NEM's 13th Annual National Energy Restructuring Conference - NEM will convene its 13th Annual National Energy Restructuring Conference at the Embassy Suites Hotel Washington D.C. Convention Center on April 27th & 28th, 2010. This year’s theme is “Renaissance in Energy Markets.” Topics of discussion will include Competitive Energy Supply, Demand, Prices and Economic Opportunities. Please use this hotlink to register for the event.

We have already confirmed a number of key regulators and legislators and this promises to be a "can't miss" event. Confirmed participants include: Congressman James Clyburn, Majority Whip (D-SC); U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (Ind-VT); Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) (invited); Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) (invited); Congressman Glenn Thompson, Jr. (R-PA); Jon Wellinghoff, FERC Chairman; Daniel Poneman, Deputy Secretary of Energy; Marc Spitzer, FERC Commissioner; Philip Moeller, FERC Commissioner; James Cawley, PAPUC Chairman; Alan Schriber, OH PUC Chairman; Douglas Nazarian, MDPSC Chairman; Manuel Flores, ICC Chairman; Orjiakor Osiogu, MIPSC Chairman; David Armstrong, KYPSC Chairman; Sharon Reishus, ME PUC Chairman; Betty Ann Kane, DCPSC Chairman; Erin O'Connell Diaz, ICC Commissioner; Catherine Pugh, MD State Senator; Jess Totten, TX PUC Director; Eric Matheson, PAPUC Energy Advisor; and Calvin Timmerman, MDPSC.

Earlier this week, the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held an oversight hearing for FERC. FERC Chairman Wellinghoff and the Commissioners appeared. Chairman Wellinghoff discussed the importance of a safe and reliable energy infrastructure, including smart grid policy and also FERC's responsibility in ensuring just and reasonable rates for jurisdictional services. Of particular note, Wellinghoff said, "Whatever decisions Congress makes with respect to financial derivatives, those decisions should preserve the Commission’s exclusive oversight of rates, terms and conditions for wholesale energy sales and prevent dual regulation of energy markets by the Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Second, I believe that the organized wholesale electric markets create opportunities and encourage innovations that benefit consumers."

Commissioner Spitzer explained, "how competitive interstate natural gas and electric transmission markets have benefitted consumers and how the Commission monitors the competitive markets." Spitzer went on to say, "As a proponent of competitive markets, I believe that the Commission must continue to focus on enhancing competition in wholesale electric and interstate natural gas markets. The Commission must continue in its role as an independent wholesale energy regulator by developing rules and policies that allow all types of resources and infrastructure to compete fairly. Just as we should not adopt rules or policies that ignore the laws of supply and demand, we should not adopt rules or policies that ignore any type of energy resource or infrastructure. Likewise, our rules and policies should not favor one type of resource or infrastructure over another. If we are to achieve the two primary goals of the Strategic Plan laid out by Chairman Wellinghoff, then the Commission's role should be to establish rules and policies that ensure all types of resources, whether they are natural gas, oil, hydro, nuclear, wind, solar or demand resources, have a full and fair opportunity to compete for the ultimate benefit of consumers."

The full texts of Chairman Wellinghoff and Commissioner Spitzer's Testimony are available on the NEM Website.