6.6. ERMUSR 01-11-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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and encourages participation by jurisdictional and non jurisdictional entities alike. Four sub-regional planning efforts,~`~ each with participation by both jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional entities, have been established to address the transmission expansion needs of the Interconnection. Recently, the bylaws of the ~~Vestcrn Electricity Coordinating Council ("~YT.CC') have been amended to permit it to coordinate planning efforts ~~ithin the entire interconnection. In addition, the ~1~estern Governors' Association has sponsored an assessment of transmission needs, and the member Governors, along with several federal agencies, have executed an interstate siting memorandum of understanding.20 The longer term goal must be an inclusive regional transmission planning and construction process, in which all affected ~-cholesale market. participants and state authorities participate. In the absence of an R"I'O, a regional platform or forum must carry out this function, as t1%ECC is now If the responSlblllty for. tmdertaking for the ~~'est. These regional planning processes should bUllding and OWDIng bc= tailored to the needs, preferences and characteristics of each the tranSrgISS1011 grid region, so that those in the region have confidence in both the process and its results. is spread more broadly among entities serving loads in a region, then Joint Ownership of Generation and Transmission Reduces the Need for RTOs and Should Be Encouraged joint transmission plannlpg WIII likely be J°int ownership of transmission addresses many of the issues that RTOs were intended to address. Proportional ownership is an facilitated, simply . . effective means to rnrtrgate the transmission market po~~~er of because there are incumbent FL,RC jurisdiction~:tl utilities ~~•here this is a pressing morepartlclpantS at policy concern. If the responsibility for building and owning the the planning table. transmission grid is spread more broadly among entities serving loads in a region, then joint transmission planning will likely be facilitated, simply because there are more participants at the planning table. If °`nettivork integration transmission service" ("nets-vork") customers are encouraged to "bu~~ in" to their load ratio share of the transmission system, transmission usage and ownership will be more closely aligned, and the historical frictions between transmission-dependent utilities and 19 'These groups include the Southwest 'Ii~ansmission Expansion Planning Group, the Southwest Arizona "Iransmission Study Grc,up, the Northwest TranSITLISSIOI] Assessment Committee, and the Rocky 1~lountain Area "Transmission Study. ~~ Zb underscore the importance of regional differences, federal land ownership is a greater barrier ro interstate transmission projects in the ~ti'est than is rejection oCa project by an individual state siting authority. Restructuring at the Crossroads: FERC Electric Policy Reconsidered 21