---------------------- Forwarded by Carla Hoffman/PDX/ECT on 12/07/2000 06:29 
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	From:  "Pergher, Gunther" <Gunther.Pergher@dowjones.com>                      
     12/07/2000 06:11 AM
	

To: undisclosed-recipients:;
cc:  
Subject: DJ Cal-ISO Pays $10M To Avoid Rolling Blackouts Wed -Sources, DJ 
Calif ISO, PUC Inspect Off-line Duke South Bay Pwr Plant, DJ Calif Regula 
tors Visit AES,Dynegy Off-Line Power Plants


13:18 GMT 7 December 2000 DJ Cal-ISO Pays $10M To Avoid Rolling Blackouts
Wed -Sources
(This article was originally published Wednesday)
LOS ANGELES (Dow Jones)--The California Independent System Operator paid
about $10 million Wednesday for 1,000 megawatts of power from Powerex and
still faced a massive deficit that threatened electricity reliability in the
state, high-ranking market sources familiar with the ISO's operation told
Dow Jones Newswires.
But the ISO fell short of ordering rolling blackouts Wednesday for the third
consecutive day.
The ISO wouldn't comment on the transactions, saying it is sensitive market
information. But sources said Powerex, a subsidiary of British Columbia
Hydro & Power Authority (X.BCH), is the only energy company in the Northwest
region with an abundant supply of electricity to spare and the ISO paid
about $900 a megawatt-hour from the early afternoon through the evening.
But that still wasn't enough juice.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power sold the ISO 1,200 megawatts
of power later in the day at the wholesale electricity price cap rate of
$250/MWh. The LADWP, which is not governed by the ISO, needs 3,800 megawatts
of power to serve its customers. It is free sell power instate above the
$250/MWh price cap.
The LADWP has been very vocal about the amount of power it has to spare. The
municipal utility has also reaped huge profits by selling its excess power
into the grid when supply is tight and prices are high. However, the LADWP
is named as a defendant in a civil lawsuit alleging price gouging. The suit
claims the LADWP sells some of its power it gets from the federal Bonneville
Power Administration, which sells hydropower at cheap rates, back into the
market at prices 10 times higher.
Powerex officials wouldn't comment on the ISO power sale, saying all
transactions are proprietary. But the company also sold the ISO 1,000
megawatts Tuesday - minutes before the ISO was to declare rolling blackouts
- for $1,100 a megawatt-hour, market sources said.
The ISO, whose main job is to keep electricity flowing throughout the state
no matter what the cost, started the day with a stage-two power emergency,
which means its operating reserves fell to less than 5%. The ISO is having
to compete with investor-owned utilities in the Northwest that are willing
to pay higher prices for power in a region where there are no price caps.
The ISO warned federal regulators, generators and utilities Wednesday during
a conference call that it would call a stage-three power emergency
Wednesday, but wouldn't order rolling blackouts. A stage three is declared
when the ISO's operating reserves fall to less than 1.5% and power is
interrupted on a statewide basis to keep the grid from collapsing.
But ISO spokesman Patrick Dorinson said it would call a stage three only as
a means of attracting additional electricity resources.
"In order to line up (more power) we have to be in a dire situation,"
Dorinson said.
Edison International unit (EIX) Southern California Edison, Sempra Energy
unit (SRE) San Diego Gas & Electric, PG&E Corp. (PCG) unit Pacific Gas &
Electric and several municipal utilities in the state will share the cost of
the high-priced power.
SoCal Edison and PG&E are facing a debt of more than $6 billion due to high
wholesale electricity costs. The utilities debt this week could grow by
nearly $1 billion, analysts said. It's still unclear whether retail
customers will be forced to pay for the debt through higher electricity
rates or if companies will absorb the costs.
-By Jason Leopold, Dow Jones Newswires; 323-658-3874;
jason.leopold@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires 07-12-00
1318GMT Copyright (c) 2000, Dow Jones & Company Inc
13:17 GMT 7 December 2000 DJ Calif ISO, PUC Inspect Off-line Duke South Bay
Pwr Plant
(This article was originally published Wednesday)
LOS ANGELES (Dow Jones)--Representatives of the California Independent
System Operator and Public Utilities Commission inspected Duke Energy
Corp.'s (DUK) off-line 700-MW South Bay Power Plant in Chula Vista, Calif.,
Wednesday morning, a Duke spokesman said.
The ISO and PUC have been inspecting all off-line power plants in the state
since Tuesday evening to verify that those plants are shut down for the
reasons generators say they are, ISO spokesman Pat Dorinson said.
About 11,000 MW of power has been off the state's power grid since Monday,
7,000 MW of which is off-line for unplanned maintenance, according to the
ISO.
The ISO manages grid reliability.
As previously reported, the ISO told utilities and the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission Wednesday that it would call a stage three power alert
at 5 PM PST (0100 GMT Thursday), meaning power reserves in the state would
dip below 1.5% and rolling blackouts could be implemented to avoid grid
collapse. However, the ISO said the action wouldn't result in rolling
blackouts.
The ISO and PUC also inspected Tuesday plants owned by Dynegy Inc (DYN),
Reliant Energy Inc. (REI) and Southern Energy Inc (SOE).
Duke's 1,500-MW Moss Landing plant was also inspected by PUC representatives
in June, when some units were off-line for repairs, the Duke spokesman said.


