Free Republic

APRIL SHOWERS bring summer power. That's the upside all of those gloomy, rainy days. Some of that water, collected as Sierra snow pack, will flow into rivers and generate hydropower. It's one of the factors responsible for this summer's adequate power outlook, state officials say. The positive outlook comes despite the possibility a pair of natural-gas-fired power plants in the East Bay may shut down soon. Last Thursday, Mirant Corp. gave 90 days notice to state regulators that it may have to shut down a unit at its Antioch plant and another one at its Pittsburg plant if the company...

Electricity is not something most folks think about except when it's not there. But it's drawing attention from Valley communities funding a plan that may bring construction of a local power plant to generate electricity at a lower cost and improve electricity reliability for Valley residents and businesses. The proposal is by the Fresno-based Kings River Conservation District. The district is willing to build a $350 million, 500-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant to generate electricity if the 12 member communities are willing to participate. One megawatt can serve 1,000 homes with electricity. For three years, the district has been working...

The California ISO hereby issues a Southern CA Region TRANSMISSION EMERGENCY Notice for loss of a major transmission line within the Southern |portion of the CAISO Control Area effective 12/21/2005 11:36 through 12/21/2005 23:59 based on conditions as of 12/21/2005 11:41. Reason: Major transmission line forced out of service. Monitor system conditions on the California ISO Website at www.caiso.com and check with local electric utilities for additional information. This message was sent by Market Operations at the California ISO.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed two East Bay residents to the board overseeing the agency that operates the state's electrical power grid. Elizabeth Lowe, 41, of Danville has served as vice president of Onsite Energy Corp. since 1997; earlier she was vice president of Western operations for DukeSolutions, Inc. Lowe is a member of the Power Association of Northern California, the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses and the California League of Food Processors. She is registered to vote without a party affiliation. Mason Willrich, 71, of Piedmont was president and CEO of PG&E Enterprises before becoming an independent consultant advising clients...

RICHLAND, Wash. -- Washington state's only commercial nuclear reactor remained out of service while technicians tried to determine why an automatic shutdown system failed during a test Friday. State emergency officials said there was no release of radiation and no danger to the public. It was not immediately known when the Columbia Generating Station reactor would be restarted. The reactor, which produces power for the Northwest electricity grid, would remain out of service until crews determine what caused the problem, he said. Energy Northwest spokeswoman Heather McMurdo said lights on a control panel showed that two of 185 control rods...

For three days in a row last week, California broke all-time electricity consumption records as the mercury climbed over 90 degrees across much of the state. And this is only July. Sizzling August still lies ahead, and the record is almost certain to be broken again. ``We still haven't seen our peak for this year,'' said Jim Detmers, acting chief operating officer of the Independent System Operator, manager of much of California's power grid. The first statewide heat wave of the year has stirred fears of blackouts in California four years after the power system collapsed under the weight of...

The California ISO determines a level of load reduction that is needed to maintain grid reliability. We notify the local utilities of their share of this amount. It is up to the individual utilities to determine how they will implement the load shedding (i.e. rolling blackouts). Utility policies differ. Thus, to determine whether you will possibly be blacked out, contact your local utility. The utility schedules the curtailments and determines which portions of their grid (blocks, circuits, areas) will be blacked out and the timing of the rotation of the blackouts. The individual utilities also determine such things as blocks,...

ISO System Status Normal Operation All notices should be confirmed with the appropriate operating personnel prior to taking any action. Current Active Notice(s)No Current Notice Pending NoticesNo Pending Notices

Other Comments: The CAISO is declaring Restricted Maintenance Operations for the period 0700- 2200 today due to high loads and temperatures across the ISO control area. Yesterday/Weekend/Holiday Notable Events: At 1642 PST yesterday the CAISO requested SCE to shed 300 MW of interruptible load and 175 MW of pumping load due to the South of Lugo local area loading problem. Due to fires burning in the Southern California area, several 230-kV and 500-kV lines relayed during the 1453-1851 PST time frame which created the limitation overload. The CAISO declared a transmission emergency from 1959 through 2359 yesterday due to the...

