Pool

Avista-STEAG LLC and NRG Energy have entered into a partnershipin the hopes of adding 633 MW of power generation to Texas’ powerpool in 2003. The partnership will build, manage and operate thenatural gas-fired Brazos Valley project to be located in Fort BendCounty, TX, about 30 miles southwest of Houston.

The Mid-Continent Area Power Pool (MAPP) executive committeeapproved the execution of the memorandum of understanding with theMid-America Interconnected Network (MAIN) to merge the reliabilityfunctions of the two organizations. The MAIN Board of Directorsapproved the memorandum on April 7. The goal is to have a jointregional reliability organization (RRO) in place by November. Theorganization will ensure standards compliance through auditing,planning and operating reserve requirements and will establishsanctions procedures to enforce compliance with reliabilitystandards. MAPP is an association of more than 90 electricutilities and other electric industry participants. MAIN is one of10 other regional reliability councils under the North AmericanElectric Reliability Council.

Power shortages and price spikes within the PJM Power Pool areas likely this summer as barbecues and sunburns, according to aPennsylvania public interest group.

Looking ahead to summer within the PJM Power Pool meansanticipating power shortages and price spikes. With virtually nonew generation coming on line for this summer, Pennsylvania publicinterest group PennFuture says it’s time to create a demand sidemarket for electricity and give consumers an incentive to conserve.

After raising its IT availability into the Zone 6-NYC pool to itshighest level in more than a month Tuesday (see Daily GPI, Jan. 11), Transco said that effectiveFriday there will be only about 25,000 dth/d of IT available throughthe Linden (NJ) Regulator Station and zero IT upstream of Station 90and on the Leidy Line for deliveries downstream of Centerville, NJ.

Transco continues to ratchet upward IT availability into itsZone 6 market-area pool. Effective today until further notice, thepipeline said Monday, 100,000 dth/d each of interruptible capacitywill be available through the Linden (NJ) Regulator Station and forLeidy Line deliveries downtstream of the Centerville (NJ) RegulatorStation. It will offer another 100,000 dth/d of IT between Stations90 and 180 in Tiers I and II, but zero will be available in TierIII (Station 180 through East).

The maelstrom in Atlanta Gas Light’s deregulated gas poolcontinued last week as regulators scrambled to find a replacementsupplier of last resort when the utility concluded it was unable tohandle the role. After an urgent 24-hour RFP, the state’s PublicService Commission (GPSC) selected Shell Energy Services to performthe function through April 1.