Some form of energy reform legislation could get through California’s state legislature before the current session ends in September, according to one of the lawmakers whose re-regulation proposal was sacked by a lower house Assembly committee last week. At least four major proposals died in committees or were turned into two-year bills.
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CA Energy Legislation Not Dead, State Senator Says
Some form of energy reform legislation could get through California’s state legislature before the current session ends in September, according to one of the lawmakers whose re-regulation proposal was sacked by a lower house Assembly committee last week. At least four major proposals died in committees or were turned into two-year bills.
New Bill Would Prod Lazy CA Regulators into Action
The first of several proposals was introduced last Tuesday in the California Assembly to reform the increasingly crowded group of agencies dealing with energy. The bill would make the state regulatory commission “more responsive to public need” by putting time limits on how long the panel can put off making decisions on key issues that arise in not only energy, but also water, transportation and telecommunications. Decisions would be required within 90 days of a proposed decision being issued.
Waxman Blankets Bush Administration with Enron Inquiries
Rep. Henry Waxman of California, ranking Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee, has stepped up his campaign to ferret out what the Bush administration knew about Enron Corp.’s financial problems and when, sending out another round of letters to top White House and administration officials for information and records.
Waxman: E-Mails Reveal Lay ‘Misled’ Employees about Enron Woes
Rep. Henry Waxman of California, ranking Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee, has obtained internal Enron Corp. e-mails that he says suggest that Chairman Kenneth Lay “misled” company employees about the prospects for Enron and its stock, just weeks before the energy trader collapsed and began its headlong plunge toward bankruptcy.
TURN Doubts CA Utility Financial Woes Exist
Utility watchdog group The Utility Reform Network (TURN) isn’tquite convinced that California’s two major utilities are hurtingfinancially from this summer’s wholesale power price spikes.
TURN Doubts CA Utility Financial Woes Exist
Utility watchdog group The Utility Reform Network (TURN) isn’tquite convinced that California’s two major utilities are hurtingfinancially from this summer’s wholesale power price spikes.
CA Utilities Seek $100 Power Cap
Following up on earlier requests for federal help, California’slargest electric utilities and their usual adversary, The UtilityReform Network (TURN), a utility watchdog group, jointly filed withthe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Monday for a $100across-the-board cap on all wholesale electricity prices and forlonger term fixes, including a declaration that the state’selectricity market is unworkable under its current framework.
Series of Conferences Planned To Tackle Gas Reforms
As part of its ongoing quest to comprehensively reform thenatural gas industry, FERC last week announced that it is planninga series of conferences to tackle issues ranging from its proposedcapacity auction to state unbundling to a pre-filing collaborativeprocess for gas pipeline projects.
Producers, Pipelines Debate Procedures
Natural gas producers and interstate pipelines squared offagainst each other at FERC’s symposium on reform of its complaintprocess Monday. Both sides agreed that expedited handling ofcomplaints by the Commission was a top priority, but they partedsharply on the need for formal complaints to be processed anddisposed of by FERC by certain deadlines.