January 2010 Executive Committee Meeting - NEM’s Annual Winter Executive Committee Policy and Planning Meeting will be held January 19 & 20, 2010, at the headquarters of South Carolina Research Authority in Charleston, South Carolina. NEM’s room rate has been secured at $129.00 per room per night at the Hilton Garden Inn Charleston Airport, 5265 International Blvd., N. Charleston, SC 29418. The Executive Committee sets the course for NEM’s advocacy in the coming year at this meeting. The Meeting Agenda is hotlinked here. Many thanks to Bill Mahoney and South Carolina Research Authority for the generous offer to host this meeting. Please use this hotlink to register.

FERC has announced the date and agenda for the technical conference on RTO/ISO responsiveness. The staff technical conference will be convened on February 4, 2010, from 12:30PM to 4:30PM. The technical conference is intended to be a forum for participants to discuss issues related to the responsiveness of RTOs/ISOs to their customers and other stakeholders. The conference will include two panel discussions, the first panel will discuss stakeholder process and the second panel will discuss board process and other governance issues. The full text of the Notice Providing Agenda for Technical Conference is available on the NEM Website.

Google Energy filed an application with FERC requesting authorization to make sales of electric energy, capacity and ancillary services at market based rates. As described in its application, Google Energy, "was formed to identify and develop opportunities to contain and manage the cost of energy for Google. In addition to engaging in sales of electricity that are unregulated by the Commission, Applicant proposes to act as a power marketer, purchasing electricity and reselling it to wholesale customers. Applicant may also engage in other, non-jurisdictional, activities to facilitate efficient trade in the bulk power market, such as arranging services in related areas such as transmission and fuel supplies. All transactions between Applicant and its purchasers will be at rates negotiated between the parties to the transaction." The full text of the Google Energy Application is available on the NEM Website.