Message-ID: <32711208.1075852549300.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2001 21:19:06 -0700 (PDT) From: news@mail.energycentral.com To: jason.wolfe@enron.com Subject: Daily Electric Power News - 7/5/01 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ANSI_X3.4-1968 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-From: "news@mail.energycentral.com" X-To: Wolfe, Jason X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \JWOLFE (Non-Privileged)\07-saved X-Origin: Wolfe-J X-FileName: JWOLFE (Non-Privileged).pst =09 =09 =09 HOME | NEWSROOM | EVENTS | JOBS | BUSINESS CENTERS | DIRECTORIES | DA= TA CENTER THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2001 =09 =09 THIS ISSUE BROUGHT TO YOU BY Schmooze or lose! Don't miss out = on industry-networking opportunities. View the most comprehensive listing o= f conferences, trade shows, seminars and classes for power professionals at= Energy Central's Events Center. Registering through the Energy Central Web= site allows you to take advantage of special discounted rates when offered = by show providers. Visit now: http://www.energycentral.com/sections/events/= Want to hire the best professionals the energy industry has to o= ffer? Post your open positions in the Energy Central Job Center. FREE with = every posting is one announcement in our Job Watch e-mail! Circulated to mo= re than 28,000 industry professionals weekly, the Job Watch will put your p= osition in front of the best candidates possible. Your company's first 30-d= ay posting is absolutely FREE! Click here for your FREE posting: http://www= .energycentral.com/sections/jobs/ TOP STORIES California Officia= ls Say Electricity Price Controls Nearly Provoked Blackouts By Dale Kasler,= The Sacramento Bee, Calif. -- July 3 Confused by the federal government's = new controls on electricity prices, generators withheld so much power from = California on Monday that the state was nearly plunged into rolling blackou= ts, state officials said. Duke Energy Details Pricing for Winter Power,= Will Issue $20 Million Refund By Stella M. Hopkins, The Charlotte Observer= , N.C. -- July 3 Fighting accusations of price gouging in California's powe= r crisis, Duke Energy is discussing confidential pricing information in mor= e detail than ever before. Rolling Blackouts Sweep Through Las Vegas Sa= n Jose Mercury News, Calif. -- July 3 In one of the clearest signs yet that= the power crisis is not just California's problem, rolling blackouts swept= through Las Vegas on Monday afternoon in the city famed for its dazzling c= asino lights, the first forced outages to hit Nevada. Hot weather strai= ns southwest U.S. power grid July 3 (Reuters) Continued triple digit temper= atures forecast on Tuesday across much of the Southwestern United States pr= ompted heat advisories and renewed calls to conserve energy to avoid overlo= ading the power grid. Cal-ISO Emergency Triggers an Even Lower Benchmar= k Price July 2 (Special to Western Price Survey Contacts) As the California= Independent System Operator weathered its first system emergency of the su= mmer on July 2, the new price benchmark system kicked into place-and result= ed in a price cap even lower than what had been in effect for non-emergency= periods. Special Offer from this Publisher! Press Release Henwo= od WSCC Analysts Predict Little to no Blackouts and Lower Prices For Wholes= ale Power This Summer July 2 (News Release) Henwood Energy Services, Inc. (= Henwood) announced today that due to concerted actions taken mostly by util= ities in the Pacific Northwest to mitigate power problems, they believe it'= s possible to avoid blackouts entirely in the summer of 2001 throughout the= WSCC. Henwood's detailed analysis and updated forecasts are being made ava= ilable to its WSCC Power Market Advisory Service clients and will be offici= ally revealed at a "Western Energy Executive Roundtable" on July 12, 2001 a= t the Marriott Airport Hotel in San Francisco. California Crisis = California Agency Backs Charlotte, N.C.-Based Energy Firm's Assertions By S= tella M. Hopkins, The Charlotte Observer, N.C. -- July 2 A memo from the ag= ency running California's power system says Duke Energy followed its orders= during three days in January when the Charlotte company is accused of mani= pulating power supplies to maximize profits. EDITORIAL: Experts Urge C= alifornians to Play It Cool in Heated Energy Feud The Orange County Registe= r, Calif. -- July 3 Maybe the one thing needed in the electricity crisis no= w is to end the accusations, recriminations and finger-pointing. A case in = point is the controversy over Duke Energy Co.'s alleged price "gouging." = California Governor Goes to Bat for Energy Whistle-Blowers By John Howar= d, The Orange County Register, Calif. -- July 3 Gov. Gray Davis on Monday d= efended the three whistle-blowers who testified about conditions at a Chula= Vista power plant, rejecting the plant owner's assertion that newly releas= ed documents discredit the men's allegations. Contracts Indicate Calif= ornia Power Bills Will Exceed Governor's Forecasts The Sacramento Bee, Cali= f. -- July 