Port of Seattle, Wash. v. F.E.R.C.

• Decision Date: 24 August 2007
• Docket Number: Nos. 03-74139, 03-74472, 03-74769, 04-70110, 04-70185, 04-70703, 04-71189.,s. 03-74139, 03-74472, 03-74769, 04-70110, 04-70185, 04-70703, 04-71189.
• Citation: 499 F.3d 1016
• Parties: PORT OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, Petitioner, IDACORP Energy; Williams Power Company Inc.; City of Tacoma, Washington; Southern California Edison Company; Constellation Power Source Inc.; El Paso Merchant Energy L.P.; Morgan Stanley Capital Group, Inc.; Tractebel Energy Marketing Inc.; BP Energy Co., Intervenors, v. FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, Respondent, M-S-R Public Power Agency; Duke Energy Trading and Marketing, LLC; Puget Sound Energy; City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; Sempra Energy Trading Corp.; Energy Plus LLC; Northern California Power Agency, Intervenors, Port of Seattle, Applicant-Intervenor. City of Seattle, Petitioner, IDACORP Energy L.P.; People of the State of California; Port of Seattle; Duke Energy North America, LLC, Duke Energy Trading and Marketing, LLC, (Collectively, "Duke Energy"); City of Tacoma, Intervenors, Benton County, Franklin County, Grant County; Transcanada Energy; Public Service Company Of Colorado; Powerex Corp.; California Independent System Operator corporation; Alcoa Inc.; Columbia Falls Aluminum Company, LLC; Williams Power Company Inc.; California Electricity Oversight Board; Portland General Electric Company; Northern California Power Agency; El Paso Merchant Energy L.P., Intervenors, v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Respondent, Avista Corporation; Avista Energy; The City of Los Angeles Department Of Water and Power; Sempra Energy; Puget Sound Energy; Pinnacle West Cos.; Constellation Energy Commodities Group, Inc.; BP Energy Co.; Tractebel Energy Marketing Inc.; M-S-R Public Power Agency; Modesto Irrigation District (Mid); The City of Santa Clara; City of Redding; Coral Power; PPL Energyplus, LLC; PPL Montana, Intervenors. City of Tacoma, Washington, Petitioner, Duke Energy North America, LLC, Duke Energy Trading and Marketing, LLC, (Collectively, "Duke Energy"); California Attorney General; Port of Seattle, Intervenors, v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Respondent, IDACORP Energy L.P.; Pinnacle West Capital Corporation; Northern California Power Agency; Avista Energy Inc.; Avista Corporation; M-S-R Public Power Agency; Public Service Company of Colorado; City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; Sempra Energy Trading Corp.; Public Service Company of New Mexico; PPL Energyplus; PPL Montana; Coral Power, LLC, Intervenors. Puget Sound Energy, Petitioner, v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Respondent, Duke Energy North America, LLC, Duke Energy Trading and Marketing, LLC, (Collectively, "Duke Energy"); City of Tacoma, Washington; California Independent System Operator Corporation; Public Service Company of Colorado; Sempra Energy Trading Corp.; City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, (PNW); Coral Power, LLC; Transcanada Energy Ltd.; Williams Power Company Inc.; Northern California Power Agency, (NCPA); Port of Seattle Washington; M-S-R Public Power Agency; The Modesto Irrigation District ("Mid"), The City of Santa Clara, California ("Santa Clara") and The City of Redding, California ("Redding"); California Electricity Oversight Board; Alcoa Inc.; Columbia Falls Aluminum Company, LLC ("CFAC"); Morgan Stanley Capital Group, Inc.; PacificCorp; People of the State of California, ex rel. Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Applicants-Intervenors. People of the State of California; Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Petitioners, v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Respondent, Morgan Stanley Capital Group, Inc., Applicant-Intervenor. People of the State of California, Petitioner, City of Tacoma, Washington; Port of Seattle, Washington, Intervenors, IDACORP Energy L.P.; California Electricity Oversight Board; Transcanada Energy Ltd.; Benton, Franklin and Grant County, Washington Public Utility Districts; The California Independent System Operator Corporation; Columbia Falls Aluminum Company, LLC; Alcoa, Inc.; Portland General Electric Company; Bonneville Power Administration; Powerex Corp.; Benton County; Franklin County; Grant County, Washington, Intervenors, v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Respondent, BP Energy Company; Constellation Energy Commodities Group, Inc.; City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; Sempra Energy Trading Corp.; Puget Sound Energy, Inc.; Avista Energy, Inc.; Coral Power, L.L.C.; Northern California Power Agency; The M-S-R Public Power Agency; Modesto Irrigation District (Mid); City of Santa Clara, California; City of Redding, California; Pinnacle West Companies; Public Service Company of Colorado; PPL Energyplus, LLC; PPL Montana, LLC; Avista Corporation, Intervenors. California Public Utilities Commission, Petitioner, v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Respondent.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit

