New York State Electric & Gas

NYSEG Proposes Price-cap Plan

New York State Electric & Gas Corp (NYSEG) and related parties have agreed to a settlement that would freeze natural gas prices for nearly three years, from December 1, 1995, until July 31, 1998. NYSEG would eliminate the gas adjustment and weather normalization clauses, and establish a service-quality incentive, setting earnings, rewards, or penalties based on performance.

NYMEX, EnerSoft Team Up on New Gas Trading System

The New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and EnerSoft Corp., a New York State Electric & Gas subsidiary, have launched Channel 4, the only electronic bulletin board (EBB) that allows companies to trade natural gas and pipeline capacity in the United States and Canada via a single system. Channel 4 is also the only system connected to over 40 pipelines, which it sweeps for information.

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.

Gas-Fired Generation

Stephen P. ReynoldsPresident & CEO

Pacific Gas Transmission Co.

Two or three years ago, gas-fired generation was hailed as a cure-all for everything that ailed the natural gas industry.

Performance-based Ratemaking

Performance-based ratemaking (PBR) departs from the cost-of-service standard in setting just and reasonable utility rates, but that departure isn't as easy as it looks.

Up until now, cost-of-service ratemaking has provided relatively stable rates, while enabling utilities to attract enormous amounts of capital. Of late, however, regulators appear to be heeding the argument that changing markets warrant a second look.

The Folly of PURPA RepealJerry R. Bloom and Joseph M. Karp

One need only reflect upon the primary sponsors of current efforts to repeal section 210 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to begin to understand the folly of these efforts for the nation. The sponsors do not represent electricity ratepayers, who are claimed to be overpaying billions of dollars as a result of PURPA.

NY Approves Self-generation Deferral Incentives

The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved a proposal by New York State Electric & Gas Corp., an electric utility, to offer a new rate mechanism to retain and regain low-load-factor (5 to 35 percent) customers with viable self-generation options.

PURPA: At Odds With the New Industry?

The issue of the day is what to do with the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA). Whether the act will be repealed or merely revised is open to debate, but the consensus is that changes are forthcoming.

Ever since the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued its February order finding that the California commission had violated PURPA by requiring Southern California Edison Co. and San Diego Gas and Electric Co.

Rate of Return on Common Equity: Annual Survey of Electric Rate Case

Our 13th annual electric rate-case survey covers electric rate orders issued between

April 1, 1994, and March 31, 1995.

The survey tabulates rates of return on common equity (ROE) approved by state public utility commissions (PUCs) in major electric rate orders, but also includes some cases in which rate of return was not directly at issue, or where a rate adjustment resulted from a settlement agreement.