Plants

Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) has called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to revoke the authority of 18 power generation facilities in California to sell electricity at market-based rates.

Duke/Fluor Daniel, a joint venture between Duke Energy and Fluor Corp,. yesterday disclosed that it has been awarded contracts by Duke Energy North America (DENA) to perform engineering, procurement and construction services for four natural gas-fired, combined cycle power generation facilities with a combined capacity of 3,050 MW.

The current pace of power plant construction could very well lead to the elimination of generation capacity shortages in practically every U.S. regional power market over the next one to three years, according to a new study recently completed by ICF Consulting.

The current pace of power plant construction could very well lead to the elimination of generation capacity shortages in practically every U.S. regional power market over the next one to three years, according to a new study recently completed by ICF Consulting.

Bucking the current trend of building natural gas-fueled power plants, Reliant Energy Seward LLC — a unit of the Reliant Energy Wholesale Group — reported that it has plans in the works to build a power generating facility in western Pennsylvania that will use the latest clean-coal technology on waste coal.

Bucking the current trend of building natural gas-fueled powerplants, Reliant Energy Seward LLC — a unit of the Reliant EnergyWholesale Group — reported that it has plans in the works tobuild a power generating facility in western Pennsylvania that willuse the latest clean-coal technology on waste coal.

Even with stepped up state efforts for developing peakingplants, conservation and new power contracts, the key wild card forwhether California survives this summer’s expected supplyshortfalls is fickle hydroelectric power that is tied to anunpredictable, complex set of weather and environmental factors.With the end nearing for the West’s typical rainy season, stateofficials are newly optimistic about California’s hydro resourcesbeing at normal levels this summer, but in the Pacific Northwestthe prospects continued to be dour Monday as Seattle basked insunny, 60-degree weather.

State legislators debated a “cash infusion” for the financiallytroubled private-sector utilities yesterday in exchange for statetakeover of their transmission and generation assets. AndCalifornia Gov. Gray Davis on Wednesday highlighted a package ofproposed bills to provide $120 million in cash incentives and a 50%tax break to renewable energy and distributed generation developersas a means of fulfilling his promise to add 20,000 MW over the nextthree years.

A special session yesterday of California’s regulators gavePG&E’s utility authority to amend its gas supply deals to keepsupplies flowing to the state past Feb. 7 when the current federalDOE emergency order expires, but it postponed action on anotherPG&E request that Southern California Gas Co. — which hasstrongly objected — be compelled to provide emergency supplies tothe PG&E utility’s residential and small business customers.