Supplies

Even with more federal regulatory intervention and a return to closer-to-normal hydroelectric supplies in the future, California is facing at least two more years of electricity supply-demand imbalance and the prospect for higher wholesale power prices as a result, according to Andre Meade, utility analyst at Commerzbank Securities.

Even with more federal regulatory intervention and a return to closer-to-normal hydroelectric supplies in the future, California is facing at least two more years of electricity supply-demand imbalance and the prospect for higher wholesale power prices as a result, according to Andre Meade, utility analyst at Commerzbank Securities.

Eastern Canada, New York state and New England should all have adequate electricity supplies this summer, according to a set of comprehensive reliability assessments unveiled by the Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC) earlier this week, although the NPCC did raise a red flag related to New York’s ability to handle periods of extreme demand for power.

Acknowledging that the state’s cost for spot wholesale power supplies has increased significantly since the PG&E utility bankruptcy filing, the newest member of the California Public Utilities Commission lashed out at merchant generators and power suppliers last week for “manipulating” the western wholesale electricity market and extracting billions of dollars out of the states’ economies. If the situation does not ease soon, Gov. Gray Davis is likely to seize some of the private sector power plants, according to Geoffery Brown, a former San Francisco public defender named to the CPUC by Davis earlier this year.

Acknowledging that the state’s cost for spot wholesale power supplies has increased significantly since the PG&E utility bankruptcy filing, the newest member of the California Public Utilities Commission Wednesday lashed out at merchant generators and power suppliers for “manipulating” the western wholesale electricity market and extracting billions of dollars out of the states’ economies. If the situation does not ease soon, Gov. Gray Davis is likely to seize some of the private sector power plants, according to Geoffery Brown, a former San Francisco public defender named to the CPUC by Davis earlier this year.

To solve the question of where gas supplies will come from for its new generating plant in San Diego, the Otay Mesa Generating Co. has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for authorization to build gas import facilities at the California-Mexico border to import up to 110 MMcf/d to fuel a 510 MWh station to be sited near San Diego (see NGI, Oct. 16, 2000).

To solve the question of where gas supplies will come from for its new generating plant in San Diego, the Otay Mesa Generating Co. LLC on Friday asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for authorization to build gas import facilities at the California-Mexico border to import up to 110 MMcf/d to fuel a 510 MWh station to be sited near San Diego (see Daily GPI, Oct. 12, 2000).

Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. said last week that it expects electricity supplies in its upstate New York service area this summer to be adequate to meet demand. Niagara Mohawk provides electricity to more than 1.5 million customers in the state and delivers natural gas to more than 540,000.

Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. said yesterday that it expectselectricity supplies in its upstate New York service area thissummer to be adequate to meet demand. Niagara Mohawk provideselectricity to more than 1.5 million customers in the state anddelivers natural gas to more than 540,000.