Briefly

Senate Confirms Witmer to Pa. PUC

The Pennsylvania Senate has confirmed Pamela Witmer, former President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chemical Industry Council, to the PUC. Witmer will succeed Commissioner Tyrone Christy, whose last Public Meeting will be June 30.

Competitive Parties Protest SDG&E PPAs

As expected, the Alliance for Retail Energy Markets, Energy Users Forum, Direct Access Customer Coalition, and Western Power Trading Forum have protested San Diego Gas & Electric's application to procure 450 MW via power purchase tolling agreements with new generation, with costs recovered via nonbypassable surcharge (A.11-05-023, see see 5/24 story). Protesting parties argued that SDG&E provided no evidence that the contracts provide system or local reliability that benefits all customers, and failed to show that the contracts are eligible for treatment under the cost allocation mechanism. Protestors said that if the contracts are approved, SDG&E will have committed to new resources totaling 1,696 MW (1,000 MW from the Sunrise link, plus 246 MW already contracted, plus 450 MW from the at-issue contracts), versus an authorized need in the 2006 long-term procurement planning process of 530 MW.