Among recent changes in the energy world is a federal plan to standardize wholesale power markets. Called the "standard market design" (SMD), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) proposes to eliminate differences among regions that limit access to lower-cost power resources. Will those changes be as invisible as past orders? Or will FERC's sought-after sea change make waves in your electric rates?
FERC has gathered "best practices" from around the United States to be applied universally, so some aspects of its plan won't look new to those in areas where some of these methods are already in place. Here are a few of the "hot buttons" FERC is pushing.