Briefly
Email This Story
December 16, 2010
Md. PSC Eliminates Minimum Stay in BGE Gas Tariff
The Maryland PSC approved Baltimore
Gas & Electric's revisions to its Gas Service Tariff to remove a provision from Rate
Schedules C and D that required customers to remain with a supplier for at least
three months prior to switching to another supplier (11/12).
Smitherman Recommends ERCOT Investigate Potential Retirements due to EPA Rules
Citing
reports from NERC, the Brattle Group, and Credit Suisse estimating retirements of
5-13 GW of coal-fired generation facilities in ERCOT due to various new EPA proposed
rules, PUCT Chairman Barry Smitherman would like ERCOT to evaluate the potential
impacts of the EPA rules on generation facilities in ERCOT and the potential effects
on generation adequacy, reliability, and prices. Smitherman's recommendation will
be discussed at today's open meeting.
Smitherman Drafts Legislative Recommendations on Electric Vehicles
PUCT Chairman Barry
Smitherman has suggested revisions to the draft legislative recommendations in the
Scope of Competition report to suggest that the Legislature, "may wish to provide
additional guidance to foster further development of PEVs [Plug-in Electric Vehicles]
as a competitive service." The draft recommendations developed by Staff were provided
to Commissioners under separate cover and not included in the draft report previously
released. Specifically, Smitherman recommended adding the following language regarding
PEVs: "The Commission notes that as an emerging technology, development of plug-in
electric vehicles (PEVs) was not contemplated when the Public Utility Regulatory
Act was adopted, and therefore there is no mention of PEVs in PURA. The state policy
established in PURA 39.001 (d) is that regulatory authorities shall 'authorize or
order competitive rather than regulatory methods ... and shall adopt rules and issue
orders that are both practical and limited so as to impose the least impact on competition.'
Therefore, the Commission believes that even though PURA is silent on PEVs, the
Commission has ample regulatory authority and policy guidance to deal with issues
that arise concerning EVs and their role within the Texas market structure. Nevertheless,
the Legislature may wish to provide additional guidance to foster further development
of PEVs as a competitive service, as well as consider measures to promote the widespread
adoption of EVs and the development of this emerging sector of the Texas economy."
The recommendation will be addressed at today's open meeting.
Dynegy Enters Agreement to be Acquired by Icahn Enterprises
As noted yesterday in
our live blog, Dynegy has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Icahn Enterprises
L.P. for $665 million. Dynegy will conduct a go-shop period through January 24 to
solicit and consider other strategic alternatives.
Nelson Drafts Revision to Explicitly Limit Post Go-Live Nodal Surcharge Usage to
2011
PUCT Commissioner Donna Nelson has suggested a revision to a stipulated proposed
order which would allow ERCOT to use nodal surcharge funds for post go-live activities
related to nodal implementation (38840, 12/8). Nelson's modification would limit
ERCOT's authority to use $25.2 million of nodal surcharge funds for such activities
to the period through December 31, 2011, imposing a sunset date on such authority.
ERCOT's operating budget for 2011 contemplates that the funds would be used for
2011, but nothing in the proposed order, prior to Nelson's revision, limited the
funds for use in 2011.
DPUC Approves CL&P, UI Default Service Rates
The Connecticut DPUC has approved previously
filed Standard Service and Last Resort Service rates for Connecticut Light & Power
and United Illuminating, for the year 2011. Rates are available in the linked orders
below.
CL&P Rate Order
UI Rate Order
Email This Story
HOME
Copyright 2010 Energy Choice Matters. If you wish to share this story, please email
or post the website link; unauthorized copying, retransmission, or republication
prohibited.
