The Conservation Law Foundation of Boston and AES Corp. have teamed up to bid on the 18 New England Electric System power plants recently put up for sale under the NEES divestiture plan that is part of its restructuring settlement.

The unusual alliance puts the conservation group with a former industry adversary. If the alliance succeeds in its bid, it likely would close up to five of the most polluting plants to reduce acid rain and smog. Also, it would protect about 30,000 acres of land from development.

Amtrak has entered an agreement with power marketer Enron Capital & Trade Resources to purchase electricity to power nearly 600 Amtrak and commuter trains each day on the Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington, D.C., and 100 trains a day on the Keystone Line between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pa.

Amtrak spends about $40 million a year for electric traction energy, which is purchased from several suppliers. The wholesale contract will reduce those costs nearly one-half.

The Reed Consulting Group has released a study, which predicts that in 10 years, no more than six major companies will dominate the Northeast power market in each of the generation, wires and energy services industries.

The study also said the transition to competition primarily would affect generation and energy marketing.

On the Brink of Competition: RCG's Guide to the Northeast Power Market finds that New England and New York are setting the pace for the nation on power and fuel markets convergence.

The board of directors of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District has approved the introduction of competition in its service territory. SMUD is opening up competition for 100 megawatts of power (em about 5 percent of its total load (em in its new "Direct Access Phase-In Program."

Starting in June, customers may contract with a new energy supplier. Customers could receive power from the new provider in July.

Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating has signed into law the "Electric Restructuring Act of 1997," S.B. 500, which allows customers choice of electric suppliers by July 1, 2002.

The legislation was written by state Sen. Kevin Easley (D), who originally had called for competition by 2000. The new law calls for the Oklahoma

Corporation Commission to resolve issues surrounding stranded costs.

According to Keating, "[Deregulation] should help strengthen our economic development position when we're in competition with other states for jobs."

Orange & Rockland Utilities Inc. and Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corp. have submitted their restructuring plans to the New York Public Service Commission as part of the commission's efforts to develop a new framework for the electric industry in the state's "Competitive Opportunities" proceeding.

Orange & Rockland's four-year proposal would reduce overall rates by $37 million (Case 97034/ 96E0900). Industrial customers would pay an average electric price of 6 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Texas Gov. George Bush's (R) unexpected electric restructuring legislation that would have opened markets to competition in the state on Sept. 1, 2001 has died. The proposal would have slashed residential rates by 10 percent in the next three years, frozen industrial rates until 2001, and cut small-business rates by 4 percent.

The Bush plan, released on May 5, would have guaranteed that utilities would recover all stranded investment in generation plants at market rates of return.

The California Public Utilities Commission has ruled that it will not phase in direct access at different times for different customer groups, but will allow all customers, regardless of classification or amount of electricity used, to choose their energy supplier in less than two years.

"There will be no phase-in or pilot-program period for the opening of California's electricity market. In just eight months we go from a regulated monopoly to open competition in one big bang," said John Seidl, president and CEO of CellNet Data Systems Inc.

The PUC said that starting Jan.

Two studies examine marketers and direct-access pilots. Customers seen as "confused," dissatisfied," "frustrated."

The Edison Electric Institute has released two studies that examine increased competition in electric markets. One looks at the rapid growth of the power marketing industry, while the other examines the problems encountered by the first six retail access pilot programs in the U.S.

Power Marketers.

Central Vermont Public Service Corp. hired former Electrolux Corp. CFO Douglas D. Sinclair as its marketing and business development v.p. and general manager. In addition to his new position, Sinclair will oversee day-to-day activities at two power generation and technology subsidiaries. Also at CV, Robert G. Clarke, president of Vermont Technical College, and Patrick J. Martin, president of America's Customer Operations at Xerox Corp., were elected to the board of directors.

John F. Cotter, former PECO Energy Co. power trader, was hired by Pennsylvania Power & Light Co.