California

Spot prices at the Southern California border yesterday lostmomentum and fell back into the atmosphere at around $20/MMBtuafter holding early in the ethereal region above $40. The winterstorm that rocked the state earlier in the week moved eastward andthe initial shock of SoCalGas’ 90% balancing requirement, whichgoes into effect today in response to low storage levels, seemed tobe wearing off a little.

Taking its cue from FERC’s Dec. 15 ruling on reforms in theCalifornia power markets, a national group of municipal gasdistributors last week called on the Commission to immediatelyissue an order that would set $2.74/Mcf as the benchmark price fornatural gas over the next three years, and would provide forcustomer refunds for any sales above that level.

A small decline at the MichCon and Consumers Power, and a largerone at the Southern California border were the only exceptions tothe raging bull market that continued to prevail in cash tradingThursday. Otherwise, average price increases ranged from about 50cents in parts of Louisiana to more than $4 at the Chicagocitygate.

As an interim measure prior to California’s state-charteredelectric transmission grid operator (Cal-ISO) making longer-termchanges, its board of governors adopted by a 13-10 vote lastThursday a load differentiated price cap promoted by a consumeradvocate representative on the badly splintered stakeholder board.The action drew swift criticism from generators through theirWashington, DC-based association.

With gas prices near $5/MMBtu, oil above $30/bbl and powerprices spiking 700% in Southern California this summer, the signsof struggle in the energy sector are clear. It’s the requiredresponse that still seems a little cloudy.

With gas prices near $5/MMBtu, oil above $30/bbl and powerprices spiking 700% in Southern California this summer, the signsof struggle in the energy sector are clear. It’s the requiredresponse that still seems a little cloudy.

California Gov. Gray Davis over the weekend signed into law and vetoed separate measures addressing parts of the state’s ongoing electricity crisis. Davis acted on a half dozen initiatives as the deadline for enacting new state laws expired Saturday. Among the new laws are ones that will accelerate power plant siting and extend ratepayer-supported energy efficiency programs.

California’s State Auditor General formally began contacting the state’s nonprofit electric grid operator (Cal-ISO) and wholesale spot power market (Cal-PX) Wednesday in a state legislature-ordered investigation that could lead to the merger of the two entities. The state’s electricity price spikes and supply shortfall this summer prompted legislative action in August ordering the probe.

In the midst of this week’s power alerts exacerbated byCalifornia’s shortage of electric generating capacity, theSacramento Municipal Utility District drew only three responses toa proposal put out for bids early in the summer to have a developerbuild, own and operate a natural gas-fired 500 to 1,000 MWgeneration plant on part of a 2,000-acre site owned by the nation’slargest municipal utility. The earliest the plant would beoperational would be in 2004.