El Paso Corp. is making “very good progress” in moving toward a settlement of allegations that it withheld transportation capacity from the California market to ratchet up prices for natural gas during the energy crisis in 2000 and 2001, said the company’s new chairman, Ronald L. Kuehn Jr.
Gouging
Articles from Gouging
Duke Defends Record on Power Prices in CA
Contrary to the charges of price gouging in the California market, Duke Energy said Friday its average rates for wholesale power sales over the last 15 months were only $76/MWh, and in the first quarter of 2001 rose to only $136/MWh, both well below average spot market prices for the same periods.
Reliant Defends $1,900/MWh Price in CA
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.
Reliant Reacts to California Critics on Power Plant Operations
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.
Utilities Paying $4,000/MWh Request FERC’s Help
Charging “price gouging” and “a raw abuse of market power”several Midwest utilities and power marketers have asked theFederal Energy Regulatory Commission to hold an emergencyconference to find out what went wrong in the Midwest electricmarket last week that forced some to pay as much as $7,500 MWh.