3 California's power bills for the next decade probably will exc= eed the forecasts of Gov. Gray Davis, the State Controller's Office said Mo= nday as it released unedited versions of long-term contracts in a new jab a= t the governor. California Officials Insist Energy Company Manipulated= Prices, Output By Brandon Bailey, San Jose Mercury News, Calif. -- July 3 = Even as executives at Duke Energy were claiming vindication Monday, state o= fficials insisted that newly released dispatch logs for the company's Chula= Vista power plant don't necessarily absolve the firm of charges that it ma= nipulated electricity prices. California Power Use Continues to Declin= e By Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News, Calif. -- July 1 Reaching a new hi= gh in conservation as the hottest summer months loom, Californians used 12.= 3 percent less electricity this June than last June, according to new state= figures scheduled to be released today. ACWA Urges Cpuc to Preserve D= irect Access to Alternative Power Supplies As Best Protection Against Price= Gouging Jul 03, 2001 - Business Wire Representatives of the single largest= class of electricity users in California -- public water agencies -- are u= rging the California Public Utilities Commission to retain their powers to = protect ratepayers from excessive costs by preserving the option to allow p= ower users to select alternative suppliers. Panel Oks Resolution on Po= wer Plant Seizures Jul 04, 2001 - FT World Media Abstracts via Comtex Calif= ornia Gov. Gray Davis has been urged by the Senate Rules Committee to start= taking control of power plants, in a move intended to pressure those elect= ricity sellers outside the state who have been accused of taking advantage = of the state's electricity shortage to engage in price gouging. AD= VERTISEMENT Visit the industry's most comprehensive Data Center and gain= on-line access to databases, specialty reports, rate tariffs and more! Fin= d the information you need immediately at http://www.energycentral.com/sect= ions/datacenter/ Competition & Deregulation For reports and rela= ted information on this topic visit our Data Center CPUC Vote Could Ma= rk Final Death Sentence for California Direct Access By Will McNamara, Issu= eAlert, July 3 (Scientech) The California Public Utilities Commission is ex= pected to issue a vote today that will pull the plug on electricity deregul= ation's core feature: the ability of customers to shop around for alternati= ve power. Special Offer from this Publisher! ERCOT Now Assuming Direc= tion of Texas Competitive Market Transition July 2 (Utility Spotlight) A ke= y moment in the state's closely watched move toward deregulation of its pow= er generation system is unfolding as the Electric Reliability Council of Te= xas (ERCOT) greatly increases its responsibilities in directing the transit= ion to a competitive marketplace. Special Offer from this Publisher! = Texans See Mixed Results from Electricity Deregulation in Other States By L= aura Goldberg, Houston Chronicle -- July 1 California continues to draw hea= dlines as a case study for what can go wrong with electricity deregulation.= UPDATE 1-Calif. delays vote on retail power choice July 3 (Reuters) T= he California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Tuesday said it was del= aying until mid-August a vote on the future of retail power choice, one of = the cornerstones of the state's power deregulation law. Rates For m= ore information on rate tariffs visit Electric Rate Tariffs Electric B= ills in Northwest U.S. to Rise, But Not Too Much By Greg Bolt, The Register= -Guard, Eugene, Ore. -- July 2 Electric bills will take a bigger chunk out = of household budgets in the Northwest this fall, but the bite won't be near= ly as deep as energy managers feared just a few months ago. Florida Ut= ility Doesn't Want To Set Aside Money for Customer Refunds By Cherie Jacobs= , Tampa Tribune, Fla. -- July 3 Disputing an order by state regulators, Flo= rida Power Corp. doesn't want to set aside money for customer refunds, the = utility said Monday. Kansas Commission To Discuss Utility's Electric R= ates By Dion Lefler, The Wichita Eagle, Kan. -- July 3 With nearly a quarte= r-billion dollars at stake, the Kansas Corporation Commission is scheduled = today to give its first indication of whether Western Resources customers w= ill pay higher or lower electric rates. General Utility's Call Ce= nter Gets an Earful from San Jose, Calif.