On March 24, 2021, the SEC approved provisional final amendments to carry out congressionally mandated submission and disclosure conditions introduced in the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act of December 2020 (HFCA Act). The provisional final amendments pertain to registrants that: 1) the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report on Forms 10-K, 20-F, 40-F or N-CSR with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is in a foreign jurisdiction; and 2) the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) has determined it is unable to inspect or investigate entirely because of a position taken by an authority in that jurisdiction. Continue reading "SEC Issues Interim Amendments and Seeks Public..." »

On March 22, 2021, the SEC introduced a new webpage on sec.gov dedicated to the fusion of agency activity with the latest information about climate and environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing. The agency’s endeavor examines how these two matters converge with the broader regulatory framework to provide the information investors need to be able to plan for their financial future.
Continue reading "SEC Launches Webpage Focusing on Agency Actions..." »

On March 22, 2021, the FERC announced that it took broad steps to eliminate obstacles that hinder newer technologies, including energy storage, and distributed energy resources (DER) from being involved in wholesale markets. The additional measures guarantee that demand response resources can be merged with other forms of DERs to promote grid dependability, benefit consumers, and enhance competition.
Continue reading "FERC Adopts Measures Regarding Demand Response..." »

The SEC upgraded the EDGAR system to Release 21.1 on March 22, 2021. The system now supports the 2021 reporting taxonomies, which are the final versions of the draft taxonomies that were posted by SEC staff for public comment on September 1, 2020.
Continue reading "SEC Announces 2021 XBRL Taxonomies Update" »

With the release of EDGAR 21.1, the SEC has revised Volume I of the EDGAR Filer Manual and Form ID, as well as related rules. Those who apply for EDGAR access who previously used the “Convert Paper Only Filer to Electronic Filer” process are now required to submit Form ID and an authenticating document to apply for access to file on EDGAR. The changes apply to applicants who have Central Index Key (CIK) numbers but have not yet filed electronically on EDGAR. Continue reading "Form ID Amendments" »

Version 5.7a of all applications in the GoFiler Suite has been released. This release corresponds to EDGAR 21.1 and contains support for the new 2021 taxonomies and changes to Form C. Additionally, improvements have been made to iXBRL and Page View.

Continue reading "New Release (5.7a) for the GoFiler Family of..." »

After meeting March 2-4, 2021, the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation’s trustees have announced plans to continue the IFRS Foundation’s endeavor of establishing an international sustainability reporting standards board within the current administration of the foundation. The decision was based on the encouragement received in comments concerning the Consultation Paper on Sustainability Reporting, which was published in 2020. Also, in February 2021, the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) has indicated its intention to work with the IFRS Foundation to develop a plan to establish a new board to set sustainability standards that will meet the needs of the capital markets. Continue reading "IFRS to Proceed with Formation of International..." »

On March 18, 2021, the FERC announced it will hold a technical conference to discuss resource adequacy developments in the Western Interconnection. The FERC is interested in engaging various regional perspectives to explore trends, challenges, and methods of continuing to ensure resources are adequately available in the Western Interconnection. {expires: 2021-06-25} Continue reading "FERC to Hold Conference to Explore Resource..." »

On April 1, 2021, the SEC will begin only accepting internet connections from networks using Transport Layer Security (TLS) settings at version 1.2 or higher. This move has been made to strengthen network security controls. Continue reading "SEC Makes Announcement About Disabling TLS 1.0..." »

The SEC has announced that EDGAR Release 21.1 will implement a number of updates to the EDGAR filing website on March 22, 2021. Continue reading "SEC Releases EDGAR 21.1" »

The SEC is hosting a remote meeting of the Asset Management Advisory Committee (AMAC) that will take place on Friday, March 19, 2021. The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET and will be presented live via webcast for public viewing on sec.gov. {expires: 2021-03-20}
Continue reading "SEC to Hold Virtual Meeting of the Asset..." »

On March 4, 2021, the SEC announced the formation of a Climate and Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Task Force in the Division of Enforcement to be led by Kelly L. Gibson, the Acting Deputy Director of Enforcement. Ms. Gibson will provide oversight to the Division-wide task force, which brings together a broad range of experience and knowledge from 22 members selected from the SEC’s headquarters, enforcement specialized units, and regional offices. Continue reading "SEC Announces New Task Force Focused on Climate..." »

The FERC has announced that it will convene a technical workshop to discuss the functionality and features of its relational database on Thursday, March 25, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. The relational database is the means whereby the FERC will begin gathering certain market-based rate (MBR) information in compliance with Order No. 86 (MBR Database). Continue reading "FERC to Host Virtual Workshop to Discuss..." »

The FERC recently announced that it will convene a virtual, Commissioner-led workshop in which interested parties are invited to offer input on the formation of the Office of Public Participation. The event will take place Friday, April 16, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET. The event is free and open to the public. {expires: 2021-04-17}
Continue reading "FERC Announces Webcast Regarding the Formation..." »

On February 26, 2021, the SEC announced that under Section 31(j)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, it has concluded that a mid-year adjustment to the Section 31 fee rate is not required for fiscal year 2021. The amount of funding available to the SEC is not directly affected by these adjustments. Continue reading "Fee Rate Advisory #3 for Fiscal Year 2021" »