美国联邦能源管理委员会（FERC）发布了一个调查公告（notice of inquiry (NOI) ）。
该公告是为了满足竞争性辅助服务提供者的需求，他们想要证明在市场基准利率下，出售他们的服务缺乏市场力量。考虑到一些卖家无法进行这类正式的市场力量研究，NOI要求大家提供建议：针对非传统的辅助服务提供者（不仅仅是那些使用储能技术的提供者，还包括需求响应提供者等），如何修改限制政策，从而确定公平、合理的利率。
为了鼓励储能资源的发展，NOI询问：是否需要修改委员会的报告以及会计法规以适应储能能够提供的不同服务。同时，也询问如何进行修改。在联邦纪事（Federal Register）出版后60天内可以进行评论。
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a notice of inquiry (NOI) regarding the requirement that competitive ancillary-services providers prove they lack market power before selling their services at market-based rates.
In response to a June 2010 staff inquiry, commenters argued that this restriction is unnecessary and serves as a barrier to the use of storage technologies to provide ancillary services. Recognizing the concerns that some sellers have about being unable to conduct formal market power studies, the NOI requests comment on how to modify the restriction for all nontraditional providers of ancillary services (not just those using storage technologies) while ensuring just and reasonable rates.
The NOI also asks whether FERC should revise its accounting and reporting requirements. Current procedures do not specifically provide for the accounting of costs related to new energy-storage resources and operations, nor do they clearly indicate how best to classify storage technologies that can provide a range of services to the grid.
With this uncertainty, it may be difficult for owners of these technologies to meet reporting requirements. That, in turn, would make it difficult for regulators to determine costs and establish appropriate rates for these resources, FERC says.
“The proliferation of fast-response storage technologies is important for the integration of renewable resources and the reliable and efficient functioning of the transmission grid and wholesale markets,” FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said in a statement. “To help encourage the development of storage resources, this NOI asks whether and how this commission’s reporting and accounting regulations should be modified to accommodate the varying services that storage can provide.”