-Area Residents By Dana Hull, San = Jose Mercury News, Calif. -- July 3 The phone calls hit PG?like machine gun= fire, 4,500 calls an hour, 45,000 calls a day: the woman wanting to know i= f she is exempt from rolling blackouts, the engineer convinced his gas mete= r isn't being read, the lawyer itching to argue the rate increases. De= als/Contracts Cogentrix Selects Kvaerner for US$200 Million Indiana, U= SA, Power Project Jul 03, 2001 - PR Newswire Kvaerner, the Anglo-Norwegian = engineering and construction Group, today announced that it has been select= ed by Cogentrix Energy for final negotiations of the turnkey engineering, p= rocurement and construction (EPC) contract for an 810 MW power facility bei= ng developed by Cogentrix outside of Bedford, Indiana, USA. Duke Engin= eering & Services to Provide Engineering Services To NMC-Operated Nuclear P= lants CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 3 /PRNewswire/ Duke Engineering & Services has = been awarded a contract to be one of three engineering services providers t= o six nuclear power plants operated by Nuclear Management Co. LLC. Pow= er Pricing/Supply West Cash Holds Near $91.87 Proxy Price, Demand to F= ade July 3 (Btu's Daily Power Report) Western power prices held to Monday r= anges in Tuesday for Thursday activity with deals continuing to toy with th= e California Independent System Operator's proxy price still set at $91.87.= Special Offer from this Publisher! Wholesale Power Supplier to Raise= Rates 46 Percent for Seattle-Area Utilities By Lynda V. Mapes, The Seattle= Times -- July 2 The Bonneville Power Administration announced yesterday it= is raising wholesale power rates 46 percent in October, a dose of bad news= that wasn't nearly as bad as expected. PNM to Serve Texas-New Mexico = Power With Long-Term Power Sale; New PNM Power Plant Planned for Las Cruces= Area Will Serve TNMP ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., July 2 /PRNewswire/ Texas-New Mexi= co Power and PNM, Public Service Company of New Mexico, have signed a long-= term wholesale power contract to improve price stability and ensure an adeq= uate power supply for TNMP's firm retail customers. Power Projects = San Francisco Chronicle: Power Plant Battle Jul 03, 2001 - FT World Media= Abstracts via Comtex An 11-page letter to be sent by San Francisco officia= ls to the California Energy Commission will give the state energy regulator= until August 15 to submit a revised preliminary assessment of plans by the= Atlanta-based Mirant Corporation to build a controversial $260m-$320m powe= r plant on Potrero Hill. PSEG Power moves step closer to building NY p= lant July 3 (Reuters) Independent power producer and energy marketer PSEG P= ower said it took another step toward building a new power plant in New Yor= k. Renewables Japan Launches Study on Space Solar Power As Energy= Source Jul 03, 2001 - Kyodo News The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Indust= ry (METI) said Tuesday it has launched a two-year feasibility study on deve= loping solar power in space as an alternative source of energy. Beijin= g Provides Solar Energy Equipment for Tibet Jul 04, 2001 - Xinhua News Agen= cy The Beijing Solar Energy Research Institute presented 303 sets of solar = energy devices to Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Regi= on, at a ceremony held Monday. Plants Alliant Says New System Che= aply Cuts Pollution at Coal-Fired Power Plants By Judy Newman, The Wisconsi= n State Journal -- July 3 Alliant Energy Corp. said it has developed a syst= em to reduce air pollution at its coal-fired power plants at a fraction of = the normal cost. Ontario Takes Next Step to Stop Burning Coal at Lakev= iew Power Station Jul 03, 2001 - Canada NewsWire Taking the next step towar= d cleaner air and cleaner energy, the Ontario Government today released a d= raft regulation to stop coal burning at the Lakeview generating station in = Mississauga. People New ORA Director Fills Long-Vacant Post July = 2 (California Energy Markets) When Regina Birdsell took on the position of = director of the Office of Ratepayer Advocates in April, she filled a post t= hat had been vacant for five years. Special Offer from this Publisher! = Nuclear Wisconsin Nuclear Power Plant Returns to Full Power after Sh= utdown By Lee Bergquist, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- July 3 The Point Bea= ch nuclear power plant returned to full power over the weekend after massiv= e schools of alewives choked a water intake pipe, forcing operators to shut= down one unit entirely and ratchet down the other. Tennessee Valley A= uthority Reconsiders Options for Unfinished Nuclear Plant By Dave Flessner,= Chattanooga Times/Free Press -- July 3 The nation's last unfinished commer= cial nuclear power plant is getting a new look as a possible power source f= or the future by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Energy Department Rev= iew Boosts for Paducah, Ky.-Area Nuclear Plants By Joe Walker, The Paducah = Sun, Ky. -- July 2 Paducah and Metropolis, Ill., which now provide the sole= work for two major parts of the domestic nuclear fuel cycle, are at the co= re of a major national policy review on nuclear energy. Entergy Nuclea= r Revises Closing Date for Indian Point 2 Acquisition NEW ORLEANS, July 3 = /PRNewswire/ Entergy Corporation today said it expects to close its acquisi= tion of the Indian Point 2 nuclear plant in mid-September 2001. Expert= s Group to Study Nuclear Waste Deep Storage Jul 04, 2001 - Itar-Tass News A= gency Research centres of the United States, Japan, South Korea, the People= 's Republic of China and Taiwan are developing cooperation in new technolog= ies for deep underground dumping of nuclear waste, Japan's agency