The New England Independent System Operator has asked federal regulators to approve a plan to help improve the region’s power reliability during the region’s cold winters by paying oil and gas producers to store extra fuel on site. But powerful officials and advocacy groups are pushing back, arguing that the plan’s steep cost isn’t justified. POLITICO’s Catherine Morehouse breaks down the grid operator’s plan and the pushback it’s receiving. Plus, the Department of Justice is suing West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s coal empire, seeking more than $5 million in unpaid civil penalties. 

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Catherine Morehouse is an energy reporter for POLITICO. 

Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO. 

Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer.

Jenny Ament is the executive producer of POLITICO’s audio department.

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