Denies

In a decision that approves and denies parts of two settlements with a six-year history, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Thursday approved a series of changes in the natural gas utility operations in the southern half of the state. The most significant is the merger of gas-buying operations by Sempra Energy’s two utilities — Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and San Diego Gas and Electric Co. (SDG&E).

Peoples Energy said Thursday that it is “disappointed” in a ruling by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) that denies its “creative solution” for a Weather Normalization Adjustment (WNA) that would have helped to stabilize the service charge portion of a customer’s natural gas bill in Illinois during colder and warmer than normal winters.

Peoples Gas, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Peoples Energy, allegedly overcharged customers by at least $149 million as the result of an illegal profit-sharing deal with an affiliate of now-bankrupt Enron Corp. during the winter of 2000-2001, according to a study commissioned by the city of Chicago and a consumer watchdog group.

Peoples Gas, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Peoples Energy, allegedly overcharged customers by at least $149 million as the result of an illegal profit-sharing deal with an affiliate of now-bankrupt Enron Corp. during the winter of 2000-2001, according to the latest testimony filed by the city of Chicago and a consumer advocacy group with Illinois regulators.

On the eve of her final regularly scheduled business meeting as one of the five members of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Loretta Lynch late Wednesday denied a motion from the Sempra Energy utilities that the increasingly combative regulator disqualify herself from a vote scheduled Thursday. Sempra’s utilities, Southern California Gas and San Diego Gas & Electric, allege that Lynch has a personal bias against them.

On the eve of her final regularly scheduled business meeting as one of the five members of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Loretta Lynch late Wednesday denied a motion from the Sempra Energy utilities that the increasingly combative regulator disqualify herself from a vote scheduled Thursday. Sempra’s utilities, Southern California Gas and San Diego Gas & Electric, allege that Lynch has a personal bias against them.

Although they allowed some mathematical corrections sought by the utility, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission last Wednesday denied a request for reconsideration by Avista Utilities’ for its full cost recovery of a natural gas supply deal and cost overruns at the utility’s Boulder Park generation project in Spokane, WA. The computational corrections will have no immediate impact on Avista’s utility rates in Idaho, the PUC said.

Although they allowed some mathematical corrections sought by the utility, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission last Wednesday denied a request for reconsideration by Avista Utilities’ for its full cost recovery of a natural gas supply deal and cost overruns at the utility’s Boulder Park generation project in Spokane, WA. The computational corrections will have no immediate impact on Avista’s utility rates in Idaho, the PUC said.

California’s state regulators and proponents wanting to site a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Long Beach Harbor had what may be a concluding head-butt late last month when a final request for a rehearing by Sound Energy Solutions (SES) was denied, reiterating the California Public Utilities Commission’s order that SES file with the state authorities for permission to build its proposed 1 Bcf/d receiving facility.