Effort

In an effort to ease the pain of deregulation for residentialconsumers, the Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) voted 5-0last week to approve an estimated $40 million residential refundplan that would help ease what are sure to be high gas bills thiscoming winter. The commission also voted to approve a newsculptured tariff for distribution charges instead of the currentflat rate by a vote of four-to-one, with Commissioner Robert Bakerdissenting.

In an effort to ease residential consumers’ deregulation growingpains, The Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) votedfive-to-none yesterday to approve an estimated $40 millionresidential refund plan, which would help ease what are sure to behigh gas bills this coming winter. The commission also voted toapprove a new sculptured tariff for distribution charges instead ofthe current flat rate by a vote of four-to-one, with CommissionerRobert Baker dissenting.

State officials have launched an all-out effort to cure or atleast contain California’s runaway electric power market, sending$100 million in rate relief to customers of San Diego Gas &Electric, putting construction of new power plants on a fast trackand loosening the grip of the California Power Exchange (Cal-PX).

In an effort to streamline its online trading process andstrengthen energy trading efficiency, HoustonStreet Exchange hasjoined the independent and not-for-profit Organizaton for theAdvancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS). Theexchange says its decision to join marks the industry’s firstmaneuver to bring open standards to wholesale energy trading.

State officials have launched an all-out effort to cure or atleast contain California’s runaway electric power market, sending$100 million in rate relief to customers of San Diego Gas &Electric, putting construction of new power plants on a fast trackand loosening the grip of the California Power Exchange (Cal-PX).

In an effort to streamline its online trading process andstrengthen energy trading efficiency, HoustonStreet Exchange hasjoined the independent and not-for-profit Organizaton for theAdvancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS). Theexchange says its decision to join marks the industry’s firstmaneuver to bring open standards to wholesale energy trading.

Tucked inside a “supplemental notice” addressing FERC’s interimreliability measures, the Commission last week said it “has begunand will continue an extensive review and audit” of electrictransmission owners’ Open Access Same-time Information System(OASIS) sites to ensure compliance.

Sempra Energy, PG&E Corp. and Proxima Gas SA de CV announcedlast week a three-way effort to build and operate a $230 million,212-mile natural gas pipeline to serve the rapidly growing energyloads in the southern end of California and the northern tip ofBaja along the U.S.-Mexico border. The principal target market isnew and existing electric generating plants and “otherenergy-intensive industries” in northern Baja, the sponsors said.

Natural gas pipelines have come a long way in their effort toprotect the public and environment from the potential threats posedby their systems, but the journey is far from over, says a keypipeline safety official with the Department of Transportation(DOT).