FERC Review Highlights Utility Filing Accuracy Needs
Utilities face increased scrutiny as compliance exceptions climb 49 percent, mandating tighter controls on submission data.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Utilities
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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released a review showing a 49 percent increase in utility compliance-exception submissions during the 2024-2025 period. Operators should note that FERC staff identified minor reporting inaccuracies within a sample of these regulatory filings.
Why it matters
As utilities grapple with shifting reliability standards, these filings offer a window into the industry's administrative burden and data accuracy. Rising exception volumes suggest increased complexity in reporting, which can lead to higher scrutiny of internal documentation processes.
Utilities submitted 1,619 compliance exceptions in the 2024-2025 period, rising 49 percent year-over-year, while FFT cases fell 11 percent to 206. Cumulative totals reached 10,175 compliance exceptions and 3,768 FFT cases through August 2025.
The players
FERC
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission oversees the reliability of the interstate transmission grid and enforces compliance with industry standards.
NERC
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation manages the reliability of the bulk power system through developed standards and regulatory oversight.
The details
FERC staff performed a targeted review of 63 cases, including 34 compliance exceptions and 29 FFT filings, to verify reporting integrity. The review process highlighted three specific filing errors: one FFT case contained an incomplete description, and two compliance exceptions provided inaccurate start or end dates. These findings serve as a reminder that regulatory bodies are actively scrutinizing the administrative precision of reliability data submitted by regional entities.
Timeline
October 2023-September 2024: Prior review period for compliance and FFT submissions.
October 2024-September 2025: Review period for 1,619 compliance exceptions.
Oct. 27, 2026: FERC published staff review findings.
Market Landscape
This staff review provides an annual health check on the administrative accuracy of filings processed under the NERC reliability standards compliance framework. It serves as a benchmark for how regional entities maintain data integrity during periods of shifting compliance volumes.
Operators in the utility sector should audit their own data submission protocols to ensure start and end dates are accurately captured in all regulatory filings. Strengthening internal oversight of these submissions is critical to avoiding scrutiny in future FERC reviews.
The takeaway
Reliability filings are subject to increasing scrutiny, making manual review of submission data an essential administrative step. Utilities should track their year-over-year exception volumes as a potential leading indicator of increased regulatory focus on their reporting accuracy.
Further reading
For broader context on grid oversight, visit our Utilities section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Environment+Energy Leader.
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