Prepares

As the North American Electric Reliability Council prepares to unveil its 2001 summer assessment today, a review of individual assesments prepared by several regional reliability councils shows that most of the councils feel confident that they will have the generating resources needed to meet peak demand this summer.

Getting in line with the rest of the country that has alreadypassed the increased costs of natural gas through to its customers,Consumers Energy of Michigan has begun warning its customers thatthe three-year price freeze imposed on its voluntary Gas CustomerChoice program instituted in April 1998, will come to an end inMarch 2001.

Getting in line with the rest of the country that has alreadypassed the increased costs of natural gas through to its customers,Consumers Energy of Michigan has begun warning its customers thatthe three-year price freeze imposed on its voluntary Gas CustomerChoice program instituted in April 1998, will come to an end inMarch 2001.

National Energy Board (NEB) principals, fresh from summer tripsto Alaska, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, are exploringways to deal with megaproject proposals for development andtransportation of northern resources.

Utility.com is gearing up for Sept. 1, when New Jersey consumers will be allowed to select their electricity suppliers through the Internet. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) earlier granted Utility.com an Electric Power Supplier License to sell into the New Jersey market of 3.5 million electricity customers, and the company will use an Internet Enrollment Program.

PowerSpring Inc. is preparing to muscle its way into the virtualmarketplace next month, offering commercial and industrial energyusers an online shopping area to take better advantage ofderegulation. Officials yesterday touted the launch of its newInternet site, www.powerspring.com, promising energy users the “bigplayer” benefits of deregulation – market clout and savings.Through its website, PowerSpring plans to manage energy use for itscustomers by using aggregated customer demand, an online auctionand customized reports.

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.

Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) announced last week that it will refund$34 million to its former retail customers. The $26 per customerrefund will be issued by the 13 marketers in AGL’s serviceterritory during the May/June billing cycle.

As state regulators and utilities gear up for the advent ofdistributed generation, one of California’s native sons and thefirst company in the nation to market commercial distributed powergeneration systems for businesses, Capstone Turbine Corp., ispreparing for its own $115 million IPO later this spring.