September 13, 2013
Briefly
Tradition Energy Names Senior Energy Advisor to Support Expansion
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September 13, 2013
Texas REP to Pay $28,000 to Resolve Staff Investigation on Unauthorized Switches
Direct Energy, LP would pay an administrative penalty of $28,000 under a settlement with Staff of the Public Utility Commission of Texas to resolve an investigation into several alleged violations of the consumer protection rules, including enrollment of a customer without authorization.
September 13, 2013
Texas Advances Operating Reserves Demand Curve, Sets Major Parameters, NPRR to Be Issued Next Week
The Public Utility Commission of Texas has directed ERCOT to develop a Nodal Protocol Revision Request to implement an Operating Reserves Demand Curve (ORDC), following the B+ design, and agreed on four major design elements for the curve.
September 12, 2013
Disconnect: Texas Generator Pushes for Capacity Market Day After Capacity Market RTO Forced to Involuntarily Shed Load Due to Inadequate Supply
A day after PJM was forced to involuntarily shed firm load due to a lack of available generation supply (click here for story) , a Texas capacity owner has said that the "long-term solution" to the challenges facing the ERCOT grid is, "some form of capacity market."
September 12, 2013
License Briefs
XOOM Energy Washington, D.C., LLC applied for a District of Columbia electric supplier license to serve all customer classes.
September 12, 2013
Start-Up Texas REP Seeks License, Use of Name "Nova Power"
Start-up Nova Power, LLC applied for a Texas REP certificate.
September 12, 2013
With Blackouts in Capacity-Market Dependent PJM, Texas Has Its Answer on Whether It Needs Mandated Reserve Margin (The Answer is "No")
Although the superior policy was already clear for a variety of reasons, the institution of involuntary firm load shed in PJM, due in part to a lack of available generating capacity (click here for story) , provides Texas with the inescapable conclusion that requiring a mandated reserve margin to be…
September 11, 2013
Briefly
Amerex Energy Services Awarded Contract for Harris County Dept. of Education
September 11, 2013
Texas A/S Provider to Pay $52,000 Under Settlement Related to Non-Spin Deployment
South Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc. would pay $52,000 under a settlement with Staff of the Public Utility Commission of Texas to resolve STEC's alleged failure to adhere to ERCOT protocols related to non-spinning reserve service (NSRS) energy deployment criteria.
September 11, 2013
Texas Public Policy Foundation Releases Brief on Debate to Replace "World Class" Texas Electric Market with Subsidies for Special Interests (i.e. Capacity Market)
The Texas Public Policy Foundation released a Q&A on the Texas electricity market, providing an overview of the Texas electricity market and the current debate over, "whether Texas should abandon its world-class competitive market and move to a capacity market that would provide subsidies for…
September 11, 2013
Another: Texas, With Energy-Only Market, Named Top State for Doing Business By Area Development Magazine; Perry Says Government Needs to "Get Out of the Way"
Texas, and its energy-only market, continue to lead independent assessments as the most attractive climate for businesses, despite feigned protestations that the energy-only market and a non-mandated reserve margin make the state unattractive for businesses, as Texas has now been named the top state…
September 11, 2013
Mandated Texas Reserve Margin Would Waste Investment in Smart Meters; Make Customers Subsidize REP R&D
Mandating a minimum reserve margin in Texas, meaning an administratively determined reserve margin which has to be met, runs counter to the compact made with Texas customers who were compelled to invest in the ubiquitous deployment of advanced meters, and would essentially turn that investment into…
September 10, 2013
Briefly
AEP, Dominion Retail File Settlement Over SECA Charges
September 10, 2013
Economist: "Vast Majority" of Capacity Market Payments in RTOs Go To "Resources That Are Economic" That Will "Operate The Same" Regardless of Capacity Payment
The "vast majority" of the capacity payments in the eastern RTO capacity markets, "are made to resources that are economic and will operate the same without regard to the magnitude of the capacity payment they receive," economist James F. Wilson said in comments to FERC in a proceeding reviewing the…
September 10, 2013
License Briefs
Texas REP Files to Use Trade Name Beyond Power
September 10, 2013
TruSmart Energy Offering New Time-Based, Usage-Based Products in Texas
TruSmart Energy has recently begun offering several new electric products in Texas with either time-variant or usage-variant pricing.
September 9, 2013
Texas Staff File Draft to Implement List of REPs Offering Bill Assistance to Military Veterans with Severe Burns
Staff of the Public Utility Commission of Texas have filed a draft proposal for publication to implement SB 981, which requires the PUCT to post a list of REPs offering bill payment assistance programs to customers who are military veterans with a significantly decreased ability to regulate body…
September 6, 2013
Report: Real-Time Co-Optimization in ERCOT Would Cost Less Than 1% of Annual Capacity Market Costs
Implementing a "maximum" configuration of real-time energy and ancillary services co-optimization (RTEAC) in the ERCOT market would cost less than 1% of the annual projected cost of a capacity market, according to a real-time co-optimization impact assessment filed with the Public Utility Commission…
September 5, 2013
Arizona Commissioner Frustrated with Polarization of Retail Choice Investigation, Suggests Hearing and Issues Supplemental Questions -- Texas Capacity Issues to Take Center Stage
Frustrated with stakeholders that have chosen to "polarize" the Arizona Corporation Commission's investigation of retail electric choice, Commissioner Bob Burns suggested that an evidentiary hearing may be appropriate, and issued a list of supplemental questions.
September 4, 2013
MISO Files New CONE Values for Capacity Market Zones
The Midcontinent ISO has filed with FERC updated Cost of New Entry (CONE) values for each local resource capacity zone, for the planning year that will commence on June 1, 2014
September 4, 2013
ERCOT Prepared for Upcoming Fall and Winter Demand
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) announced that it expects to have enough power available to serve peak demand needs this coming fall and winter, even if extreme weather or an unusually high number of forced generation outages dip into its planning reserves.
August 30, 2013
Torch Energy Solutions Expanding to New State
Torch Energy Solutions, LLC announced that it will begin offering brokering and consulting services to Illinois residential and business customers in September.
August 30, 2013
Texas Commission to Address Question of Mandated Reserve Margin; Directs Drafting of Operating Reserves Demand Curve Protocols
The Public Utility Commission of Texas directed ERCOT to begin drafting protocols for implementation of an Operating Reserves Demand Curve as the Commission considers final approval, while Commissioners agreed to examine several questions in a new phase of its resource adequacy investigation…
August 29, 2013
TXU Energy Named Official Electricity Sponsor of Baylor Athletics
TXU Energy has been named the official electricity sponsor of Baylor Athletics.
August 29, 2013
Texas to Hold Workshop on REP Collateral Requirements, POLR Rates, Other SWOC Impacts; Issues Questions for Comment
The Public Utility Commission of Texas has scheduled a workshop for October 17 to discuss the potential impacts of increases to the system wide offer cap on retail markets, including REP collateral requirements.