CA ENERGY CRISIS UPDATE
Contributed by LU 1245, Walnut Creek, CA
June 4, 2001
BANKRUPTCY JUDGE REJECTS PG&E REQUEST FOR SHOWDOWN ON RATES
Federal bankruptcy judge Dennis Montali on June 1 denied a PG&E
request that challenged the authority of state utility regulators
to set the companys electricity rates. The public interest is
better served by deference to the regulatory scheme and leaving
the entire regulatory function to the regulator, the judge ruled.
PG&E had contended that accounting changes made by the CPUC
effectively prevented the company from escaping a rate freeze and
forced PG&E to sell power at a loss.
DUKE ACKNOWLEDGES HUGE PRICE DEMAND
Duke Energy of Charlotte, NC charged a staggering $3,880 per megawatt
hour for about 5,000 megawatt-hours of California power during shortages
in the first three months of 2001. Thats more than twice the record
of $1,900 per megawatt-hour that the state paid Reliant Energy last
month. Duke is defending its high price as a credit premium related
to PG&Es uncertain financial health.
CALIFORNIA CONSERVES
Californians used 11% less electricity in May than they did during
the same month last year, giving a lift to Gov. Gray Davis, who
hopes that conservation can play a key role in limiting blackouts
this summer.
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