Office of Enforcement (OE)

Senior Visiting Scholar (SVS) Program: This program seeks to bring university professors into the Office of Enforcement’s Division of Energy Market Oversight and Division of Analytics and Surveillance, for a period of one academic year, or one academic semester, to conduct research in areas pertaining to the wholesale electric and natural gas markets. Learn More

Mission
The Office of Enforcement serves the public interest by protecting consumers through market oversight and surveillance; assuring compliance with tariffs, rules, regulations, and orders; detecting, auditing, and investigating potential violations; and crafting appropriate remedies, including civil penalties and other measures.

Functions

• Acts as principal advisor to the Chairman and Commissioners on issues relating to the Commission's regulation and oversight of energy market structure, energy market performance, and compliance of market participants with the Commission's rules for market activity.



• Develops policy options and regulatory strategies for consideration by the Chairman and Commissioners.



• Conducts analytical studies of energy market structures and activities to assess the state of the markets, provide early warning of vulnerable market conditions, and propose policies for improvement.



• Initiates and executes investigations of possible violations of the Commission's rules, orders, and regulations relating to energy market structures, activities, and participants. Recommends remedies to address violations and, where authorized, pursues remedies through negotiation or litigation.



• Advises the Commission on market enforcement and compliance issues.



• Maintains the Enforcement Hotline to informally resolve disputes concerning any matter subject to the Commission's jurisdiction, including activities that may raise barriers to competition in the natural gas and wholesale electric markets or impede market-responsive pricing.



• Conducts market research and develops market models and simulations. Acquires and analyzes public and proprietary information data bases in support of its market oversight and investigatory activities.



• Reports on the state of energy markets, analyzing market activities and trends, warning of vulnerable market conditions, and recommending changes to the functioning and governance of energy markets. Issues periodic reports of its findings to the Commission and the public.



• Oversees compliance with the Uniform System of Accounts and otherwise advises the Commission on accounting and financial matters affecting energy markets.



• Owns and administers the agency's financial forms.

The office is made up of a multi-disciplinary team of economists, engineers, attorneys, auditors, data management specialists, financial analysts, regulatory policy analysts, energy analysts, and support staff and is led by Office Director Larry R. Parkinson and Deputy Director Lee Ann Watson.

OE Organization Chart
(Note: Click for larger image)