Volumes and prices for spot market wholesale electricity purchases by California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) shifted upward over the last two months of 2002, according to statistics released Tuesday by DWR’s Sacramento office. Spot purchases exceeded 1 million MWh (1.056 million MWh) in December, 2002, at an average cost of $43/MWh, in contrast to the previous month when spot purchases hit 906,000 MWh, at an average cost of $38/MWh.

Total power purchased by DWR in December crept up in total cost to $356 million in December, compared to $349 million in November and $356 million in October. Average daily totals for power were $12 million/day in November and $11 million/day in December 2002.

Two-year totals include 33 million MWh of purchased spot power, and 108 million MWh of power under term contracts obtained by the DWR since it took on the buying role on Jan. 17, 2001. The total wholesale net short power bill for the period totaled $14.8 billion at the end of 2002.

Spot sales by the state agency drew average prices of $33/MWh and $29/MWh in November and December, 2002, respectively. DWR was forced to sell at a loss about 94,000 MWh in November and 119,000 MWh in December.

“The data includes invoices, confirmations, short-term transactions and trade tickets for the two-month period,” DWR’s Oscar Hidalgo said. The new document totals are available at DWR’s bulletins and reports unit, 1419 9th Street, Room 338, Sacramento, CA 95814.

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