Restricted Maintenance Operations [200401436] The ISO is anticipating high loads and temperatures across the ISO Control Area. The California ISO is declaring Restricted Maintenance Operations for the period from 07/20/2004 07:00 through 07/20/2004 22:00. Restricted maintenance operations, as detailed in ISO Operating Procedure E-509, will be in effect. Market participants are cautioned to avoid actions, which may unnecessarily jeopardize generator availability. This message is from Market Operations at the California ISO.

A transmission line failed in Arizona, then a substation relay malfunctioned, a major nuclear generating facility went off line and three other power plants went down like dominoes this past Monday morning. "This incident certainly had the potential to cascade out of control," said Gregg Fishman, a spokesperson for the California Independent System Operator. However, "the automatic systems that detect and react to under-frequency events worked as planned, reducing loads immediately," he said. What could have been the Western version of last August’s blackout in the Northeast was averted last Monday when automatic systems performed as planned in response to...

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- California Attorney General Bill Lockyer filed suit Thursday against Enron Corp. and several subsidiaries for allegedly manipulating market prices during the state's 2000-01 energy crisis and costing Californians billions of dollars. The suit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, seeks restitution and unspecified damages from the Houston-based energy giant whose trading practices are under investigation by the Justice Department. --snip--The filing comes amid the attorney general's ongoing battle with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to collect as much as $9 billion in refunds from energy wholesalers that officials say the state is owed to cover overcharges...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California Attorney General Bill Lockyer has asked federal regulators to reverse a May order that demands the state pay Enron and other energy companies almost $270 million in refunds stemming from the 2000-01 energy crisis. The refunds add ``insult to injury by rewarding the sellers a second time for their market manipulation activities and predatory pricing,'' the attorney's general motion said. It was filed Monday with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. ----snip----- The order was particularly unfair considering ``the recent Enron tapes and so much other evidence of market manipulation by the energy generators,'' Lockyer said in...

On Monday May 3, 2004 at 1117 PDT the CAISO issued a system warning due to lack of available capacity and higher than anticipated temperatures and loads in Southern California. At 1420 the CAISO declared a Transmission Emergency. They dropped 122 MW of pump load and requested SCE to drop all available interruptible load. SDG&E had already initiated interruptible load shedding. Approximately 700-750 MW of load relief was experienced. CAISO Pump load was restored at 1741. At 2200 the CAISO terminated the Restricted Maintenance Operation. At 2359 the CAISO terminated the Transmission Emergency

<p>SAN FRANCISCO, April 14 (Reuters) - Growing demand for electricity, a slowdown in power plant construction, and tight supplies are worrying California power officials as summer nears, a spokesman for the state grid said on Wednesday.</p> <p>The California Independent System Operator, which runs most of the electric grid, expects to issue its summer supply-and-demand forecast shortly and ISO operators are concerned about electricity shortages "if base case assumptions on supplies and consumption don't come true," said ISO spokesman Gregg Fishman.</p>

Other Comments: On Friday March 21, 2003 at 1838 PST the Vincent 500/230-kV transformer bank 2AA exploded and tripped the 1AA and 3AA transformer banks. The Midway-Vincent 500-kV Lines (Path 26) were denergized at Vincent and Midway by protective relays. The Vincent-Lugo #1 and #2 500-kV Lines were deenergized at Lugo and Vincent. Several 230-kV lines and pumps at nearby plants were tripped. There is total loss of the 2AA Transformer, the South 500-kV Bus, RTU’s and other equipment in the Station. As of 0300 PST Monday, 3/24 all 500-kV Transmission Lines have been restored to service. All 3 Transformers...

Monday’s Notable Events: From 2323-2345 PST the CFE was separated from the CISO and the Western Interconnection when the Miguel-Tijuana 230-kV Line relayed. The Imperial Valley-Rosita 230-kV line was out of service for scheduled work. Cause was unknown. Fault was on CISO side of the line and SDGE reported fog in the area. There was no customer outage.

