Scrap

FERC last week issued an order allowing the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) to eliminate on an expedited basis the requirement that bids be limited to $0/MWh if submitted into the CAISO real-time energy market by generation facilities that are located beyond the grid operator’s control area.

East Tennessee Natural Gas has filed an amendment to its Patriot expansion-extension project to reflect the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) decision to scrap its plans to build a 510 MW power generation facility in the state, as well as a decision by another customer — Cogentrix affiliate Henry County Power LLC — to delay the construction of its proposed 1,080 MW generation facility in Virginia.

Major natural gas producers are seeing red flags everywhere inthe wake of Petal Gas Storage L.L.C’s decision to scrap itsoriginal proposal to build three new pipeline interconnects to itsstorage facilities in Mississippi. They contend the proposal hasbeen amended to benefit Petal’s new-found affiliates at the expenseof non-affiliated customers.

Oklahoma’s Republican Sen. Don Nickles has introduced a wholenew approach to the electric restructuring debate, proposing a billthat would strip states of their authority to grant franchises toutilities and open local markets to competition.