Passes

The Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) last weekunanimously voted out two orders, one that offers customers theoption of changing gas marketers monthly and one that prohibits gasdisconnections for residential customers until April 1. A thirdorder, which will allow customers to change marketers even if theyhave outstanding debt with their previous marketer, squeaked by ona three to two vote with Commissioner Stan Wise˜and newly appointedChairman Lauren “Bubba” McDonald dissenting.

The Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) last weekunanimously voted out two orders, one that offers customers theoption of changing gas marketers monthly and one that prohibits gasdisconnections for residential customers until April 1. A thirdorder, which will allow customers to change marketers even ifÿtheyhave outstanding debt with their previous marketer, squeaked by ona three to two vote with Commissioner Stan Wiseÿand newly appointedChairman Lauren “Bubba” McDonald dissenting.

With winter setting in for the long haul, two indicators havebecome a constant. Natural gas prices continue to stay pegged inthe upper echelon, and fertilizer producing companies continue toscale back their natural gas-intensive process of producing itemssuch as ammonia and methanol.

Even in the wake of the summer’s power crisis and emergencymeasures, San Diego Gas and Electric can’t find any long-term powerpurchase deals to its liking, and, in fact, it has pulled back arequest-for-proposal it had outstanding, soliciting longer-term,fixed price contracts.

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.

No one is satisfied much by the California legislature’s11th-hour move late Wednesday to pass two new laws aimed atproviding relief for San Diego electric consumers and their utilitydistribution company, San Diego Gas & Electric. Nevertheless,the governor was expected to sign the measures.

The full Senate passed by unanimous consent a stand-aloneelectric reliability bill late last week, while House CommerceCommittee Thomas Bliley (R-VA) moved ahead full throttle with plansto mark up a comprehensive power bill and bring it to the Housefloor before the end of July.

The full Senate passed by unanimous consent a stand-aloneelectric reliability bill late last week, while House CommerceCommittee Chairman Thomas Bliley (R-VA) moved ahead full throttlewith plans to mark up a comprehensive power bill and bring it tothe House floor before the end of July.

PG&E Corp. is the latest energy giant to seek a toehold inthe fast-growing Arizona merchant power plant market, gaining aninitial state approval last week, but facing up to a half-dozencounty, state and federal environmental reviews for a proposed $500million, 1,040 MW natural gas-fired plant near Phoenix.