The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) has refused to mediate a dispute between Washington Water Power Co. and a bidder in the utility's 1991-92 resource procurement auction. The bidder, SESCO Inc., complained after the utility found its demand-side management (DSM) program proposal not cost-effective. The UTC said the decision to close the bidding and not pursue a contract with SESCO was a matter for review in the utility's next general rate case.

Citing its desire to promote a fully competitive wholesale market for electric power, the Arkansas Public Service Commission (PSC) has waived restrictions on serving wholesale and retail loads in the state for Entergy Power Inc. Entergy had proposed to sell Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. power wheeled from two generating facilities by Arkansas Power & Light Co. (AP&L), an Entergy affiliate.

The Rhode Island Supreme Court has ruled that the state commission did not err when it refused to reverse a decision by the Town of Portsmouth to rezone certain property from industrial to residential. Newport Electric Corp. had protested that the change could make it liable to EMF damage claims because of overhead power lines in the area.

In a separate case, the PUC ruled that Dayton Power & Light Co.

One of the great attractions of demand-side management (DSM) lies in its ability to accommodate one-stop shopping. In contrast to the traditional supply-side approach, DSM allows energy utilities to minimize price hikes and maintain environmental quality even while meeting increasing needs.

Nevertheless, some of the initial excitement has waned. For example, The Wall Street Journal reviewed 11 programs in late 1993 and found that 8 realized less than half their projected savings.

No matter how you cut it, the Customer Information System (CIS) represents a utility's largest computer asset. It eats up the most disk space. It contains the most programs and lines of code. It handles the largest volume of business, whether measured in transactions or dollars.

Billing lies at the core of the CIS. It's the most complex area. But once bills go out to customers, the CIS must manage accounts receivable and the collection process, not to mention financial control and reporting.