Message-ID: <17971129.1075846348823.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2000 04:12:00 -0700 (PDT) From: miyung.buster@enron.com To: filuntz@aol.com, liz@luntz.com, nicholas.o'day@enron.com, mike.dahlke@enron.com, jennifer.rudolph@enron.com Subject: Utilities, Electric: Deregulation: Temecula, Calif., Forms Committee to Study Electric ... Cc: steven.kean@enron.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ANSI_X3.4-1968 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Bcc: steven.kean@enron.com X-From: Miyung Buster X-To: Joe Hartsoe@ENRON, Sandra McCubbin@EES, Susan Mara@EES, Paul Kaufman@ECT, Karen Denne@ENRON, Jeff Dasovich@EES, Mark Palmer@ENRON, James D Steffes@EES, Richard Shapiro@EES, Elizabeth Linnell@EES, Jeannie Mandelker@ECT, filuntz@aol.com, Mark Schroeder@ECT, Peter Styles@ECT, Liz@luntz.com, Mona L Petrochko@EES, Peggy Mahoney@EES, Nicholas O'Day, Mike Dahlke, Rob Bradley@ENRON, Shelley Corman@ENRON, Jennifer Rudolph X-cc: Steven J Kean X-bcc: X-Folder: \Steven_Kean_Dec2000_1\Notes Folders\Heat wave X-Origin: KEAN-S X-FileName: skean.nsf ----- Forwarded by Miyung Buster/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT on 10/09/2000 11:12 AM ----- djcustomclips@djinteractive.com 10/07/2000 01:19 AM Please respond to nobody To: 86464@WCTOPICS.djnr.com cc: Subject: Utilities, Electric: Deregulation: Temecula, Calif., Forms Committee to Study Electric ... Temecula, Calif., Forms Committee to Study Electric Deregulation Dave Downey ? 10/06/2000 KRTBN Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News: North County Times - Escondido, California Copyright (C) 2000 KRTBN Knight Ridder Tribune Business News; Source: World Reporter (TM) TEMECULA, Calif.--Shocked by San Diego County's experience with skyrocketing electric rates this past summer, the City Council has formed a committee to study ways of shielding Temecula residents from similar jolts when the deregulation wave washes into Riverside County in a couple of years. The council appointed colleagues Jeff Comerchero and Mike Naggar to serve on the electric needs committee, scheduled to hold its first meeting later this month. "Deregulation is something that is supposed to be friendly to customers," said Mayor Jeff Stone. It turned out to be anything but these past few months as temperatures soared, sending demand for electricity to power air conditioners and monthly electric bills for neighbors to the south through the roof. The rest of the state watched in amazement as the 1.2 million customers of San Diego Gas&Electric sweated through a long, hot summer, serving essentially as California's guinea pigs in the statewide experiment with electric deregulation. They were the first to feel the effects of wildly fluctuating wholesale rates passed directly on to customers. "We're concerned that deregulation may have that sort of effect on Temecula and our residents, and we would like to try to avoid Temecula residents getting a double or triple bump on their bills," Naggar said. "The electric deregulation took San Diego officials by surprise," he said. "They were asleep. We now know what can happen, and we don't want to be caught asleep." One of the things the committee will look into is whether it would make sense for Temecula to try to contract with an electric provider to bring in relatively cheap power for its 54,000 residents. The area is served by Southern California Edison. San Marcos and Chula Vista have held talks with the Enron Corp. about the possibility of providing power to their residents to hold down rates. Those cities are studying the experience of Palm Springs, which in 1997 contracted with Portland Gas and Electric to provide residents with a flat rate for electricity for five years. Whether such an arrangement would work for Temecula is anyone's guess, Naggar said. "If it turns out we can't do anything, at least we've gotten everybody's attention," he said. Naggar said the council has yet to form a committee charged with monitoring San Diego Gas&Electric's proposal to string new lines across huge metal towers through Southwest County, to relieve San Diego's electric rate explosion. Cities and communities throughout Southwest County have rallied against the project, saying they don't want the visual blight and perceived health threat from having fat power lines buzzing 150 feet overhead. The San Diego-based utility is expected to name a preferred route soon. "I get about five or six e-mails a day on the preferred route subject," Naggar said. "It is a hot, hot, hot issue. But there is nothing for us to do until they make a move. If they decide to go down the middle of Temecula, I can assure you we'll make a move. If they decide to go through the (Santa Rosa) Plateau, I can assure you we'll discuss it." Temecula council members have been unanimously opposed to bringing new power lines through, or near, the city since the project was unveiled about two months ago. And, in September, City Manager Shawn Nelson sent off a letter to the utility expressing the city's opposition to routes through the pristine hills of De Luz to the west and the verdant Wine Country to the east as well. Folder Name: Utilities, Electric: Deregulation Relevance Score on Scale of 100: 99 ______________________________________________________________________ To review or revise your folder, visit Dow Jones CustomClips or contact Dow Jones Customer Service by e-mail at custom.news@bis.dowjones.com or by phone at 800-369-7466. (Outside the U.S. and Canada, call 609-452-1511 or contact your local sales representative.) ______________________________________________________________________ Copyright (c) 2000 Dow Jones &Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved