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LCG Publishes 2024 Annual Outlook for Texas Electricity Market (ERCOT)

LCG, October 10, 2023 – LCG Consulting (LCG) has released its annual outlook of the ERCOT wholesale electricity market for 2024, based on the most likely weather, market, transmission, and generator conditions.

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LCG Publishes 2024 Annual Outlook for Texas Electricity Market (ERCOT)

LCG, October 10, 2023 – LCG Consulting (LCG) has released its annual outlook of the ERCOT wholesale electricity market for 2024, based on the most likely weather, market, transmission, and generator conditions.

Read more

Industry News

California Capsule: House GOP Nixes Power Price Caps

LCG, June 15, 2001The Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, in a near party-line 34-27 vote, yesterday rejected a proposal by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, that would have required the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to impose tight price controls on wholesale electric power in the West.

"You've made your own bed in California," said Rep. Sonny Callahan, R-Ala., who chairs the panel's energy and water subcommittee.

"I think Republicans don't know how much damage they did to themselves today," said Pelosi, whose proposal also would have allowed states to go to federal court to seek refunds for overcharges since June 2000.

Pelosi's amendment was only one of several Democrat populist proposals voted down by the panel's GOP majority.

Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, called the Democrat proposals "pure demagoguery" in a brief news conference following the votes. "If Democrats had an energy policy, they'd have had one in the last eight years. They have no credibility on this issue whatsoever. They are responsible for the energy crunch more than anybody I know."

With few exceptions, Republicans from California and other western states voted against the Democrat proposals, underscoring a basic difference in assigning the causes of the energy crunch and creating remedies for it. Most Republicans believe the power problems are the result of an imbalance in supply and demand and argue that price controls will only deepen the supply problem.

Some California Republicans also feel that the Democrats in Congress are trying a little too overtly to bail out California Gov. Gray Davis from his self-inflicted popularity problems. "A lot of these (amendments) are put there to try to save the governor's political donkey," Rep. Randy Cunningham, R-Calif., said.

Regulators Adopt Some SoCal Ed Rescue Provisions
The California Public Utilities Commission yesterday adopted three provisions of an agreement reached April 9 between Gov. Davis and struggling utility Southern California Edison Co. aimed at keeping the company out of bankruptcy court, where much of the control the state now has would be taken out of its hands.

Davis' rescue plan for the utility, which involves purchase by the state of the company's transmission system for $2.76 billion, is foundering in the state legislature, where lawmakers of both parties see little point in owning only a third of the state grid.

San Francisco-based Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the state's biggest utility, filed for bankruptcy protection in April after resisting Davis' attempts to talk it out of its wires.

The provisions adopted by the CPUC yesterday involve technical considerations such as sharing revenues from SoCal Ed's remaining generation assets, including the San Onofre nuclear power plant. Also approved was a procedure for future rate-making for the re-regulated utility.

Demo Sen. Boxer Owns Stock in Mirant, El Paso
The annual report of California Sen. Barbara Boxer's finances, released yesterday, shows that she and her husband have large investments in at least two of the companies accused of price gouging in the state's wholesale power market.

Boxer's holding include stock in Mirant Corp., an independent power producer that recently decided not to build a 530 megawatt power plant in Northern California despite having received a go-ahead from state regulators. Mirant cited an "extremely hostile" business environment for its decision to scrap plans for the plant.

Boxer also owns up to $100,000 in stock of El Paso Corp., a company accused of "affiliate abuse" in rigging prices for natural gas in California.

The Boxers also own stock in Halliburton Co., the energy engineering firm of which Vice President Dick Chaney was chief executive until he became Bush's running mate last year.

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