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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

California Power: No Quick Fix in Washington

LCG, Jan. 10, 2001California Gov. Gray Davis met in Washington, D.C., for seven hours yesterday with officials from the state's utilities, power generators and the Clinton administration in an effort to find a cure for the power crisis gripping the Golden State.

When the grueling session broke up shortly after midnight, he told reporters "We can see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Yesterday's marathon session at the Treasury Department was mediated by Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers and administration National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling.

Davis led a California delegation that included Assembly Speaker Bob Hertsberg, a Van Nuys Democrat, Senate President Pro Tem John Burton of San Francisco, another Democrat, and Loretta Lynch, who was appointed president of the California Public Utilities Commission by Davis.

"Progress was made. All sides gave a bit," said Richardson, saying the meeting was one of "tough discussions."

"We made progress, particularly on the issue of long-term contracting to bring down the rates," Davis said, adding that such contracts would "ensure reliable power at very attractive rates." California's electric industry restructuring law forbids such contracts, requiring utilities to purchase all of their wholesale power through the state power exchange.

For the first time, officials of the independent power producers were brought into the discussions. Davis has vilified the companies, accusing them of piracy, plundering California's economy, price gouging and more, and those were the nice things he had to say about them.

Bryant Kinney, a spokesman for Duke Energy Corp., said "We haven't met with the governor. It's good to have all the stakeholders at the table. That's job one."

Even as Richardson was seeing progress made and Davis glimpsed a light at the end of the tunnel, things got darker in California. Intel Corp., the world's largest maker of computer chips, said it would no longer expand its production facilities in the state until the electricity problems are permanently resolved.

"It won't be just an issue of whether employers expand their operations here. It will be an issue of whether they continue to build their products here," warned Carl Guardino, president of the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Association.

Richardson said "A number of working groups were established," adding that "The spirit was good." The groups were to begin meeting today to hammer out a program based on last night's talks. This coming weekend, Davis and Richardson will meet again with the other parties to produce a final agreement.

Consumer watchdog groups were disappointed they said they were "outraged" that they weren't included in the talks, but Pacific Gas & Electric Co. spokesman Shawn Cooper had an answer for that.

"I don't see any need to bring them to the table when they think we should go bankrupt," he said.

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