Council

American Electric Power (AEP) has asked the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to determine which of its 16 natural gas-fired power plants in the state’s grid system, which have remained idle for most of this year, have to remain activated. AEP plans to mothball some or all of the Texas power plants by the end of the year if they are not on the state’s “reliability must run” (RMR) list, to boost the company’s bottom line.

The heads of the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) and the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) on Thursday signed a letter of intent that commits the two organizations to coordinate the development of business practice standards and electronic communications protocols by NAESB and the development of wholesale electric reliability standards by NERC.

With the New Year ringing in the launch of retail electric competition in Texas, a key executive with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) last Wednesday expressed confidence that the state’s transmission system will be up to meeting the demands of electricity deregulation.

A North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) committee this week will be asked to sign off on a draft report that lays out a myriad of actions NERC can take in the areas of transmission planning, cost recovery and siting. The draft report calls on NERC to oversee the strict enforcement of planning standards, as well as see to it that regulators use new cost recovery mechanisms to encourage investment in transmission facilities.

A North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) committee next week will be asked to sign off on a draft report that lays out a myriad of actions NERC can take in the areas of transmission planning, cost recovery and siting. The draft report calls on NERC to oversee the strict enforcement of planning standards, as well as see to it that regulators use new cost recovery mechanisms to encourage investment in transmission facilities.

NW Natural submitted an application Friday to the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) for a 60-mile, 24-inch pipeline to link the company’s underground natural gas storage fields near Mist, OR to a Williams mainline near Molalla.

NW Natural submitted an application Friday to the Oregon EnergyFacility Siting Council (EFSC) for a 60-mile, 24-inch pipeline tolink the company’s underground natural gas storage fields nearMist, OR to a Williams mainline near Molalla.

The Pipeline Research Council International Inc. (PRCI) and itsstrategic technology partner, Houston-based Technical ToolboxesInc. (TTI), announced yesterday they plan to launchPipelineCentral.com, a neutral Internet marketplace that wouldenable suppliers to furnish services and equipment (i.e.compressors and smart pigs) more quickly to interstate natural gasand oil pipelines in the United States and overseas.

Although officials at the Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC), which oversees electric power grid reliability for Northeastern North America, are forecasting sufficient electricity supplies to meet demand this summer, they cautioned last week that reserves are low.