Unanimous

California’s power plant siting agency gave unanimous approvalWednesday to Duke Energy’s plans to build new facilities at itsexisting Moss Landing generating plant along the central Californiacoast, adding 1,200-MW capacity while eliminating eight 225-footsmoke stakes and 10 oil storage tanks for the existing plant sitedeveloped in the early 1950s. After a 22-month approval process,Duke officials said earlier in the week they will beginconstruction Monday, assuming they receive a final local waterpermit as expected on Friday.

The full Senate passed by unanimous consent a stand-aloneelectric reliability bill late last week, while House CommerceCommittee Thomas Bliley (R-VA) moved ahead full throttle with plansto mark up a comprehensive power bill and bring it to the Housefloor before the end of July.

The full Senate passed by unanimous consent a stand-aloneelectric reliability bill late last week, while House CommerceCommittee Chairman Thomas Bliley (R-VA) moved ahead full throttlewith plans to mark up a comprehensive power bill and bring it tothe House floor before the end of July.

Illinois Power Co. received unanimous approval last week fromthe Illinois Commerce Commission to transfer all its fossil-fueledgenerating stations and associated support staff to a newsubsidiary of parent company Illinova Corp. The move still requiresFERC approval. If completed it would be the first time an electricutility was allowed to transfer its entire fossil generating fleetto a separate unregulated affiliated company, Illinova said. Thespin-down was one of the requirements set out in a merger agreementsigned last month by Illinova and Dynegy. That merger is expectedto be completed early next year.

Illinois Power Co. received unanimous approval yesterday fromthe Illinois Commerce Commission to transfer all its fossil-fueledgenerating stations and associated support staff into a newsubsidiary of parent company Illinova Corp. The move still requiresFERC approval. If completed it would be the first time an electricutility was allowed to transfer its entire fossil generating fleetinto a separate unregulated affiliated company, Illinova said. Thespin-down was one of the requirements set out in a merger agreementsigned last month by Illinova and Dynegy. That merger is expectedto be completed early next year.

It’s nearly impossible to get the various gas industry sectorsto agree on anything, but some already are putting out signals they might band together to send FERC the clear and unmistakablemessage they don’t like its capacity-auction proposal.

A last-minute concession by the White House on nuclear-wastestorage cleared the way for the Senate on Friday to confirm byunanimous consent Bill Richardson, currently the U.S. ambassador tothe United Nations, as the next secretary of the Department ofEnergy (DOE).