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Southern California Edison’s petition asking a federal appealscourt in Washington, D.C. to force FERC to reinstitutecost-of-service rates for electricity sales in the Californiamarket is impracticable, legally indefensible and not in thepublic’s best interest, the Commission said.

The California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO) Fridayfiled with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission urging steps betaken, including creating a $100/MWh payment price cap andpenalties for noncompliance, to encourage a return of more suppliesinto the forward, as opposed to the real-time spot, market. Cal-ISOCEO Terry Winter took this action without his governing board’sauthorization.

The California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO) Fridayfiled with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission urging steps betaken, including creating a $100/MWh payment price cap andpenalties for noncompliance, to encourage a return of more suppliesinto the forward, as opposed to the real-time spot, market. Cal-ISOCEO Terry Winter took this action without his governing board’sauthorization.

While acknowledging behind the scenes that immediate help from Washington was unlikely, the California Power Exchange (Cal-PX) last week prepared to put in a bid for a temporary $350 a MWh price cap as the state suffered through another week of short power and high prices.

While acknowledging behind the scenes that immediate help fromWashington was unlikely, the California Power Exchange (Cal-PX)last week prepared to put in a bid for a temporary $350 a MWh pricecap as the state suffered through another week of short power andhigh prices.

In another emergency step to alleviate summer peak electricdemand, San Diego Gas & Electric asked state regulators lastweek for some relief on its natural gas transmission system byallowing the intermittent switching to oil of two major naturalgas-fired power plants serving SDG&E customers.

Political repercussions from California’s high-priced heat wavereached all the way to Washington’s White House last week as Gov.Gray Davis asked President Clinton to pressure the Federal EnergyRegulatory Commission to “accelerate its investigation of wholesaleenergy prices in California.”

As another emergency step related to summer peak electricdemand, San Diego Gas & Electric asked state regulators lastweek for some relief on its natural gas transmission system byallowing the intermittent switching to oil of two major naturalgas-fired power plants serving SDG&E customers.

In an effort to recover escalating gas costs, PPL Utilities ofAllentown, PA, has asked Pennsylvania regulators to increase thegas supply charge for customers served by its two gas distributors- PFG Gas Inc. and North Penn Gas Co.