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Fortnightly Magazine - April 15 1996

PL94-4: Pricing for New Pipeline Construction

On May 31, 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued its Statement of Policy in Docket No. PL94-4-000, Pricing Policy for New and Existing Facilities Constructed by Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines.1 In that decision, the FERC sought to provide upfront rate certainty, thereby giving pipelines and shippers a firm basis for making decisions on large-scale investments.

But is that objective realistic?

Byline: 
Jeffrey S. Hitchings
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Restructuring Moves Forward in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources (DOER) has filed its electric restructuring proposal, "Power Choice," as part of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities investigation into competition. The proposal will be considered along with restructuring plans submitted by the state's three largest utilities.

Power Choice calls for electric utilities to voluntarily separate into generation and distribution companies. Customers would continue to receive distribution service through their present providers; generation would become competitive.

Byline: 
Lori A. Burkhart
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Reliability, Not Economy, Dictates Transmission Line

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved a proposal by Sierra Pacific Power Co. to construct a 345-kilovolt overhead transmission line, but not simply to gain access to low-cost power. Instead, the CPUC appeared to emphasize concern over reliability.

Sierra Pacific, involved in merger plans with The Washington Water Power Co., had cited access to low-cost power from the Bonneville Power Administration as an important reason to build the transmission line.

Byline: 
Phillip S. Cross
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WP&L Withdraws From MAIN

Wisconsin Power & Light Co. (WP&L) has announced that it will withdraw from its current regional reliability council, Mid-America Interconnected Network, Inc. (MAIN), effective December 31, 1997. According to president and chief executive officer of WPL Holdings Errol B.

Byline: 
Lori A. Burkhart
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Price-cap Reforms Reflect Local Competition

Citing heightened competition and lower earnings in the state's local exchange telephone market, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has frozen price caps for local exchange carriers (LECs) for most noncompetitive local services, and has suspended the 5-percent "x-factor" services for an intermediate level of competition.

Byline: 
Phillip S. Cross
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