Refund

Bruce Birchman, the FERC administrative law judge (ALJ) overseeing proceedings related to possible refunds for electricity overcharges in California, last Thursday issued a revised trial schedule related to the proceeding under which he now plans to certify proposed findings of fact in mid-December.

FERC is scheduled this week to rule on recommendations recently forwarded to the Commission by Chief Administrative Law Judge Curtis L. Wagner after two weeks of settlement talks related to California’s bid to collect $8.9 billion in refunds failed to produce a final deal between the state and generators.

California Gov. Gray Davis said the the state’s $8.9 billion estimate for refunds owed to its electric customers isn’t negotiable, but he will to consider alternative forms of payment other than straight cash refunds, such as the re-negotiation of long-term power contracts.

California Gov. Gray Davis said Friday the the state’s $8.9 billion estimate for refunds owed to its electric customers isn’t negotiable, but he will to consider alternative forms of payment other than straight cash refunds, such as the re-negotiation of long-term power contracts.

A bill that could force Texas electric utilities to start offering significant refunds to customers early next year passed a key Texas House panel earlier this month, but now faces a series of hurdles that it must clear before the current session of the Texas Legislature expires at the end of May. That’s a tight deadline, but one that could be met, a spokesperson for Texas-based TXU Electric told NGI.

A bill that could force Texas electric utilities to start offering significant refunds to customers early next year passed a key Texas House panel last week, but now faces a series of hurdles that it must clear before the current session of the Texas Legislature expires at the end of next month. That’s a tight deadline, but one that could be met, a spokesperson for Texas-based TXU Electric told NGI last week.

A rate refund, refocusing and early retirement programs, plusboth failed and successful merger costs wiped out PacifiCorp’s 1998earnings of $300 million, leaving the company with a $55 millionloss for the year. In comparison 1997 earnings after special itemswere $641 million; they were $350 million before special items. Thecompany’s refocusing in 1998 and 1999 includes shutdown of itsenergy marketing business, the sale of TPC Corp., and of EnergyWorks, a joint venture with Bechtel, and the closing of its Turkishenterprises.