Consumer

A special commission formed by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush isrecommending the state break up its monopoly utilities and pave theway for competition in the power generation market by doing awaywith certain laws and amending others.

Salem, OR-based Sierra Pacific Resources, the Oregon Public Utility Commission, industrial customers and consumer groups reached a tentative settlement last week that allows Sierra Pacific to acquire Portland General Electric. The agreement calls for a six-year freeze on certain electricity prices and a $95 million credit price for PGE customers over the next seven years.

Separate but closely linked California legislative proposals toprovide consumer electricity rate relief and accelerated powerplant siting/energy efficiency programs were signed into lawWednesday by Gov. Gray Davis, who used the occasion to list 11separate previous electricity-related actions he or hisadministration have taken since June 14 immediately following thefirst controlled rolling brownouts in the San Francisco Bay Areasince World War II.

energyOn.com, an e-commerce company offering a consumer resourceWeb site which lets customers in deregulated gas and electricmarkets compare service offers, has expanded its service territoryto include New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The companyalready provided information on markets in Ohio, and expects to addmany more states in the near future. Information on gas andelectric supplier choices in California will be launched later thismonth, the company said.

For those seeking to sell energy in a competitive environment,it’s a happy coincidence widespread consumer use of the Internethas come about at the same time deregulation of gas and powerunfolds. Several Internet sites have been established to simplifyshopping for consumers and reduce the cost to marketers of reachingsales prospects.

For those seeking to sell energy in a competitive environment,it’s a happy coincidence widespread consumer use of the Internethas come about at the same time deregulation of gas and powerunfolds. Several Internet sites have been established to simplifyshopping for consumers and reduce the cost to marketers of reachingsales prospects.

New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson signed into law a bill opening thestate’s electric power market to consumer choice beginning in 2001.

The consumer advocacy part of the California Public UtilitiesCommission is trying to get state regulators to second guesswinning bids on the final natural gas-fired power plants PacificGas and Electric Co. auctioned last year. The auction resulted inSouthern Company being awarded three winning bids for plants in theSan Francisco Bay Area totaling 3,065 MW and using up to 50 MMcf/dof gas.

Retail gas competition is starting to pick up speed inCalifornia despite continued consumer apathy, according to a surveyof the state’s three gas distribution utilities released last week.