Official

Barring an unforeseen loss of equipment, the Northeast — having recently fought off broiling temperatures and soaring demands for electricity — should be able to successfully make it through the rest of this summer, according to Tim Gallagher, manager of technical services at the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC).

Returning fire in the continuing war of words, a Duke Energy official on Friday refuted claims by former employees of its South Bay power facility that the company was manipulating plant output to drive up prices. The company called the charges unfounded, noting that the plant was actually directed by the California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO), not Duke, to track fluctuations in electricity demand.

Returning fire in the continuing war of words, a Duke Energy official refuted claims by South Bay power plant ex-employees Friday, and said that output at the company’s plant was actually directed not by Duke, but by the California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO) to track fluctuations in electricity demand. The plant, he said, operated at top reliability at all times.

With the official start of spring, time began to press California’s wide-ranging efforts to fix past, present and future (short and long-term) energy problems. For every positive last week, there seemed to be greater negative developments to deal with, rolling blackouts being the most dramatic. By last Friday, the prospect for bigger problems ahead seemed unavoidable.

With the official start of spring, time began to pressCalifornia’s wide-ranging efforts to fix past, present and future(short-and long-term) energy problems. For every positive lastweek, there seemed to be greater negative developments to dealwith, rolling blackouts being the most dramatic. By last Friday,the prospect for bigger problems ahead seemed unavoidable.

FERC Chairman Curt Hebert Jr. last week tapped Kevin P. Madden,a well-known and popular official at the Commission, to be generalcounsel. He succeeds Doug Smith, who left the Commission on Friday.Madden has held a number of posts during his 21-year tenure atFERC, most recently as deputy director of the Office of Markets,Tariffs and Rates. Prior to that, he had been director of theOffice of Pipeline Regulation since 1988. He also served as anattorney adviser and trial attorney in the Office of GeneralCounsel during his years at FERC. “I chose Mr. Madden from a largefield of potential candidates both outside and within theCommission. His contributions will be crucial to our futureachievements, especially during this critical juncture of electricmarkets,” Hebert said.

FERC Chairman Curt Hebert Jr. last week tapped Kevin P. Madden,a well-known and popular official at the Commission, to be generalcounsel. He succeeds Doug Smith, who left the Commission on Friday.

It’s official, last week GPU and UtiliCorp United’s Aquila Energysubsidiary announced that in late December, the companies completedthe transaction that sent GPU International to Aquila Energy for $225million. The sale included the interests that GPU International heldin six independent generating plants and a generating project, whichis currently under development. First announced in October 2000, thefive interests, all in the United States, total approximately 500 MWof capacity (see Daily GPI, Oct. 6,2000). Aquila also receives a 50% interest in the 715 MW project,which is still under development. With this latest deal, Aquila nowowns or controls approximately 4,500 MW of generation underconstruction, in development, or in commercial operation.

A small, but hot new fight before the National Energy Board ismaking it official — in Canada, natural gas has become as good asgold, and just the prospect of producing some is worth a battle.