Trump-appointed regulators reject plan to rescue coal and nuclear plants

The independent five-member commission includes four people appointed by President Donald Trump, three of them Republicans. Its decision is binding.

At the same time, the commission said it shared Perry’s stated goal of strengthening the “resilience” of the electricity grid and it directed regional transmission operators to provide information to help the commission examine the matter “holistically.” The operators have 60 days to submit materials. At that time the agency can issue another order.

Perry’s proposal was widely seen as an effort to alter the balance of competitive electricity markets that federal regulators have been cultivating since the late 1980s. And critics said that it would have largely helped a handful of coal and nuclear companies, including the utility FirstEnergy and coal mining firm Murray Energy.

“The Commission’s endorsement of markets does not conflict with its oversight of reliability, and the Commission has been able to focus on both without compromising its commitment to either,” FERC said in an order.

FERC said that while it had not used the term “resilience,” it had pursued policies that would “ensure the uninterrupted supply of electricity in the face of fuel disruptions or extreme weather threats.”

Perry issued a statement saying “as intended, my proposal initiated a national debate on the resiliency of our electric system.”