.....Other Comments: At 0816 MST today, Sierra Pacific Resources commenced evacuating their Control Center in Reno, Nevada due to a bomb threat. They are initiating contingency plans to operate their Backup Control Center out of Las Vegas, Nevada Power Control Center. Thursday’s Notable Events: At 1312 PST the CMRC issued a Reserve Deficiency Directive to the CAISO. At 1249 PST the Spinning Reserve failed to meet the requirement. The maximum deficiency was 180 MW at 1305, returning to normal at 1313. Total time below normal was 24 minutes. At 1615 PST the RDRC reported their SCADA system was down. Returned...

<p>California grid operators suspended Enron Corp.'s trading and marketing privileges Tuesday, saying the Houston-based company failed to supply accurate data and enough collateral to cover an estimated shortfall.</p> <p>The California Independent System Operator, which manages much of the state's power grid, said the bankrupt energy company estimated that it owed $15 million to $50 million that it had underreported during 2001 and 2002.</p>

Keeping pace with strong winds and rain in the West this week, power markets swept higher. Charging natural gas prices, as well as the on-again, off-again status of Diablo Canyon's nuclear units, appeared to contribute to spot prices' upward mobility.Outages in the Path 26 area of the California Independent System Operator grid system also may have played a part in prices' performance. Cal-ISO considered calling for load curtailments in Southern California to account for the situation but eventually did not, according to reports. Systemwide, loads on the Cal-ISO grid stayed in the mid-31,000 MW range, notching up to about 32,000...

The CMRC reported the following outages for today (12/17 Daily Report): Due to multiple Transmission outages in the ISO Control area they have declared a Restricted Maintenance Operation from 0600-2159 PST today. Other Comments: The Pinto Phase Shifter is out of service due to possible oil leaks with no ETR. Monday’s Notable Events: At 0800 MST the Laramie River-DJ 230-kV Line relayed to permanent fault. At 1905 MST the line was back in service. At 1042 PST the Midway-Vincent #3 500-kV Line relayed with the Midway-Vincent #1 line out of service for scheduled work. At 1125 the Midway-Vincent #1 Line...

Other Comments: On Friday 12/13/02 the CISO was deficient in spinning reserves to a magnitude of 250 MW less than required from 1634 to 1701. On Saturday 12/14/02 PG&E reported an estimated 150,000 customers without power due to a winter storm with approximately 20,000 customers related to Transmission outages and 130,000 customers related to Distribution outages. At 1705 PG&E revised this report to 241,212 customers out of power. This morning at 0730 PST PG&E reported 331,000 customers out of power. At 0228 PST this morning AVA reported the North Lewiston-Walla Walla 230-kV line relayed to lockout. At 0315 PST IPCO...

By Chris Baltimore WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - U.S. energy regulators on Monday urged California's transmission grid operator not to delay redesigning its system despite a lack of consensus on some issues among utilities, marketers and industrial users. The California Independent System Operator (ISO), which ran the state's electricity market during the state's power crisis of 2000-01, has repeatedly clashed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) over how the Western wholesale electricity market should be reformed. At a technical conference, FERC staff signaled their frustration at delays that have hindered California's redesign process. Earlier this month, the FERC postponed...

Sunday’s Notable Events: From 1857 to 1917, the California ISO was deficient in spinning reserve, to a maximum of 190 MW.

On Halloween, the California Independent System Operator offered the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission only a few treats, putting in place some parts of the market redesign. It also warned FERC it cannot meet the deadline for having the day-ahead market revamp in place. "Happy Halloween and remember to increase your price cap. Or so the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission might have said to trick-or-treaters last week, as the California ISO's new market rules went into effect Oct. 31. One element of the FERC's order, which previously provoked angry responses from California politicians, increased the bid cap to $250/MWH." --snip-- In...

NEW YORK -- The organization that runs California's electricity transmission system has substantiated Duke Energy Corp.'s claim that all of its generating capacity in the state was producing power, providing other services or unavailable because of predisclosed outages on May 8, 2001, undermining a charge that Duke kept capacity off line that day even as some customers had their power cut.The California Independent System Operator, in an analysis undertaken at the request of a state senator and released late Friday, also raised broader questions about the report by the California Public Utilities Commission, which concluded last month that most of...

