FERC Issues New Civil Penalty Guidelines

On March 18, 2010, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“Commission”) released a new Policy Statement on Civil Penalty Guidelines in Docket No. PL10-4-000 (“Policy Statement”) for violations of the Commission’s statutes, rules, regulations, restrictions, conditions, or orders. The intended purpose of the Policy Statement and the new guidelines attached thereto (“Penalty Guidelines”) is to add fairness, consistency, and transparency to civil penalty determinations.