Agenda

Although some of the major agenda items were held over, the California Public Utilities Commission Thursday did approve more than $40 million in wildfire cost recovery for Sempra Energy’s San Diego Gas and Electric Co., and established a new dispute resolution program among the several administrative steps to improve its regulatory processes.

In the 11th hour, FERC struck from its Wednesday meeting agenda a request by the Committee of Chief Risk Officers (CCRO) that would grant the CCRO’s energy data hub and its participants the same “safe harbor” protection that is afforded to companies that currently submit pricing information to index publishers.

Approval of liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals, market-based rates for gas storage and gas creditworthiness issues are high on FERC’s agenda as Chairman Pat Wood gets ready to depart the agency at the end of the month.

Approval of liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals, market-based rates for gas storage and gas creditworthiness issues are high on FERC’s agenda as Chairman Pat Wood gets ready to depart the agency at the end of the month.

In another light business meeting agenda that was still heavy with discussion about future policies, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Thursday okayed more than $600 million collectively for the state’s four major investor-owned utilities to support two ongoing low-income customer programs, while it held back on two other issues that impact consumer advocates and the state’s largest industrial customers.

In another light business meeting agenda that was still heavy with discussion about future policies, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Thursday okayed more than $600 million collectively for the state’s four major investor-owned utilities to support two ongoing low-income customer programs, while it held back on two other issues that impact consumer advocates and the state’s largest industrial customers.

Anxious to clear its agenda and get ready for a Holiday lull, the California Public Utilities Commission Thursday cranked out more than a half-dozen energy actions, including the acceleration of a critical power transmission line project, the continuation of a $125 million distributed generation incentive program, and the setting of 11%-plus returns-on-equity (ROEs) for the state’s two major utilities.

FERC met in closed session on Wednesday following its regularly scheduled open agenda meeting to discuss enforcement-related issues at the Commission, a move that Commissioners said is likely to become a regular part of the agency’s routine, as it is at FERC’s sister regulatory agencies in Washington, DC.

FERC last week denied rehearing of a June order that permits Arizona Public Service Co. to assign its full-requirements (FR) capacity contract on El Paso Natural Gas to affiliate Pinnacle West Energy to serve a new gas-fired generation facility that it is building in Arizona. On the surface, it seemed a clear victory for the companies involved. However, Chairman Pat Wood made it very clear that he has concerns about FR service on El Paso, which entitles customers to unlimited capacity at frozen rates, and that he plans to take up the issue at a later date.