WECC Daily Report of System StatusOther Comments: CISO operated below reliability criteria for spinning reserve from 1334 to 1358 yesterday, to a minimum reserve level of 208 MW below the required level due to market entities deviating from schedule in an attempt to chase market clearing price.Monday’s Notable Events: PDCI Pole #3 blocked (restarts set to zero for hold order), Fort Rock series capacitors inserted and Grand Coulee Transit Excitation Boost operated. COI went over the limit of 3780 MW north to south @ 1112. BPA and CISO ramped in counter schedules for a total of 950 MW and COI...

<p>FOLSOM The man appointed by Gov. Gray Davis to act as traffic cop on California's electricity grid attacked federal regulators Thursday and demanded authority to fine rules breakers in the state's power markets.</p> <p>The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission can't be trusted to protect consumers, and should clear the way for state officials to act against power sellers, said Michael Kahn, board chairman of the California Independent System Operator. "It's not an acceptable alternative to ask FERC if we're being screwed," he said at a board meeting as some power sellers fidgeted in the audience, precluded by board rules from speaking.</p>

Report: State grid operator behind plant's output swingsAssociated Press LOS ANGELES ---- The operator of the state's power grid has acknowledged that it was responsible for swings in production at a San Diego County power plant that Gov. Gray Davis held as an example of price gouging by out-of-state energy companies. The Los Angeles Times and Charlotte Observer reported Sunday that the California Independent System Operator told its oversight board that records showed Duke Energy was following orders to help balance the grid and not driving up prices. Three former workers at Duke Energy's Chula Vista plant told state...

<p>The vote to buck a federal order follows a call by Gov. Davis to resist what he calls a 'hostile takeover.'</p> <p>After hearing Gov. Gray Davis' call to protect California consumers and its electric grid, the state Independent System Operator Wednesday voted to fight a federal order to replace its board with one free of state control.</p>

<p>Sacramento, California, Aug. 7 (Bloomberg) -- California's top attorney said the state can't comply with a demand by U.S. energy regulators to change the makeup of the governing board of the state's power-grid agency, and may sue to halt the order.</p>

WASHINGTON - Gov. Gray Davis and federal energy regulators are once again on a collision course, this time over who will govern the state's power grid. Davis is balking at a recent federal order that would disband the board he appointed to oversee the California Independent System Operator, which manages the grid. It would be replaced by a board ostensibly "independent of market participants," under the order by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. While the clash lacks the sizzle of Davis' previous confrontations with FERC over electricity price controls and refunds from power sellers accused of gouging, it goes to...

Claiming the California's Independent System Operator has failed the state's energy users and suppliers, the Federal Regulatory Commission has declared its intention to unilaterally overhaul California's state-controlled transmission-grid operator. The move is a hard slap in the face to Gov. Gray Davis and his efforts to keep some kind of state control over its electricity transmission grid system, FERC says California needs to fully integrate its transmission system with the rest of the western United States in order to increase efficiency and the easy flow of electricity. "The current operation of the California transmission grid serves only to prolong, if...

<p>Folsom, California, July 3 (Bloomberg) -- Dynegy Inc., Williams Cos. and 10 other electricity suppliers were fined $122.1 million for failing to deliver enough supply during California's energy crisis in 2000 and 2001, the agency that manages the state's power grid said.</p>

In sheaves of responses to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's request for details of trading strategies, nearly all power sellers denied doing anything like Enron-style market manipulations. However, some said they made questionable moves in response to requests from the California Independent System Operator. (free portion ends here..) Cal-ISO is increasingly taking criticism for allegedly manipulating itw own market for the sake of ensuring reliability....... In several instances, companies told FERC they did not exactly follow the rules, but their actions were due to Cal_ISO requests. ?On some occasions during the relevant period, [we] scheduled small amounts of excess load...