Sought

The trappings of a major press conference made it appear like a long-sought ending, but it was really just the beginning late Monday afternoon when California’s governor and Southern California Edison’s CEO announced a breakthrough after six weeks of talks. The “memorandum of understanding” (MOU) for the sale of Edison’s transmission system and power production to the state is contingent on state regulators and legislators swiftly completing some equally significant steps.

Washington Gas Light Co. last week called on FERC to schedule aformal hearing to explore concerns of distribution customers thatthe liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be imported by Williams’ CovePoint LNG facility will meet the standards for pipeline-qualitygas.

Washington Gas Light Co. has asked FERC to schedule a formalhearing to assure it and other potential distribution customersthat the liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be imported by Williams’Cove Point LNG facility in Lusby, MD, will be pipeline-quality gas.

FERC last week denied a complaint in which several Nevadaindustrial shippers sought exemption from continual must-flowoperational flow orders (OFOs) on Northwest Pipeline’s system, andto be reimbursed for the costs of complying with those OFOs. Butthe Commission did hold out some hope for the shippers, saying itwould consider proposals to provide future relief from thepipeline’s constant OFOs.

FERC yesterday denied a complaint in which several Nevadaindustrial shippers sought exemption from continual must-flowoperation flow orders (OFOs) on Northwest Pipeline’s system, and tobe reimbursed for the costs of complying with the OFOs. But theCommission did hold out some hope for the shippers, saying it wouldconsider proposals to provide relief from the pipeline’s constantOFOs.

Puget Sound Energy Inc. has called on FERC to levy price caps inthe Pacific Northwest bulk electricity markets that are equal towhat it ultimately decides to establish for the Californiawholesale market. Last week, the Commission proposed a “soft”$150/MWh price cap on wholesale sales of electricity in California.

If FERC this week should order price caps on wholesale sales ofelectricity into the California markets as the result of itsmonths-long probe there, Puget Sound Energy Inc. has called on theCommission to take similar action in the Pacific Northwest bulkmarkets as well.

Sempra Energy Chairman and CEO Stephen Baum has called on stateregulators to award electric generation greater priority in theinterruptible queue so its gas supply won’t be among the first tobe cut off during extreme cold-spells and in emergency situations.

Sempra Energy Chairman and CEO Stephen Baum has called on stateregulators to award electric generation greater priority in theinterruptible queue so its gas supply won’t be among the first tobe cut during extreme cold-spells and in emergency situations.