Electric generation’s growing appetite for natural gas ispropelling rapid changes in the gas industry’s traditional businesspractices that will pose greater challenges to pipeline safety,says the chairman of the INGAA Pipeline Safety Task Force.
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The California Independent System Operator (California ISO)ordered Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to initiate itslocalized non-firm interruptible program 12- 6 p.m. yesterdaybecause of continued heat Northern California, particularly in theinland areas. In addition, the amount of generation unavailable inthe Bay Area due to repairs increased from 488 MW Wednesday to 800MW Thursday. PG&E said it curtailed 300 MW of interruptiblecustomers beginning at 12:15 p.m. during localized load shedding tohelp stabilize the flow of power on the ISO-controlled transmissionsystems. The California ISO was not under a Stage One Emergencyyesterday, however it issued a Power Watch, urging customersthroughout the state to conserve electricity whenever possible.
Calpine Eyes Distributed Generation Market
Expanding its potential reach as a merchant power plantdeveloper/operator, San Jose, CA-based Calpine Corp. announced itis going after the high-tech and telecommunications industries’growing need for reliable, high-quality electricity by offeringdistributed generation with back-up reliability services. It has a30-MW unit about to be unveiled for an undisclosed customer andseveral other units in the queue, according to the Calpineexecutive heading its new “c*Power” business unit.
Heat Wave in Northeast Triggers Power Watches
It was ironic yesterday that the power grid operator in NewEngland, ISO New England, issued a power watch on the same day itassured the public it would have adequate power supplies thissummer. Remember, it’s only May.
CA ISO Prepares for Summer Power Shortages
In anticipation of a hot summer, the California IndependentSystem Operator (ISO) this week will kick off its Power Watch 2000awareness campaign during which it will issue media alerts advisingthe public when electricity demand is nearing peak levels and ofthe need to use conservation measures.
RTOs Continue Down Separate Paths
Congestion is about a $100 to $200 million problem in thePennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) independent system operator(ISO) area, but it is being addressed through a combination ofmanagement and capital improvement steps that include a long listof natural gas-fired new generating plants, according to anexecutive with the PJM ISO’s regional power district, the largestin the nation.
California’s PX, ISO Gaining Credibility
California’s two government-created, private sector nonprofitcreatures of electric industry restructuring, the power exchange(PX) and grid operator (ISO), continued enhancement of theiroperations with an eye toward becoming regional entities withinfluence through the 12-state Western Systems Coordinating Council(WSCC) and parts of Canada and Mexico.
California’s PX, ISO Gaining Credibility
California’s two government-created, private sector nonprofitcreatures of electric industry restructuring, the power exchange(PX) and grid operator (ISO), continued enhancement of theiroperations with an eye toward becoming regional entities withinfluence through the 12-state Western Systems Coordinating Council(WSCC) and parts of Canada and Mexico.
California ISO Growing Up and Out
California’s experimental nonprofit electric transmission gridand wholesale spot power market operations – the Independent SystemOperator (ISO) and Power Exchange (PX), respectively – are clearlyworking toward becoming larger, multi-state regional operations,according to officials who marked the one-year anniversaries ofboth organizations March 31. A proposed new California law (SB 96)would make it easier for the state to enter compacts with otherwestern states to begin to form the regional power operations.
Transportation Notes
Texaco, operator of Sea Robin Processing Plant, has notified SeaRobin Pipeline that the plant will be out of service formaintenance for about six weeks starting April 1. The pipeline willnot generate LTA nominations during that period.