In ER19-303, FERC awarded Duquesne the Abandonment Incentive and CWIP in rate base for a PJM project named the Beaver Valley Deactivation Transmission Project. The Project is part of a suite of projects needed to address reliability violations resulting from FirstEnergy’s intent to deactivate about 4,000 MW of nuclear generation between May 31, 2020 and October 31, 2021 (four generation facilities are expected to be deactivated, including Davis-Besse Unit 1, Beaver Valley Unit 1, Beaver Valley Unit 2, and the Perry Unit). The Beaver Valley Units 1 and 2 are located within Duquesne’s service territory in southwestern Pennsylvania. The Project consists of constructing a new Elrama 135 kV substation, connecting seven 138 kV transmission lines to the new substation, reconductoring several transmission lines, establishing a new circuit, and constructing transmission tie lines from the new Elrama substation to a FirstEnergy substation. Duquesne estimates that the Project will cost $38.4 million and has a projected in-service date of June 1, 2021.
In ER19-297, FERC awarded Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission, LLC (MAIT) and West Penn Power Company (West Penn) the Abandonment Incentive for transmission upgrades, which comprise the Generator Deactivation Project, a PJM project needed to address reliability violations resulting from the same nuclear retirements described above. The Generator Deactivation Project is estimated to cost $144.4 million and will include three transformer replacements, construction of a new substation and transmission lines, and reconductoring of existing transmission lines and terminal equipment enhancements. The Generator Deactivation Project has a projected in-service date of June 1, 2021. FERC also confirmed that both Duquesne and MAIT and West Penn are eligible to seek recovery of 50 percent of their portion of prudently-incurred abandonment costs, net of the closing out of the transaction and sale of associated assets, for both projects expended prior to the date of issuance of this order. However, such recovery, along with any recovery pursuant to the Abandonment Incentive, is subject to a future filing establishing the justness and reasonableness of including such costs in rates. Duquesne did not propose accounting procedures to ensure that customers will not be charged for both capitalized AFUDC and corresponding amounts of CWIP proposed to be included in rate base and must do so on compliance.
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Dr. Paul DumaisCEO of Dumais Consulting with expertise in FERC regulatory matters, including transmission formula rates, reactive power and more. Archives
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