September 10, 2012
ERCOT Further Updates PUCT on West Zone Congestion Issues
ERCOT has submitted another letter, in Docket 31600, to the PUCT reporting on continuing discussions and actions to address congestion in the West Zone.
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September 7, 2012
Podcast: Capacity Market Will Lead to Extinction of Independent Retail Electric Providers in Texas
An overview of how imposing capacity obligations on retail electric providers in Texas will inevitably lead to the demise of independent retail electric providers not subsidized by mandatory capacity payments
September 6, 2012
Briefly
FERC Dismisses Astoria Generating Company Complaint
September 5, 2012
Midwest ISO Files CONE Values for New Local Capacity Zones
The Midwest ISO has filed Cost of New Entry values for the new Local Resource Zones under its revised resource adequacy construct.
September 5, 2012
ERCOT Anticipates Sufficient Generation Resources For Upcoming Fall And Winter
A new Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy (SARA) released by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) anticipates that there will be enough power available to serve consumer needs within the ERCOT grid during the upcoming fall.
September 4, 2012
ERCOT Generators Seeking to Replace Free Market with Command and Control Regulation
Several ERCOT generators have asked the Public Utility Commission of Texas to abandon the state's free market in exchange for a command and control approach to electricity under which the ultimate price of electricity would be driven, in large part, by the outcome of computer models and forecasts…
August 31, 2012
ERCOT Issues Letter to City of Seymour Regarding West Zone Congestion
ERCOT yesterday filed in PUCT project 31600 an August 29 letter to the City of Seymour concerning the city's request for action regarding congestion in the ERCOT west zone.
August 30, 2012
Algonquin Power & Utilities Files Plan to Dispose of Thermal Generation at Maine Public Service
Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (APUC) has submitted to the Maine PUC a plan for the disposition of its thermal generation located within the service territory of Maine Public Service Company, in accordance with the PUC's April 30, 2012 order.
August 30, 2012
Can of Worms: Duke Energy Ohio Seeks Increase in Authorized Capacity Costs
Duke Energy Ohio has filed an application at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to increase the level of capacity costs that it is permitted to collect, with the increase deferred for future recovery.
August 29, 2012
Calif. ISO Files Tariff Changes to Address Market Power That Could Lead to Excessive Payments
The California ISO has filed tariff changes at FERC, "to build upon and enhance the existing provisions of the ISO tariff that prevent exposure to excessive payments that can be caused by the exercise of market power."
August 27, 2012
Texas to Hold Another Resource Adequacy Workshop, Seeks Proposals
The Public Utility Commission of Texas will hold a workshop in Project No. 40000, Commission Proceeding to Ensure Resource Adequacy in Texas, on September 6.
August 27, 2012
Priority Power Management Seeks PUCT Action on ERCOT West Zone Congestion "Crisis"
Calling the dramatic increase in congestion costs in the ERCOT West Zone a "crisis," Priority Power Management, LLC filed a request with the Public Utility Commission of Texas for an emergency inquiry into the extreme levels of congestion costs in the west load zone.
August 24, 2012
Tenaska "Straw Man" Would Impose Four-Year Forward Capacity Obligation on ERCOT Retail Providers, LSEs
Tenaska, Inc. has filed a strawman proposal with the Public Utility Commission of Texas to address resource adequacy in ERCOT, under which load serving entities would be required to meet, on a four-year forward basis, "administratively-set reliability levels," with Tenaska stating that the mechanism…
August 21, 2012
Federal Court Strikes Down EPA CSAPR Rule, Which Had Lowered Texas Resource Adequacy
A federal court today struck down the federal Environmental Protection Agency's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), finding that the EPA exceeded its statutory authority.
August 21, 2012
ERCOT Seeks Participant Interest in Fast-Responding Regulation Service Pilot
ERCOT has asked market participants to express whether they are interested in participating in a proposed Fast-Responding Regulation Service (FRRS) pilot project.
August 20, 2012
PUCT's Anderson "Unalterably Opposed" to PJM-Style Capacity Market
Stressing that meeting a mandated reserve margin, which would require additional costs to be imposed on customers, does not guarantee that customers will never experience a capacity-related load shed, Texas Public Utility Commissioner Kenneth Anderson said on Friday that he is, "unalterably opposed"…
August 17, 2012
PUCT Chair Nelson: Raising ERCOT Offer Cap Won't Achieve Desired Reserve Margin
Raising the offer cap in ERCOT would not allow the market to achieve the desired reserve margin, Donna Nelson, Chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, said in a memo in advance of today's open meeting.
August 17, 2012
City of Seymour Asks Texas Commission to Address Congestion in ERCOT West Zone
The City of Seymour, Texas, which runs a municipal utility, has asked the Public Utility Commission of Texas to address congestion in the ERCOT West Load Zone.
August 15, 2012
Occidental Power Marketing Suggests Hybrid of Backstop Procurement, Incentivized Voluntary Contracting for ERCOT Resource Adequacy
Occidental Power Marketing, L.P. has proposed in comments to the Public Utility Commission of Texas a limited backstop procurement mechanism to assure resource adequacy, that would provide incentives for voluntary forward contracting by load serving entities, and would have minimal impact on the…
August 14, 2012
New York ISO to Lower Credit Requirements for ESCOs, Other LSEs in ICAP Spot Auction
The New York ISO has filed tariff revisions at FERC to reduce Market Participant credit requirements to participate in the ICAP Spot Market Auction, which is mandatory for load serving entities.
August 14, 2012
California, With Mandated Capacity Purchases, Forced to Call for Conservation to Help Prevent Potential Blackouts
Despite the mandatory capacity obligations and purchases required of California load serving entities, including competitive retail electric suppliers, the California ISO has been forced to call a "Flex Alert" -- an early warning of potential emergency conditions -- twice over the past three…
August 7, 2012
Non-Unanimous Stipulation Would Condition Entergy Texas MISO Membership on Other OpCo's Status; ARR Impact
A non-unanimous stipulation filed by several parties in Texas would condition Entergy Texas Inc.'s transfer of operational control of its transmission assets to the Midwest ISO on the membership status of the other Entergy operating companies (Docket 40346).
August 6, 2012
Arkansas PSC "Unable" to Find, At This Time, That Entergy Arkansas' Application to Join MISO is In Public Interest
Given the, "separate and collective failure" of Entergy Arkansas, Inc. and the Midwest ISO to effectively address and satisfy the Arkansas PSC's concerns, the PSC is, "unable, at this time, to reach a finding that EAI's Application [to join MISO] is in the public interest," the PSC said in an order…
August 3, 2012
Duke Retail Reports Lower Margins; Duke Energy Ohio Considering Additional Capacity Cost Recovery
Duke Energy's Commercial Power segment, which includes its non-rate-regulated generating assets and competitive retail supply business, reported second-quarter 2012 adjusted segment income of $32 million, compared to $30 million in the second quarter of 2011.
August 2, 2012
RESA Protests MISO Capacity Market Compliance Filing for Lack of PLC Transition Plan
The Retail Energy Supply Association has protested a compliance filing from the Midwest ISO regarding the revised Module E capacity mechanism, as RESA said that the filing does not ensure that capacity obligations in all service areas will eventually be allocated based on Peak Load Contribution, as…