SDG&E Touts PoolCo, Opposes Forced Spinoffs

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has filed comments to support the "majority proposal" by the California Public Utilities Commission on deregulating the electric utility industry, which calls for formation of a wholesale power pool.

SDG&E noted that while a key element of the proposal involved creating an independent system operator, the company would go further and set up a regional transmission company to own the grid.

Nevada Delays Merger

The Nevada Public Service Commission (PSC) has postponed further hearings indefinitely on the proposed merger between Sierra Pacific Power Co. (SPP) and Washington Water Power Co. (WWP).

Boston Edison Hits Pay Dirt with Call Options

Boston Edison Co. (BE), the first investor-owned electric utility in the nation to issue a request for proposals to secure options for buying wholesale electricity, now has received bids for more than 4,300 megawatts, with some offers for 1998 priced between three and four cents per kilowatt-hour.

S.F. Bay Area Cities Join Forces

Municipalities in the San Francisco Bay area are joining together to form an electric buying group in anticipation of the deregulation of the California electric market. The group, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), will flex its collective buying power first in natural gas.

People

Peter B. Lilly has been named president and COO of Peabody Holding Co. Peabody is the world's largest private producer and marketer of coal. Lilly will continue to report to Irl F. Englehardt, Peabody Holding's chairman and CEO. Englehardt was recently named v.p. of Hanson Industries' energy group.The board of directors of The Dayton Power & Light Co. has elected Arthur G. Meyer treasurer.

IES Utilities, Inc. has named James E. Hoffman executive v.p. of customer service and energy delivery.

Frontlines

A couple weeks ago, on a beautiful Sunday morning, I picked up my briefcase and wandered down to the Potomac river shoreline to catch up on my summer reading list. There, on the Virginia side, gazing across the river at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Capitol dome, I gathered strength to tackle a foot-high mound of paper.

Barbarians at the City Gate

In the wake of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order 636, gas marketing entrepreneurs gained unprecedented opportunities to compete for noncore, industrial loads. That market has matured.

Burnertip and Beyond

Erroll B. Davis, Jr.

President & CEO

Wisconsin Power & Light Co.

WP&L advocates that the following steps be taken to create a level playing field for merchants entering the retail market:

s Distribution rates should be fully unbundled from retail sales tariff rates.

The Pipeline Business

Stephen P. Reynolds

President & CEO

Pacific Gas Transmission Co.

Standardization has been an issue in every industry since the beginning of the Machine Age. As products continue to evolve, we need something like GISB to help find a prudent and appropriate level of standardization.