for nucle= ar fuel development told Tass on Wednesday. Financial Homestead, = Fla., Electric Utility Hurt by Erroneous Budget Estimates By Karl Ross and = Gregg Fields, The Miami Herald -- July 1 The director of Homestead's electr= ic utility, for years the city's economic life-support system, alerted city= managers in 1998 that overblown budget estimates likely would put the cash= -strapped municipality millions in the hole. Brazil : Petrobras Makes = Additional Subscription Jul 04, 2001 - South American Business Information = The additional subscription of R$1bil to be destinated by Petrobras for ene= rgy power sector, can harm its performance. Pacific G?seeks reorganiza= tion plan extension July 3 (Reuters) Pacific Gas & Electric said on Tuesday= it has filed a request with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to extend until Dec.= 6 the period during which the utility has exclusive right to file a plan o= f reorganization. International UPDATE 1-EU to clear Spanish powe= r aid plan July 3 (Reuters) The European Commission is set to approve Spain= 's multi-billion-euro programme of compensation for electricity firms, an E= U official said on Tuesday, helping to boost shares in leading utilities. = Brazil: Northeast Region to Have Floating Power Facilities Jul 03, 2001= - South American Business Information The Brazilian Northeast region will = count on floating thermal electric power facilities as of September. A 30 M= W facility will anchor in Sao Goncalo do Amarante. Brazil: Real Devalu= ation And Energy Crisis Affect Mergers And Acquisitions Jul 03, 2001 - Sout= h American Business Information The mergers and acquisitions business is be= ing affected by high interest rates, the Real devaluation and energy ration= ing. The "Nuova Edison" of Italenergia Jul 03, 2001 - FT World Media A= bstracts via Comtex Italenergia, the new energy consortium which has just l= aunched public purchase offers on Italian industrial group Montedison and i= ts energy division Edison, is based in Turin. Sergio Pininfarina is chairma= n. Repsol Chairman Advocates Fresh Look at Nuclear Power Jul 04, 2001 = - FT World Media Abstracts via Comtex Alfonso Cortina, chairman of Spanish = oil group Repsol YPF, yesterday advocated a return to nuclear energy as a m= eans of guaranteeing future electricity supply in the light of increasing d= emand. Het Financieele Dagblad: Shell Invests $25m in Chinese Joint Ve= nture Jul 03, 2001 - FT World Media Abstracts via Comtex Royal Dutch/Shell = Group, the Anglo-Dutch oil group, will invest $25m in a joint venture in Ch= ina. Agip Seeks to Pre-Qualify Contractors for Thermal Plant Project J= ul 04, 2001 - Africa News Service The Nigeria Agip Oil Company Limited says= it is ready to pre-qualify contractors for the development of its 500-Mega= Watt thermal plant, according to an announcement placed by the company, Tu= esday. Brazil : Eletrobras' Program Did Not Attract the Sector Jul 04,= 2001 - South American Business Information The program launched by Eletrob= ras in March 2001 that predicts the contracting of electric power from smal= l sized hydroelectric facilities PCH-Com, can fail. Chile: Public Bidd= ing for Andina And El Teniente's Electric Supply Fails Jul 04, 2001 - South= American Business Information Codelco initiates conversations with AES-Gen= er to see if this company can increase its energy generation for both divis= ions, Andina and El Teniente. Chile: Ralco Power Plant's Operations De= layed between Five And Six Months Jul 04, 2001 - South American Business In= formation Codelco initiates conversations with AES-Gener to see if this com= pany can increase its energy generation for both divisions, Andina and El T= eniente. EBRD Acquires 19% of Three Power Distributors Owned by Union = Fenosa Jul 04, 2001 - FT World Media Abstracts via Comtex The European Bank= for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has signed an agreement with Spa= nish power utility Union Fenosa to acquire 19 per cent of the Spanish compa= ny's Moldavian electricity distribution companies for $5m (Pta985m). S= hell Forces Breakthrough in Electricity Sector Jul 04, 2001 - FT World Medi= a Abstracts via Comtex Anglo-Dutch oil group Royal Dutch/Shell Group is ent= ering the Dutch electricity sector, as it is building an electricity plant = in Rotterdam in co-operation with US energy group Bechtel. Montedison,= Immediate Clash Over Board Jul 04, 2001 - FT World Media Abstracts via Com= tex Having launched their takeover bid for Italian industrial group Montedi= son and its energy core Edison, Italian automotive group Fiat and French el= ectricity group Electricite de France (EdF) have requested that Montedison = summon a shareholders' meeting to replace the current directors. If = you are an Energy Central News Subscriber and you have checked any news art= icles above, selecting the 'Get Articles' button below will deliver all of = the checked articles in one page. This is a convenient way to get exactly t= he news you need - quickly! NEED INFORMATION ON THE POWER INDUSTR= Y? 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