Robust

Although Illinois is showing positive signs of retail market growth, questions remain as to whether the wholesale market in Illinois is robust enough to support a competitive retail market, according to a recent report by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) assessing retail and wholesale market competition in the state’s electric industry.

Although Illinois is showing positive signs of retail market growth, questions remain as to whether the wholesale market in Illinois is robust enough to support a competitive retail market, according to a recent report by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) assessing retail and wholesale market competition in the state’s electric industry.

A combination of continued robust economic growth throughout theWest and dwindling supplies from out of state will make blackoutsin California more likely next summer, the CEO for the state’sindependent transmission grid operator (Cal-ISO) told theorganization’s board Wednesday.

Hoping to foster a more robust wholesale power market, AmericanElectric Power (AEP), Carolina Power & Light (CP&L), DukeEnergy and Unicom Corp. are launching an independent,Internet-based electric transmission business-to-business exchangethis fall that is expected to offer a single portal for arrangingtransmission capacity. Still to come are the consortium’s serviceofferings and the type of technology it will use.

Hoping to foster a more robust wholesale power market, AmericanElectric Power (AEP), Carolina Power & Light (CP&L), DukeEnergy and Unicom Corp. are launching an independent,Internet-based electric transmission business-to-business exchangethis fall that is expected to offer a single portal for arrangingtransmission capacity. Still to come are the consortium’s serviceofferings and the type of technology it will use.

The previously underutilized pipeline and storage assets ofNatural Gas Pipeline Company of America (NGPL) have enjoyed robustvolume growth under the management of the merged KN Energy andKinder Morgan. Last week, Kinder Morgan’s NGPL said it has fullysubscribed its storage service with the latest of a number ofdeals.

Spurred by $20-plus/barrel oil prices, robust economic growthand a deep exploratory well blowout that lasted for months,optimism is growing in California’s central valley oil patch inKern County near Bakersfield.

Spurred by $20-plus/barrel oil prices, robust economic growthand a deep-well exploratory blowout that lasted for months,optimism is growing in California’s central valley oil patch inKern County near Bakersfield.

California, as the nation’s early poster child for energyindustry restructuring, has to bite the bullet and decide if itwants robust retail competition for natural gas and electricity, orwhether it wants to stop where it is now with wholesalecompetition, “declare victory and everyone go home,” said thestate’s top energy regulator, Richard Bilas, an economist andpresident of the California Public Utilities Commission. If itwants retail competition, then the state should consider adoptingsome of the aspects of Georgia’s gas restructuring andPennsylvania’s electricity changes.