The Nickel Report

On June 18, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) took long-anticipated action to speed the interconnection of data centers, other large loads, and the generation resources necessary to power them to the interstate transmission grid. FERC has responded to a late 2025 proposal from the Department of Energy by issuing “Show Cause Orders” to each of the six Independent System Operators and Regional Transmission Organizations (ISOs/RTOs) subject to its jurisdiction. The Show Cause Orders find that ISO/RTO tariffs appear to be unjust, unreasonable, and/or unduly discriminatory because they do not clearly, consistently, or completely address key large load interconnection issues. Each ISO/RTO must file a response that explains why FERC’s concerns are invalid or describes reforms that FERC could impose under section 206 of the Federal Power Act.

On June 18, 2026, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued an order granting a certificate of public convenience and necessity to Eastern Gas Transmission and Storage, Inc. to add 550,000 dekatherms per day of firm transportation service on its system in Pennsylvania and Ohio through the “Appalachian Reliability Project.” In the Certificate Order, the Commission took the position that the National Environmental Policy Act does not require a discrete cumulative effects analysis.

On June 3, 2026, EPA announced its new “Superfund Solutions Initiative,” a strategic effort intended to accelerate cleanup of the more than 1,340 sites currently listed on the National Priorities List. The initiative focuses on three broad objectives: enhancing project management, deploying existing cleanup authorities earlier in the process and applying what EPA describes as “smarter science for smarter outcomes.” Nothing in the announcement suggests EPA intends to revise the National Contingency Plan or modify the CERCLA liability framework. Instead, the agency is attempting to improve how existing authorities are used and coordinated in an effort to reduce delays, lower administrative burdens, and move Superfund sites more quickly toward remediation and productive reuse.

On June 10, 2026, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a notice and request for comments on its intention to request approval for a new information collection on contextual Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS). The purpose of this research is to develop and evaluate a prototype contextual DMS that fuses data gathered from various sources (e.g., visual, physical, external, etc.). NHTSA intends to examine the effectiveness of this technology and to assess driver acceptance. This agency action marks NHTSA’s latest step in advancing safety measures and meeting statutory directives. NHTSA is accepting comments until August 10, 2026.