An appeals court has ruled that federal energy regulators have control over a key estimate used in determining electricity pricing in New England, and not the six states themselves.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia released a decision Tuesday saying the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has authority over a yearly estimate of how much electricity the states will need over the following three years.
The estimate is the basis for pricing in New England, affecting transmission tariffs and consumer costs.
The operator of the region's power grid, ISO New England, supports the court's ruling and says the estimate is best determined on a regional basis and not state-by-state.
The states disagree, saying it's better for them to determine their own energy needs.
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