Charging

California officials Wednesday announced a deal with its small qualifying facility (QF) generators and progress in creating what its governor is calling a “pincer movement” between Sacramento and Washington, D.C., to force lower wholesale prices. Gray Davis was ebullient in claiming a “day of accounting” is coming for merchant generators in which they either take heavy discounts on monies owed them, or substantial decreases (federal price caps) in power prices going forward.

Having been singled out by California’s governor for “price-gouging” during recent rolling blackouts for charging $1,900/MWh for some emergency spot market supplies, Houston-based Reliant Energy’s wholesale businesses President/COO Joe Bob Perkins fought back Friday, crying foul, but drawing short of saying his company would seek any legal action against the confidentiality of its bulk power transactions being apparently violated by state officials.

Sounding more like a visionary guru than a hard-charging CEO, Dynegy’s Chuck Watson offered up his forecast last week for successful energy companies of the future, telling participants at Energy Economy 2000 in Houston that businesses will need to own the technology they use, recruit and keep technical talent and most important, transform their companies from the traditional asset-driven formula to a knowledge-driven strategy by embracing the Internet.

Sounding more like a visionary guru than a hard-charging CEO,Dynegy’s Chuck Watson offered up his forecast yesterday forsuccessful energy companies of the future, telling participants atEnergy Economy 2000 in Houston that businesses will need to own thetechnology they use, recruit and keep technical talent and mostimportantly, transform their companies from the traditionalasset-driven formula to a knowledge-driven strategy by embracingthe Internet.

Amoco Production, Amoco Energy Trading, Dynegy and Marathon Oilhave filed a protest at FERC charging Koch Gateway withdiscrimination and violation of affiliate rules. The four shipperssaid the pipeline and its affiliate, Koch Energy Trading (KET),have been speculating on price spreads between market points andthe Henry Hub using Koch’s gas parking and lending (PAL) service,and preventing other Koch shippers from taking advantage of thesame opportunities.

Amoco Production, Amoco Energy Trading, Dynegy and Marathon Oilhave filed a protest at FERC charging Koch Gateway withdiscrimination and violation of affiliate rules. The four shipperssaid the pipeline and its affiliate, Koch Energy Trading (KET),have been speculating on price spreads between market points andthe Henry Hub using Koch’s gas parking and lending (PAL) service.

More than 27,000 Texas royalty owners were granted class actionstatus in a suit charging Ft. Worth-based Union Pacific ResourcesGroup and affiliates manipulated gas transactions resulting inunderpayment of royalties for the last six years.

ANR Pipeline, charging Wisconsin Public Service Commission filings by Wisconsin Gas for the Guardian Pipeline project were unlawfully kept secret, is suing the PSC in Dane County, WI, Circuit Court. ANR wants the court to reverse and set aside PSC orders conditionally approving Guardian. ANR seeks remanding of the case and the opportunity to intervene in a contested case hearing.

ANR Pipeline, charging Wisconsin Public Service Commissionfilings by Wisconsin Gas for the Guardian Pipeline project wereunlawfully kept secret, is suing the PSC in Dane County, WI,Circuit Court. ANR wants the court to reverse and set aside PSCorders conditionally approving Guardian. ANR seeks remanding of thecase and the opportunity to intervene in a contested case hearing.