   -By Jessica Berthold, Dow Jones Newswires; 323-658-3872;
jessica.berthold@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires 07-12-00
1317GMT Copyright (c) 2000, Dow Jones & Company Inc
13:17 GMT 7 December 2000 =DJ Calif Regulators Visit AES,Dynegy Off-Line
Power Plants
(This article was originally published Wednesday)

   By Jessica Berthold
   Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

LOS ANGELES (Dow Jones)--AES Corp. (AES) and Dynegy Inc. (DYN) said
Wednesday that representatives of California power officials had stopped by
some of their power plants to verify that they were off line for legitimate
reasons.
The California Independent System Operator, which manages the state's power
grid and one of its wholesale power markets, and the California Public
Utilities Commission began on-site inspections Tuesday night of all power
plants in the state reporting that unplanned outages have forced shutdowns,
ISO spokesman Pat Dorinson said.
The state has had 11,000 MW off the grid since Monday, 7,000 MW for
unplanned maintenance. The ISO Wednesday called a Stage 2 power emergency
for the third consecutive day, meaning power reserves were below 5% and
customers who agreed to cut power in exchange for reduced rates may be
called on to do so.
As reported earlier, Reliant Energy (REI) and Southern Energy Inc. (SOE)
said they had been visited by representatives of the ISO and PUC Tuesday
evening.
Representatives of the two organizations also visited plants owned by AES
and Dynegy Tuesday evening.
AES told the visitors they couldn't perform an unannounced full inspection
of the company's 450-megawatt Huntington Beach power station until Wednesday
morning, when the plant's full staff would be present, AES spokesman Aaron
Thomas said.
Thomas, as well as an ISO spokesman, didn't know whether the representatives
returned Wednesday for a full inspection.

   AES Units Down Due To Expired Emissions Credits

The Huntington Beach facility and units at two other AES facilities have
used up their nitrogen oxide, or NOx, emission credits. They were taken down
two weeks ago in response to a request by the South Coast Air Quality
Management District to stay off line until emissions controls are deployed,
Thomas said.
AES has about 2,000 MW, or half its maximum output, off line. The entire
Huntington plant is off line, as is 1,500 MW worth of units at its Alamitos
and Redondo Beach plants.
The ISO has asked AES to return its off line plants to operations, but AES
has refused because it is concerned the air quality district will fine the
company $20 million for polluting.
"We'd be happy to put our units back, provided we don't get sued for it,"
Thomas said. "It's not clear to us that the ISO trumps the air quality
district's" authority.
As reported, a spokesman for the air quality district said Tuesday that AES
could have elected to buy more emission credits so that it could run its off
line plants in case of power emergencies, but choose not to do so.

   Dynegy's El Segundo Plant Also Visited By PUC

Dynegy Inc. (DYN) said the PUC visited its 1,200 MW El Segundo plant Tuesday
evening, where two of the four units, about 600 MW worth, were off line
Wednesday.
"I guess our position is, 'Gee, we're sorry you don't believe us, but if you
need to come and take a look for yourself, that's fine,'" said Dynegy
spokesman Lynn Lednicky.
Lednicky said one of the two units was off line for planned maintenance and
the other for unplanned maintenance on boiler feedwater pumps, which could
pose a safety hazard if not repaired.
"We've been doing all we can to get back in service," Lednicky said. "We
even paid to have some specialized equipment expedited."
Lednicky added that the PUC seemed satisfied with Dynegy's explanation of
why its units were off line.
-By Jessica Berthold, Dow Jones Newswires; 323-658-3872,
jessica.berthold@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires 07-12-00
1317GMT Copyright (c) 2000, Dow Jones & Company Inc


G_nther A. Pergher
Senior Analyst
Dow Jones & Company Inc.
Tel.  609.520.7067
Fax. 609.452.3531

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