499 F.3d 1016

PORT OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, Petitioner IDACORP Energy; Williams Power Company Inc.; City of Tacoma, Washington; Southern California Edison Company; Constellation Power Source Inc.; El Paso Merchant Energy L.P.; Morgan Stanley Capital Group, Inc.; Tractebel Energy Marketing Inc.; BP Energy Co., Intervenors, v. FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, Respondent M-S-R Public Power Agency; Duke Energy Trading and Marketing, LLC; Puget Sound Energy; City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; Sempra Energy Trading Corp.; Energy Plus LLC; Northern California Power Agency, Intervenors Port of Seattle, Applicant-Intervenor City of Seattle, Petitioner, IDACORP Energy L.P.; People of the State of California; Port of Seattle; Duke Energy North America, LLC, Duke Energy Trading and Marketing, LLC, (Collectively, "Duke Energy"); City of Tacoma, Intervenors, Benton County, Franklin County, Grant County; Transcanada Energy; Public Service Company Of Colorado; Powerex Corp.; California Independent System Operator corporation; Alcoa Inc.; Columbia Falls Aluminum Company, LLC; Williams Power Company Inc.; California Electricity Oversight Board; Portland General Electric Company; Northern California Power Agency; El Paso Merchant Energy L.P., Intervenors,

v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Respondent, Avista Corporation; Avista Energy; The City of Los Angeles Department Of Water and Power; Sempra Energy; Puget Sound Energy; Pinnacle West Cos.; Constellation Energy Commodities Group, Inc.; BP Energy Co.; Tractebel Energy Marketing Inc.; M-S-R Public Power Agency; Modesto Irrigation District (Mid); The City of Santa Clara; City of Redding; Coral Power; PPL Energyplus, LLC; PPL Montana, Intervenors.

City of Tacoma, Washington, Petitioner, Duke Energy North America, LLC, Duke Energy Trading and Marketing, LLC, (Collectively, "Duke Energy"); California Attorney General; Port of Seattle, Intervenors, v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Respondent, IDACORP Energy L.P.; Pinnacle West Capital Corporation; Northern California Power Agency; Avista Energy Inc.; Avista Corporation; M-S-R Public Power Agency; Public Service Company of Colorado; City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; Sempra Energy Trading Corp.; Public Service Company of New Mexico; PPL Energyplus; PPL Montana; Coral Power, LLC, Intervenors.

Puget Sound Energy, Petitioner, v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Respondent, Duke Energy North America, LLC, Duke Energy Trading and Marketing, LLC, (Collectively, "Duke Energy"); City of Tacoma, Washington; California Independent System Operator Corporation; Public Service Company of Colorado; Sempra Energy Trading Corp.; City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, (PNW); Coral Power, LLC; Transcanada Energy Ltd.; Williams Power Company Inc.; Northern California Power Agency, (NCPA); Port of Seattle Washington; M-S-R Public Power Agency; The Modesto Irrigation District ("Mid"), The City of Santa Clara, California ("Santa Clara") and The City of Redding, California ("Redding"); California Electricity Oversight Board; Alcoa Inc.; Columbia Falls Aluminum Company, LLC ("CFAC"); Morgan Stanley Capital Group, Inc.; PacificCorp; People of the State of California, ex rel. Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Applicants-Intervenors.

People of the State of California; Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Petitioners, v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Respondent, Morgan Stanley Capital Group, Inc., Applicant-Intervenor.

People of the State of California, Petitioner,

City of Tacoma, Washington; Port of Seattle, Washington, Intervenors,

IDACORP Energy L.P.; California Electricity Oversight Board; Transcanada Energy Ltd.; Benton, Franklin and Grant County, Washington Public

Utility Districts; The California Independent System Operator Corporation; Columbia Falls Aluminum Company, LLC; Alcoa, Inc.; Portland General Electric Company; Bonneville Power Administration; Powerex Corp.; Benton County; Franklin County; Grant County, Washington, Intervenors, v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Respondent, BP Energy Company; Constellation Energy Commodities Group, Inc.; City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; Sempra Energy Trading Corp.; Puget Sound Energy, Inc.; Avista Energy, Inc.; Coral Power, L.L.C.; Northern California Power Agency; The M-S-R Public Power Agency; Modesto Irrigation District (Mid); City of Santa Clara, California; City of Redding, California; Pinnacle West Companies; Public Service Company of Colorado; PPL Energyplus, LLC; PPL Montana, LLC; Avista Corporation, Intervenors.

California Public Utilities Commission, Petitioner, v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Respondent.

Nos. 03-74139, 03-74472, 03-74769, 04-70110, 04-70185, 04-70703, 04-71189.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Argued and Submitted January 8, 2007.

Filed August 24, 2007.

Gary D. Bachman (argued), Cheryl Feik Ryan, Howard E. Shapiro, and Meredith Berger Chambers, Van Ness Feldman, PC, Washington, D.C., for petitioner and intervenor Puget Sound Energy, Inc.

Philip L. Chabot, Jr., McCarthy, Sweeney & Harkaway, PC, Washington, D.C., for petitioner and intervenor Port of Seattle.

