Under a new California law passed this year (SB 39XX) to tighten private sector power plant maintenance and operating standards, a newly created three-person committee will meet next week to begin a two-month process for cranking out the tougher state standards early next year. The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) will submit draft rules for the committee’s initial review Dec. 20.

The California Electricity Generation Facilities Standards Committee, created by SB 39XX, includes California Public Utilities Commissioner Carl Wood, CAISO Chairman Michael Kahn and industry expert Glenn Bjorkland. It will meet in public sessions, the first being hosted by the CPUC in San Francisco, during which time for public comment will be allotted.

In reaction to subsequent reports and allegations of merchant generators keeping power generation units offline at strategic times in an attempt to drive up wholesale power prices in 2000 and 2001, the state legislature passed a law that gives the new committee authority to “adopt, and may thereafter revise, standards for the maintenance and operation of facilities for the generation of electric energy located in the state.”

Aside from presentation of the CAISO initial draft standards, the first meeting will be mostly organizational, setting up procedures for handling comments on the proposed standards. Two subsequent meetings will be held on Jan. 24 and Feb. 3, 2003. The first meeting agenda designates Feb. 3 as the date for final adoption of the standards.

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