History
TAPS, an acronym for the Transmission Access Policy Study
Group, was formed by several joint action agencies and individual municipal electric systems in 1989. At that time, Pacific
Gas & Electric Company was lobbying FERC heavily for permission to charge market-based transmission rates for the use
of monopoly transmission assets. TAPS systems came together to provide a strong voice in opposition to this initiative and
similar proposals. At that time, FERC lacked clear authority to order transmission owners to provide transmission service
and utilities like PG&E were arguing for significant incentives (bribes) to provide transmission service to transmission-dependent
utilities on a "voluntary" basis. As a result of the efforts of TAPS and others, the PG&E proposal was never
approved by FERC.
Following this initial victory, TAPS became a forceful voice at the FERC and in Congress for the interests
of transmission-dependent utilities (TDUs) -- that is, those utilities that must rely on transmission facilities owned by
others to serve their loads. TAPS' focus is on transmission, market power, and reliability issues that are crucial to the
competitive viability of small systems and to the creation and maintenance of truly competitive wholesale markets for the
benefit of all electric consumers.
TAPS members are a mix of joint action
agencies, individual municipal systems, and some state and regional organizations of municipal and/or rural electric cooperative
systems. A few own transmission, but also rely on the facilities of others. One private utility, Madison (WI) Gas & Electric
Company, is a member, as is New Hampshire Electric Cooperative.
By working together, each TAPS member is able to have
a voice in important FERC policy proceedings and legislative initiatives, at significantly less cost than it would take to
proceed individually. In addition, by working together as a unified group, we have increased the political and regulatory
clout of TDUs significantly. TAPS' attorneys are Cindy Bogorad and Bob McDiarmid of Spiegel & McDiarmid.
TAPS' Washington lobbyists are Deborah Sliz and of Morgan Meguire LLC and Rob Talley of Talley & Associates. TAPS also
relies on the voluntary participation and hard work of its members in grass roots lobbying.
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