The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) oversight of wholesale energy market services and transmission operations presents the agency with significant opportunities to institute policies that can accelerate the decarbonization of our electric services sector. This article (subscription or purchase required) — part of a special issue of Electricity Journal on the topic of energy optimization, guest-edited by RAP staff — explores a number of key actions FERC could undertake at the wholesale level to move our electric system to cleaner and more efficient delivery of energy services.

The actions examined range from minor modifications and clarifications of existing rules and practices, to enhanced enforcement activities and initiating full-blown rulemaking to launch new initiatives. All the actions examined are intended to increase overall system efficiency and ultimately reduce carbon output from our electric sector.