Regulate

A Maryland Circuit Court has upheld the state public service commission’s authority to regulate the relationship between utilities and their affiliates. In an order issued last July, the Maryland PSC extended its regulatory reach to cover not only marketing affiliate relationships with the regulated utility, but also those of so-called “non-core” affiliates, such as energy service companies. The order angered gas and electric utilities, who sought to have it overturned.

The best way to ease the burden of high natural gas costs is tolet producers produce and not overly regulate generators, industryofficials told the Texas Railroad Commission this week. The TRC,which is preparing recommendations on the state’s natural gasmarket, will hear testimony from stakeholders again Thursday beforefinalizing its recommendations for state legislators.

Several consumer groups last week took steps toward pushing forre-regulation nationally and in several states, denouncing effortsto deregulate the electricity industry as flawed.

Several consumer groups last week took steps toward pushing forre-regulation nationally and in states, denouncing efforts toderegulate the electricity industry as flawed.

In a take-it-or-leave-it gesture, California consumer advocatesTuesday handed the governor and state legislature an ultimatum torollback electric industry restructuring and insert the state in anexpanded role over the development and operation of power plants.If the elected officials fail to act, the consumer activists planto put another measure on the statewide ballot in 2002.

Any attempt by Congress to re-regulate natural gas prices to putan end to the escalation in wholesale prices seen this year wouldbe a “mistake,” said FERC Chairman James Hoecker, even though hebelieves $4 gas is too high.

One of California’s two newest energy regulators Tuesdayadvocated that the state re-regulate parts of its restructuredelectric industry and re-establish some power he said it has cededin the process to the federal government. The plea was part of apress conference in San Diego designed to assuage concernedelectricity customers whose bills have doubled and tripled due to asummer peak-load price and supply crunch.

The on-going inquiry into how to regulate pipelines operating onthe Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) took center stage at FERC lastweek, with interstate pipelines and natural gas producersresponding with proposals that are miles apart.