How difficult issues are resolved in Illinois..........
---------------------- Forwarded by Richard Shapiro/NA/Enron on 11/30/2000 
08:06 AM ---------------------------
From: Susan M Landwehr on 11/29/2000 10:08 PM
To: James D Steffes/NA/Enron@Enron, Harry Kingerski/NA/Enron@Enron, Richard 
Shapiro/NA/Enron@Enron
cc:  

Subject: 

Rick/Harry/Jim--- it's a tie this year for who is the worst player in the 
energy business---I can't decide which is more appalling---  Commissioner 
Ruth Kretschmer's blatant grab for her legacy or Commonwealth Edison's sleazy 
tactics. 

You'll recall that Com Ed has been trying to get accelerated collection of 
the decommissioning costs ($120 mil per year for 6 years) despite the fact 
tht they're planning on transferring their nuclear plants to an unregulated 
Genco.  The battle has been ongoing at the ICC, and the customers and CUB and 
other intervenors have been successful in getting the hearing examiner to 
state that Com Ed should not be able to collect any dollars if they transfer 
the assets.  Our hope was that the ICC would actually agree with the hearing 
examiner and deny the request, and that Com Ed would have to go to the 
legislature to get language that would allow them to collect.  The ICC has 
not ruled yet.  Anticipating that COm Ed would simultaneously work the 
legislative side,we have been working at the statehouse for about a month to 
sow the seeds to make sure that we could block them enough to get a trade 
such as a year or two of CTC early roll off.  The legislature is in veto 
session right now, and Com Ed has not been able to get enough backing to move 
a bill.

So....low and behold, a fax comes across this evening and it's a letter to 
the ICC from Com Ed offering to donate 2 of it's nuclear station sites to the 
citizens of Illinois to use as public parks after the sites are 
decommissioned if they are given the full $120 mil/6 year collection. And 
gee, do you think that maybe one of the parks would be named after the woman 
who brought it to the people!!??

There has been a rumor for about a year that Ruth had been angling with John 
Rowe to have one of the nuclear sites donated in her name, and she started 
ruminating in public and in semi public meetings about 6 weeks ago about the 
general concept.  

Part of me wishes that we didn't have any business interests that need 
protecting in Illinois, as I  really would like to give a quote to Crains or 
the Tribune tomorrow slamming Kretschmer and Com Ed. Isn't this just the 
height of arrongance and corruption??!!

I'll be sending out a general info e mail tomorrow on this development to the 
Project Lincoln team and of course Roy that is a bit more sanitized, but 
wanted you guys to know the real scoop (plus I think I just wanted to vent!)