Rex S. Heinke (argued), Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, Los Angeles, CA; and G. Philip Nowak, Jerry E. Rothrock, and David A. Elder, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, Washington, D.C., for petitioner and intervenor City of Seattle.

Michael J. Kurman and J. Michael Carr, Jr., Arent Fox PLLC, Washington, D.C., for petitioner and intervenor City of Tacoma.

Bill Lockyer, Richard M. Frank, and Thomas Greene, Office of the Attorney General of the State of California, Sacramento, CA; Kevin J. McKeon (argued), Lillian S. Harris (argued), and Katherine E. Lovette, Hawke, McKeon, Sniscak & Kennard LLP, Harrisburg, PA; and David M. Gustafson, Office of the Attorney General of the State of California, Oakland, CA, for petitioner and intervenor the People of the State of California ex rel. Bill Lockyer, Attorney General.

Erik N. Saltmarsh and Victoria S. Kolakowski, California Electricity Oversight Board, Sacramento, CA, for petitioner and intervenor California Electricity Oversight Board.

Randolph Wu, Arocles Aguilar, Mary F. McKenzie, Sean H. Gallagher, and Traci Bone, Public Utilities Commission of the State of California, San Francisco, CA, for petitioner and intervenor Public Utilities Commission of the State of California.

Cynthia A. Marlette, Dennis Lane, and Robert H. Solomon (argued), Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C., for respondent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Randy Coach and Peter J. Burger, Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, OR; and Karin J. Immergut and Jeff Handy, Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, Portland, OR, for intervenor Bonneville Power Administration.

Michael B. Early, Portland, OR, for intervenors Alcoa Inc. and Columbia Falls Aluminum Company, LLC.

Gary D. Bachman (argued), Cheryl Feik Ryan, Howard E. Shapiro, and Meredith Berger Chambers, Van Ness Feldman, PC, Washington, D.C., for intervenor Avista Corporation and Avista Energy, Inc.

Mark R. Haskell, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Washington, D.C., for intervenor BP Energy Company.

Ronald N. Carroll and Melissa A. Burt, Foley & Lardner LLP, Washington, D.C.; and Lisa M. Decker and Randall D. Osteen, Constellation Energy Commodities Group, Inc., Baltimore, MD, for intervenor Constellation Energy Commodities Group, Inc.

Jeffrey D. Watkiss, Bracewell & Guiliani, LLP, Washington, D.C., for intervenor Coral Power LLC.

Kenneth W. Irvin, McDermott Will & Emery LLP, Washington, D.C., for intervenor El Paso Marketing, LP.

Lawrence G. Acker, Brett A. Snyder, and Roshini Thayaparan, LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & Macrae, LLP, Washington, D.C., for intervenor IDACORP Energy LP.

Rockard J. Delgadillo, Richard M. Brown, and Marcia Haber Kamine, Office of the City Attorney of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA; and Howard E. Shapiro and Patricia F. Godley, Van Ness Feldman, P.C., Washington, D.C., for intervenor City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Wallace L. Duncan, James D. Pembroke, Peter J. Scanlon, and Sean M. Neal, Duncan, Weinberg, Genzer & Pembroke, PC, Washington, D.C., for intervenors Modesto Irrigation District, City of Santa Clara, California, City of Redding, California, and the M-S-R Public Power Agency.

Robert C. McDiarmid, Lisa G. Dowden, and Meg Meiser, Spiegel & McDiarmid, Washington, D.C., for intervenor Northern California Power Agency.

John D. McGrane and Suzanne K. McBride, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Washington, D.C.; and Timothy Bolden, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, Phoenix, AZ, for intervenors Pinnacle West Capital Corporation and Arizona Public Service Company.

V. Denise Saunders, Portland General Electric Company, Portland, OR; and Cheryl M. Foley, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Washington, D.C., for intervenor Portland General Electric Company.

Paul W. Fox, Andrea M. Kearney, and Deanna E. King, Bracewell & Guiliani LLP, Austin, TX; J. Clifford Gunter III, Andrew M. Edison, and Erin Glenn Busby, Bracewell & Guiliani LLP, Houston, TX; and David C. Frederick (argued) and Scott H. Angstreich, Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel, PLLC, Washington, D.C., for intervenor Powerex Corp.

Donald A. Kaplan and John Longstreth, Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds LLP, Washington, D.C., for intervenors PPL EnergyPlus, LLC, and PPL Montana, LLC.

John T. Stough, Jr., and Kevin M. Downey, Hogan & Hartson, Washington, D.C., for intervenor Public Service Company of New Mexico.

Bonnie S. Blair, Mark L. Parsons, and Margaret E. McNaul, Thompson Coburn LLP, Washington, D.C., for intervenors

the public utility districts of Benton, Franklin, and Grant Counties, Washington.

Margaret A. Moore, Howard E. Shapiro, and Vincenzo Franco, Van Ness Feldman, PC, Washington, D.C.; Alan Z. Yudkowsky, ...