Rules

Challenging the rules governing the elected, five-member New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, one of its charter commissioners is trying to get on the ballot for a third term. Currently the 1998 law forming the commission restricts commissioners to two four-year terms. The state attorney general’s office is conducting an investigation to see if a third term is in the cards for Jerome Block.

Susan Kennedy was quickly cleared by the Senate Rules Committee for confirmation as the new commissioner at the California Public Utilities Commission. Statewide consumer, utility and environmental groups appeared to support the appointment of the former Democratic Party and governor’s adviser. Confirmation by the full Senate is expected later this month. In part of her questioning, Kennedy said she was unhappy with the level of the so-called exit fees assigned late last year by the CPUC for direct access customers in California. At their current levels, she said it would take 10 to 20 years for bundled utility customers to get their fair share from the customers buying their own power supplies from third-party providers.

Contrary to FERC staff’s conclusion in its western energy market report, the CAISO and now-defunct Cal-PX Market Monitoring and Information plans (MMIPs) did not offer market participants “sufficient notice” as to what conduct was allowed or prohibited in California, or clearly state that violators would be subject to retroactive sanctions by the Commission, Duke Energy contends.

IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) said last Thursday it is implementing a number of “fair trading” initiatives to detect false trades and ensure the validity of trades and prices recorded on its commodity trading platform.

IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) said Thursday it is implementing a number of “fair trading” initiatives to detect false trades and ensure the validity of trades and prices recorded on its commodity trading platform.

Constant revisions to the weekly natural gas storage surveys contribute to undue market volatility, according to commenters on the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) proposed survey changes. The comments ranged from warnings that changes to the storage revisions policy could lead to market manipulation, to recommendations that companies frequently reporting revisions be penalized.

Retail energy marketers in Maryland said they favor current licensing rules and oppose erecting additional financial reporting requirements on retail energy marketers who want licenses to operate in the state. The Maryland Public Service Commission’s (PUC) recently requested comments on whether its current policy of requiring proof of financial integrity for all natural gas and electric suppliers in the state is adequate and does not restrict market entry.

Constant revisions to the weekly natural gas storage surveys contribute to undue market volatility, according to commenters on the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) proposed survey changes (see Daily GPI, July 12). The comments ranged from warnings that changes to the storage revisions policy could lead to market manipulation, to recommendations that companies frequently reporting revisions be penalized.

Retribution will be more expensive for companies violating FERC’s rules in the future, according to a final rule issued by the Commission last Monday. The rule adjusts certain of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s penalties by 10% to cover inflation.