitil Energy Systems, Inc.; Vermont Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Vermont Electric Power Company, Inc.; Vermont Public Power Supply Authority; Vermont Transco LLC; Versant Power; and Town of Wallingford, CT, Department of Public Utilities, Electric Division.\n[fn:7] 16 U.S.C. § 824d.\n[fn:8] Show Cause Order, 195 FERC ¶ 61,215 at P 36.\n[fn:9] Id.\n[fn:10] Abeyance Motion at 5.\n[fn:11] Id. at 11.\n[fn:12] Id. at 5-8.\n[fn:13] Id. at 8-9.\n[fn:14] Id. at 9.\n[fn:15] Id. at 9-10.\n[fn:16] Id. at 10.\n[fn:17] Notice Establishing Answer Period, Docket No. EL26-72-000 (issued Aug. 4, 2026).\n\nheader1 (Word template)\nCUICUI- 1 -\nCUI\nCUI\n\nheader2 (Word template)\nDocket No. EL26-72-000 \t- 1 -"}],"sections":[{"p":1,"at":0,"title":"Opening text","method":"opening text","endPage":1,"endAt":8578,"startToken":0,"endToken":1300},{"p":1,"at":8578,"title":"Footnotes","method":"Word notes","endPage":1,"endAt":10568,"startToken":1300,"endToken":1603}]}