Edison Mission Energy, the global independent power productionsubsidiary of Rosemead, CA-based Edison International, is quietlyretrenching and reorganizing its worldwide presence in a move thathas resulted in 100 workers being laid off.

Edison Mission is a multi-billion-dollar operation that has beenaround since 1986 and contributed about 20% of the parent company’srevenues last year.

Some functions are being decentralized to regional offices, andwith this about 100 people are being laid off in California andoverseas. Mission Energy has mostly expanded in the U.S. latelywith major domestic purchases of existing fossil fuel plants, andhas an assortment of new and existing power plants in Europe, Asiaand Australia.

The company’s major holdings in the United Kingdom caused a stirin the financial community earlier this year because at least twoof its generating plants there are expected to be adverselyaffected by a regulatory change in the UK that puts tighterrestrictions on power plant earnings.

“The UK regulatory situation is certainly an issue, but not areal driver,” said Randall Oliver, Edison Mission Energy’sspokesperson. “We’re looking at our entire operations across thecompany.”

The reorganization will leave the organization with more than3,000 employees, many of whom have been added with the purchase ofmajor existing power plants in the U.S. and UK.

Richard Nemec, Los Angeles

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