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LCG Publishes 2024 Annual Outlook for Texas Electricity Market (ERCOT)

LCG, October 10, 2023 – LCG Consulting (LCG) has released its annual outlook of the ERCOT wholesale electricity market for 2024, based on the most likely weather, market, transmission, and generator conditions.

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LCG Publishes 2024 Annual Outlook for Texas Electricity Market (ERCOT)

LCG, October 10, 2023 – LCG Consulting (LCG) has released its annual outlook of the ERCOT wholesale electricity market for 2024, based on the most likely weather, market, transmission, and generator conditions.

Read more

Industry News

Gas Suppliers Threaten to Cut PG&E

LCG, Jan. 2, 2001--Pacific Gas & Electric Co. told the California Public Utilities Commission on Friday that the cash and credit squeeze created by the electricity crisis in California has prompted between 15 and 20 natural gas suppliers to decline to sell gas to the company beyond their current commitments.

The utility has enough gas locked up to see its 3.8 million customers through January, so long as there isn't an unusual cold snap, the company said. But that gas will cost those customers a lot more than it did in December, and December bills with 50 percent higher than the customers were used to.

PG&E said the average residential gas bill will rise to $125 in January. A year ago, it was $50.

But, don't blame the utility, the utility says. California's natural gas industry has been deregulated for more than 10 years, and utilities simply buy gas for delivery, charging customers what they pay for it without a markup, and charging an additional sum for transporting the gas to the customers' meters. PG&E says its "delivery rates have not changed significantly for several years."

PG&E has joined the chorus of Californians who, wounded in the wallet, are blaming "price gouging" energy companies for high bills. Chief executive Gordon R. Smith said "We recognize that this dramatic increase in the market price of gas will be very difficult for many of our customers, and we would like to be able to cushion the blow. However, Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s current financial position, resulting from the outrageous wholesale electric prices we are being forced to pay on behalf of our customers, prevents us from being able to finance this high cost and spreading it out over a few months."

Just to make sure customers know who to blame, Smith continued "What should be noted is that many of the companies who have declined to sell us natural gas are the same companies who own power plants in California and are currently charging as much as 30 times what it costs them to generate the power."

In August 1997, another PG&E Corp. subsidiary purchased 15 power plants with a combined capacity of around 5,000 megawatts from New England Electric System. Now, a pledge from PG&E Corp. to charge cost-based rates to New England utilities might get Smith a little sympathy. But the price for the NEES plants was $1.59 billion, and it's likely PG&E will try to get its money back as fast as possible. Just like the companies that bought its plants in California.

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